Branksome Receives Historic $5-Million Gift: iCAST Building to Be Named for Karen Jurjevich
Branksome Hall News
Financial Assistance: Celebrating 64 years of giving
Here’s one for the Branksome Hall record books: Elizabeth McKAY Hill’57 has been a generous supporter of Financial Assistance for 64 years! The former boarder attended the school under the tutelage of storied principal Edith Read.
“I give to Financial Assistance because I learned to grow up at Branksome Hall,” Elizabeth says. “I’ve always wanted to provide others with the same life-shaping experience I received.”
Born in North Bay, her family later moved to Sault Ste. Marie, her mother was a senior member of the English department and her father the football coach of the only high school in town. Thus, Elizabeth wanted to move away and create an independent identity for herself beyond her parents’ watchful eye, she says.
Branksome quickly became her home, with a day student’s family adopting her so she could have fun on nights out without curfew.
She gained great satisfaction by mentoring two younger boarders, enjoying monthly visits to a cinema together. Elizabeth marvels at the progress made with social-emotional learning and solid support systems at the school today.
“I couldn’t have managed at Ryerson Institute of Technology’s radio and television arts program without the discipline I learned at Branksome,” says Elizabeth, who went on to a career in media and publishing. Her communications skills also served her well for a 10-year stint as a telephone fundraiser for Branksome’s alums, later in life.
Upon graduation from Branksome in 1957, she started giving back to Financial Assistance immediately, and has never stopped. “It was a tradition my family reinforced, the importance of giving back,” she says.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We wish to acknowledge this land on which Branksome operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work and go to school on this land.
Setting the new standard for girls' education everywhere takes collective action. From all of us.
