Myra Collins has been a consistent monthly donor to the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing’s Annual Fund for many years. This fund allows the Dean of Bloomberg Nursing to respond to some of the Faculty’s highest priority needs, including emergency student bursaries.
That is exactly the type of support Collins says she is keen to provide, and as a monthly donor, she feels it is easier than ever to give back even while being on a budget.
“I chose to give monthly because it was the easiest thing to do, I don’t have to think about it, the amount just comes out of my credit card and I know that I am making a difference,” says Collins.
Financial aid supported her nursing education
Her reasons for giving are deeply rooted in her experience as a nursing student, and the incredible financial support she received that enabled her to attend the University of Toronto.
“I had a dream of being a nurse, I had romanticized it a bit after reading the Cherry Ames Series which was popular at the time, but I couldn’t’ afford to attend U of T,” says Collins.
Instead, Collins applied to nursing at a different university and when she attended a Toronto Public Health clinic to receive her required vaccines, the nurse asked her if she was attending U of T.
“I explained that I couldn’t afford it, and she told me to head straight back to my guidance counselor because there was a way that they could help me,” says Collins.
That help came in the form of bursaries from the Victorian Order of Nurses which required that students supported by their funds, work in public health after graduation. She also received significant support from the University of Toronto Nursing Alumni Association.
“Those funds from nursing alumni were what sustained me during my schooling. I have never forgotten how much that support helped me,” says Collins.
Support for future nurses
When Collins was beginning her program, tuition was just $400 a year. She knows that the rising cost of tuition for nursing students now can be a barrier for many who, just like her, had a dream of becoming a nurse.
“Now as a nursing alumna I also have the opportunity to support future nurses, and I am very proud to be able to do that in whatever way I can,” says Collins.
Learn how you can support Bloomberg Nursing students and the Faculty’s most urgent priorities by making a one-time or monthly gift to the Nursing Annual Fund.