Dick and I are both immigrants; he is from the USA, and I was born in Chile. We are proud to be Canadians and believe that our education at McGill gave us the foundation to forge our dreams and the tools to be able to help the next generation of students reach theirs.
Why McGill? As a high school student in Calgary, I sent in the application and recall checking our mailbox hoping that the “fatter than normal” envelope contained the registration forms and was further thrilled when I was offered an early acceptance. To me, McGill was iconic and represented what was best in Canada. So many graduates throughout its history have contributed immensely to the social and economic fabric of our country, with even the lyrics of our national anthem O Canada penned by a McGillian!
For Dick, having finished his Master’s in Geology at UNC (Tar Heels!) it was an opportunity to do a PhD thesis under a renowned professor at McGill, Dr. Eric Mountjoy (a Calgarian), a foremost expert on sedimentology, carbonates, and the structure of the Canadian Rockies. Ironically, it was also a chance to TRULY experience a basketball school as this sport too was developed by one of our graduates.
Living in such a vast country, we realized the monetary challenges facing many students when they study far away from their home base. We founded Best in the West to help alleviate these strains and encourage students from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to study at McGill and not feel constrained by finances. It was also an opportunity to help forge a stronger Canadian unity as it allowed western students to experience living in one of the founding cultures of Canada.
Additionally, McGill throughout its early years cultivated western roots. That is, the first Premier of Alberta was a McGillian as well as one of the founders of the University of Alberta and our graduates also helped found UBC, UVIC and the University of Manitoba. It seems fitting that the circle is now complete with western students heading “east” to cast their destiny and propel our country into the future.
We were also thrilled to help launch another landmark initiative at McGill – “McGill24”. As we like to say, thank goodness for snow even in non-winter months in the Rockies! Warming up in the car after watching our daughter compete in hunter trials west of Calgary, I came across a program discussing a “Day of Giving”. It seemed like a natural extension to help connect our graduates on a global level. I drafted a proposal to Marc Weinstein, Vice Principal of McGill University Advancement, for a first-ever digital day of giving and we followed up with a trip to Montreal to pitch the idea in person. Marc and his amazing team saw the vision and crafted what would become “McGill24” – the first and largest digital day of giving for a Canadian university and a further resource of monetary support for students.
We often get asked what “we get out of volunteering at McGill” and the answer to this complex question is quite simple. We have made many dear friends and have had opportunities to interact with such talent both on the alumni and student level. As parents of five children and grandparents of PJ (class of 2043!), we have belief and hope in the next generation and know that our students will be at the forefront of sui generis developments to come in our third century!
The entire McGill community mourned the passing of Richard Walls in August 2023. To learn more about Mr. Walls, read Remembering Richard Walls.