I came to Canada 56 years ago as a stateless person to study at McGill University. In the 1960s, McGill offered a high-quality and affordable university education to international students from developing economies, at a time when most other Canadian universities were restricting or prohibiting the admission of foreign students from overseas.
When I reflect on my experience as a student, what stands out for me is the demand for excellence and the inclusive environment. As an ethnic minority international student, I was elected to be one of the first student representatives on the Board of Governors at McGill in 1972. The supportive faculty and administration and the vibrant student body helped to build my self-confidence, academic knowledge, social skills and ambition.
Thanks to the many scholarships and jobs secured through the Student Placement Office, McGill and its many benefactors financed my higher education and allowed me to build my family and career in Canada.
McGill is also where I met my wife, Grace Fung (Lee) BSc’71. We got married in Montreal and the reception was organized and attended primarily by McGill students. Even the priest was a graduate of the McGill Faculty of Religious Studies. Both my daughter and my son-in-law are graduates of the McGill Faculty of Medicine.
The sincere and successful accommodation of the McGill français campaign in the 1970s prompted my wife and me to take up French language training, which helped ensure that all our children would grow up to be fluent in English and French.
Being a McGill volunteer has been an opportunity for me to give back some of the many benefits I have received from the University and maintain my share of ownership of the McGill brand.
It is also rewarding to give back to an institution that will continue to produce some of the best global citizens, lead in the discovery and development of technologies, and improve the sustainability and vitality of communities in Canada and around the world.