REAL OPPORTUNITIES

Building community

We are incredibly honoured to have such a powerful and committed donor community at SAIT. Every year, we welcome new members and celebrate why they choose to make a difference at SAIT. Their decision to support SAIT's mission to prepare students for successful lives and careers can come from their own personal experience.

Recent Software Development graduate, Jinki Lee, knows the difference donor impact can have on student succes. While a student, Jinki was a successful recipient of student awards. The financial support from the awards had a positive impact on his student experience and prompted him to pay it forward and create his own student award. Jinki's Recognition Award will provide financial support to future SAIT students. Jinki is one of 606 new donors who joined SAIT's donor community.

“It feels great to join this donor family. It’s leaving my legacy behind and it helps represent what I believe in, what I enjoy contributing to, and it’s helping other students achieve the same goals that I once had," says SAIT alumni Jinki Lee (Software Development '24)

"When I received my award as a student, I thought, this money came from someone else and it was established by someone or an organization. Remembering that I received a lot [of scholarships] during my my time at SAIT made me want to give back to the community and pay it forward."

Powering people, places
and possibilities

SAIT strives to create an inclusive, welcoming and accommodating learning environment for every type of person and mind. Support from donors helped create the first Sensory Calming Room on campus — a space that gives students a private and safe environment to self-regulate when feeling overstimulated. This space directly resulted from a matching challenge led by Donna Lambert, Manager, Advancement Services and Student Awards, on Giving Day, SAIT’s annual 24-hour fundraiser. Thirty-nine donors contributed to her initiative to fund the conversion of the Sensory Calming Room — a space used frequently by students like mechancial engineering technology student Rachel Kostynuk.

“Before these spaces, the only place where I was really able to do this was the bathroom. I would lock myself in one of the stalls and try to calm myself down because that was the only space where it was secluded and away from the masses of people. But this room now means I don’t have to hide in the bathroom. I can have a space dedicated to people like me.”

“I’ve not been to a school with a room like this before…Thank you. This space becomes a place where I can re-regulate my mind and body. Test taking is extremely anxietyinducing, so by coming here, I have this space where I can sit, calm down and be able to quiet my mind. I’m able to focus on the rest of the day and go to class and study and do my next test.”

Every person.
Every gift.

SAIT’s incredible donor family contributes to student success in many ways — each member has a unique perspective on why and where they give. No matter the type or size of gift, it all makes a difference for our students.

Terrance Malkinson (2024 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Bachelor of Applied Information Systems Technology '01, Information Technology Professional '99) has been an advocate and donor to SAIT for many years, and he has many reasons why he wants to leave a legacy through philanthropy at SAIT through our Heritage Hall Society.

“It doesn't matter how big it is. Big or small, every penny counts. On a personal note, I know it's very difficult for students now to make a decision to go into post-secondary education. But sometimes, even just a small amount of money will make a big difference in other people's lives."