A scholarship is helping Marissa (ḥayuxt̓in) Tom-Charlie achieve her education dreams, with the long-term goal of studying law and working for the BC First Nations Justice Council. VIU’s 2026 Giving Tuesday campaign focuses on helping students like Marissa reach their potential despite rising costs of living. Photo credit: Vancouver Island University.
VIU’s 13th annual campaign features an online auction and opportunities to have donations matched.
Marissa (ḥayuxt̓in) Tom-Charlie is doing something she never imagined doing this year – she’s studying at Vancouver Island University (VIU).
The hardworking Ucluelet Secondary School graduate, from the Tla-o-qui-aht and Ahousaht First Nations, had only just begun investigating post-secondary options when she learned she received the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust’s Central Region nuučaan̓uł Education Award. She is the first in her family to attend post-secondary.
“It was a big part of the decision to go to school,” she says. “I had not intended to attend university this year and hadn’t taken the opportunity to save or prepare as much as I could have. Receiving this grant has significantly reduced my stress around planning for this substantial change.”
Supporting students like Tom-Charlie to access life-changing education is the goal of VIU’s 13th annual Giving Tuesday campaign, which runs through the month of November until Tuesday, December 1. Throughout the month, the VIU Foundation doubles the impact of gifts, matching donations up to $1,000 for scholarships, awards, bursaries and the Access Fund, which supports students who are in danger of dropping out of school due to financial reasons.
Thanks to generous support from many community partners, the popular online auction is back! To browse items up for bid, which include everything from Vancouver Island stay-cations to service packages, to local experiences, visit the VIU Giving Tuesday online auction homepage between November 17 and December 1.
“Whether you’re bidding on items in the auction or supporting a bursary for students in financial need, your donation goes towards helping a student stay in school,” said Dr. Dennis Johnson, Interim VIU President and Vice-Chancellor. “We’re grateful to our generous community members for supporting this region’s future leaders.”
This year’s campaign focuses on raising funds for the university’s Ripples of Change campaign, which aims to raise $2 million to ensure students can access the education they need to achieve their career goals.
For longtime donor and Biology Professor Dr. Eric Demers, the reward is watching his students’ faces light up when they realize they are being recognized for their hard work.
“It’s also why we teach – you see the effect you have, how it helps them overcome financial hardship,” he says. “Even though tuition increases have been capped, everything else has increased. Any little bit helps.”
Giving Tuesday is a global movement that encourages people to support meaningful causes during a season that often emphasizes holiday sales and consumerism. Gifts can be made online by credit card on the VIU Giving Tuesday homepage. Want to chat more about where your gift goes or donate a different way? Email foundation@viu.ca or reach out directly to Frankie Marquez at frankie.marquez@viu.ca.
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Media Contact:
Jenn McGarrigle, Communications Manager, Vancouver Island University
C: 250.619.6860 | E: Jenn.McGarrigle@viu.ca |W: news.viu.ca
The VIU community acknowledges and thanks the Snuneymuxw, Quw’utsun, Tla’amin, Snaw-naw-as and Qualicum First Nation on whose traditional lands we teach, learn, research, live and share knowledge.
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