Attending McGill wasn’t even a deliberate choice on my part. I was born in Montreal and raised in a family of academics. Both my parents studied at McGill then worked for the University. My father taught at the School for over twenty years and my mother was a part-time instructor for a while. Consequently, McGill was often a conversation topic around the dinner table as my folks talked about their day. It was, as I think back, inevitable I would apply to study at McGill and hopefully be accepted. I’m not sure I even applied to any other university – I would not recommend that to anybody – but that's how I grew up.
I started as a commuter-student in my freshman year. It was a wonderful experience to be downtown and spend my days and many evenings on campus. Then, in second year, my family moved away from Quebec. That transition stands out: I was no longer living at home but among my student peers downtown, first on campus and then in the neighbourhood. It was also an era of much change on campus and around the world. Plus, I was very active with extra-curriculars in addition to my studies.
McGill certainly contributed to what was and still is important to me – education and continued learning. For example, I fondly remember sitting in a circle with classmates on lower campus talking about philosophy. I was introduced to new ideas I had not been exposed to before. The importance of learning was instilled in me, and my support for education continues to this day. Clearly, McGill continues to play an important role in the community, as well as in Quebec and Canada. Its reputation around the world is remarkable.
As I reflect on my children’s chosen careers and the conversations I’ve had with them about working life, my advice to today’s students would be: draw from the strengths you discovered about yourself at school, then build upon them with learning throughout your life. And that pathway could extend beyond your career time, to your longer-term choices.
What was compelling while at school and at work could also be a key to sustained ‘giving back’. In my case, it was supporting education. This was an important lesson I gleaned from my parents’ time at McGill. For me it's important to maintain a family continuity through contribution to the University.
David Saffran has established the Judith and Murray Saffran Scholarship in Biochemistry in memory of his parents, Dr. Judith Saffran, BSc’44, PhD’48 and Dr. Murray Saffran, BSc’45, MSc’46, PhD’49. Awarded to outstanding undergraduate students in the Department of Biochemistry, this scholarship recognizes Judith Saffran as a female pioneer in STEM and Murray Saffran’s research and teaching contributions to the University.