Kathy Nakashima, BSc’77, BCL/LLB’81, was the first person in her family to go to university, the first to graduate law school, and one of the first women in Montreal to become a co-managing partner at a law firm.
She earned those successes, and now she’s ensuring that others get to experience firsts of their own. “I really value education,” says Nakashima, “and I want to help students who might otherwise not be able to attend university.”
Her parents were both great students, but neither had the chance to finish high school; as teenagers they were forced into internship camps for being Japanese-Canadian during the Second World War. Their homes and businesses were appropriated, and they were left penniless.
“I was determined to get the education they were denied,” she says. “We didn’t have much money, but I wanted to go for the best, so I set my eyes on McGill.”
Thanks to earning top marks, working summer jobs, and the University’s “incredible scholarship system,” her goal came to fruition. She was admitted to McGill and obtained a DEC and Bachelor of Science. She received numerous prizes and scholarships along the way, including the J.W. McConnell Scholarship, the Dow-Hickson Scholarship and the James McGill Scholarship.
“I considered myself very lucky. During the summer I’d work every spare minute, but the awards gave me the luxury of not working during the school year, so I could devote myself to studying and enjoy university life.”
One of her summer jobs was at a large notarial firm, which inspired her to follow up her Science degree with degrees in Law. She’s still active with the Faculty, volunteering for Law’s Mentorship Program, their Faculty Advisory Board, and as a Planned Giving Ambassador.
“Some Law students come from generations of lawyers, but I mentor applicants who don’t have a family member to guide them along. I tell them that law is always worth studying; it showed me how to be a critical thinker and solve problems, and those are competencies you take with you in whatever you do. It’s certainly helped me in building my career.”
Nakashima practiced in a law firm for nine years, then served as vice-president and corporate secretary at a consumer goods and services conglomerate for ten. She is currently Chair of the Board at the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation and serves on several other boards, including UNICEF Canada and Mackay Centre School. “Even now, doing philanthropy work, I use the skills that I learned at McGill.”
That’s one of the reasons why she loves giving back to the University – not only as a volunteer, but as a donor. She’s a generous supporter of Law and the Scholarships and Student Aid office, and she’s also leaving a legacy gift – a bequest in her will – to the University.
“I was inspired by the generosity and foresight of all those who came before me,” she says. “The scholarships I received were really instrumental in helping me get through university.” Her legacy gift will provide students with financial aid based on need and academic performance – the exact same things that she benefitted from when she was a student.
“I feel so fortunate, and I am so grateful that I was able to go to a school of McGill’s calibre. This will allow future generations to do the same.”
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