The UBC community is mourning the loss of Maja Paderewska, a UBC alumna and high school teacher, whose life ended suddenly on February 23, 2014 at the age of 33.

Originally from Szczecin, Poland, Maja was extremely proud of her Polish heritage. She graduated from UBC in 2003, with a Bachelor of Arts in history, and a Diploma in Accounting in 2005. While at UBC, she showed her compassion and interest in education as a volunteer for the Learning Exchange in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. After completing her education degree at SFU, she went on to become a business and economics teacher at North Surrey Secondary School.

Described by one of her students as a “beautiful teacher,” Maja was passionate about motivating and inspiring her students. She was known for being a friend to those she taught, always willing to go the extra mile and devoted to making learning fun while pushing her students to reach their potential. Caring, encouraging, kind and genuine, she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

In memory of Maja, a UBC tribute fund has been established in her name.

Your gift will honour her memory and will be used to support current and future generations of students and researchers at UBC. This is a fitting tribute to Maja, an Arts alumna herself, who was deeply committed to the importance of education and supporting students to reach their potential.