The BCIT Alumni Association (BCITAA) is proud to announce its largest-ever donation.
“On behalf of the Alumni Association board, I am proud to pledge $1 million to the BCIT INSPIRE Campaign,” says Emil Bosnjak, President, BCITAA. “Like countless alumni, I have experienced how an applied education from BCIT sets our graduates apart as problem-solving innovators, creators, and leaders that our world needs now more than ever before. The Association is excited to support our current and future alumni with this gift.”
The $1 million contribution will develop the first-ever BCIT Alumni Centre—a space dedicated to fostering the success of alumni in British Columbia and around the globe. Additional donations from alumni, donors, and the BCIT community will further enhance the Centre’s design and programs.
“I can’t thank our alumni enough,” says Leslie Courchesne, Executive Director, BCITAA. “You are dedicated, passionate supporters and volunteers, and it is through your involvement in the Association’s programs that we are able to make this historic gift to establish BCIT’s first Alumni Centre. The Centre will be located at the heart of campus, providing a home for alumni to reconnect, network, grow their careers, and more. We invite all of our alumni to be a part of it, in person and online.”
“This extraordinary contribution from the Alumni Association to the INSPIRE Campaign is a testament to the important work that BCIT, the BCIT Foundation, and the BCIT Alumni Association are achieving together,” says Jackie Jacob, Executive Director, BCIT Foundation. “As a proud alumna myself, I hold this project especially close to my heart.”
The BCIT Alumni Centre will be housed within the BCIT Student Association’s new Student Hub building, now being designed for the Burnaby campus. BCIT alumni are invited to help shape this new Centre through surveys, focus groups, collaboration, and support. Alumni that donate $500 or more to the BCIT Alumni Centre, before the Centre’s expected opening in 2024, will receive a VIP invitation to the grand opening and donor celebration. Those that donate $1,000 or more will have their name permanently displayed on the Centre’s donor wall.
“We are very pleased to partner with the Alumni Association on this project,” says Caroline Gagnon, Executive Director, BCIT Student Association. “This new Alumni Centre housed within our new Student Hub building will further strengthen the relationship of our two Associations, and will grow vital connections between students and alumni throughout their careers.”
The BCIT Alumni Association has grown to 190,000 members across the globe, and has a proud tradition of supporting BCIT, alumni, and students. It made its first donation to BCIT in 1985. Since then, the Association has awarded nearly 1,000 student scholarships and bursaries totalling $1.1 million, with philanthropic giving at $2.5 million including this new $1 million pledge.
The INSPIRE Campaign is BCIT’s largest-ever fundraising campaign. Focused on renewing infrastructure and education to meet the needs of employers and students for generations to come, the Campaign will ensure BCIT continues to lead in innovation, technology, and applied education. The INSPIRE Campaign centres on three key pillars: campus redevelopment, access and inclusion, and teaching and learning innovation.
Learn more about the BCIT Alumni Association and the BCIT INSPIRE Campaign.
Photo: BCIT Alumni Association Board of Directors (l-r): Top row – Emil Bosnjak, BCITAA President and President, BWireless and Simplify Wireless; Jennifer Patterson, BCITAA Vice President and Principal/Project Manager, Cityscape Management Ltd.; Kiel Landrigan, BCITAA Vice President and Vice President, Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor, TD Wealth; Reshmeena Lalani, Manager, Aggressive Tax Planning, Canada Revenue Agency and Founder/CEO, Inherent Diamonds and Jewels; Alexandra Gunn, Human Resources and Administration Manager, UBC; Matthew Nolletti, Sales and Marketing Manager, Pelesys Learning Systems, Inc. Second row – Melissa Billesberger, Controller, Mr. Mikes Restaurant Corp.; Avinaash Kapil, Business Development Manager, Island Key Computer Ltd.; Claire McCallum, Vice President External, BCIT Student Association; Sean Poole, Director, Vessel Operations, Seaspan Marine; Arash Salamati, District Manager, BC Division, Tangerine; Leslie Courchesne, Executive Director, BCIT Alumni Association.