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Two life-changing events happened during Melanie Gray’s time at Queen’s University. Her mother died of cancer which meant she became the legal guardian to her two younger brothers, and she received a major bursary which allowed her to stay at Queen’s despite her family’s financial hardships.

Without that funding, the Artsci’16 graduate would likely not have been able to walk across the convocation stage in Grant Hall on June 7.

“It was a life-changing moment when I received . I will be forever grateful the Queen’s alumni family was there to support me as I struggled to take care of my own family,” Ms. Gray says.

She is one of many students who benefited from the Initiative Campaign. The 10-year fundraising campaign by Queen’s wrapped up on April 30 after collecting $640 million, including $85 million in support of scholarships and bursaries.

The art history student’s first few years at Queen’s were divided between going to class and taking her mother, Lauren, to chemotherapy at Kingston General Hospital. Lauren believed in the value of education and was proud her daughter was attending Queen’s.

“Education was always her No. 1 priority. She grew up on a reserve in poverty and never graduated from high school. She wanted all her children to get a degree and kept telling us to not worry and focus on school,” says Ms. Gray.

Lauren’s long battle with cancer ended on March 18, 2014 when she passed away a few days before her daughter’s 21^st birthday. Ms. Gray tried to keep herself busy to help cope with the grief. She co-founded a well-being circle for Indigenous students at the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre and was president of the Queen’s Native Student Association.

The hardships continued as financial stress replaced her mother’s health issues. The family home was in need of urgent repairs, and she could barely provide her family’s basic needs.

Life was “one step forward and 10 steps back,” she says. The stress was overwhelming as she considered dropping out of Queen’s to find a job.

Fortunately, the Queen’s community was there for support. She received guidance and financial aid from Queen’s Financial Assistance, Ban Righ Centre, and the Chaplain’s office. It was the Anne Shaw Hudson Bursary – worth $17,500 – that gave her the freedom to focus on school and not worry about paying bills. As a result, she was able to find her passion for learning and her grades went up dramatically.

“I truly hope people understand how much their donations to Queen’s can change a student’s life,” she says.