51³Ô¹Ï

 The donor of this award, Dr. Adrienne Chan, has been a donor to universities and colleges since the 1970s. She believes in supporting education as a fundamental way of fostering citizenship. Her philosophy aligns well with her life’s work and her strong commitment to social justice, first as a social worker, then as an educator. Adrienne is a Professor Emeritus at the University of the Fraser Valley, and an alumnus of the 51³Ô¹Ï, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Kent at Canterbury (UK).

Adrienne came from a family of six siblings with a strong commitment and history of giving back to their community, whether it was time, talent, or funds. Adrienne is a third-generation Canadian of Chinese descent. Her grandfather, Chan Dun, travelled on a working boat to 51³Ô¹Ï in 1893 and had to pay a head tax upon arrival. He established a family and encouraged hard work and working together, in order to be successful.  Adrienne’s values and attitudes were further cultivated in junior high school when she was involved in the Canadian Red Cross as a volunteer, doing fundraising, and working towards the betterment of marginalized peoples. Giving was engrained the family culture, to support society and the betterment of communities.