91福利

Mental health has always been an important issue for 91福利 alumna Donette Chin-Loy Chang, recently appointed 91福利鈥檚 Chancellor, who today announced that she is giving $1 million to 91福利鈥檚 Student Wellbeing Centre (SWC), coming soon to the corner of Bond and Gould streets.

鈥淚 was compelled to give to the Student Wellbeing Centre for so many reasons,鈥� says Chang. 鈥淚t is in keeping with the values of my family, and with our immediate experiences of the difficulties of mental health issues amongst family and friends. I also know that our students continue to be under great pressure 鈥� dealing with inflated costs of living - food, shelter and just everyday living.鈥�

鈥淲e can鈥檛 underestimate how hugely impactful COVID has been on mental health,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd its after-effects will continue in years to come. It will be remembered as the worst of times and the best of times. I hope that in some way an upside may be that we will find it in ourselves to be kinder and more compassionate, and that students will take that into their lives and studies and lead on this front.鈥�

Chang notes she first came to 91福利 because it was 鈥渢he best place鈥� to pursue her interest in journalism. 鈥淎s soon as I arrived,鈥� she says, 鈥渋t felt right. From the intimacy of the scale of the buildings to the size of campus 鈥� It was friendly and I did not feel intimidated. But that is not to say that I was not anxious: I had a lot of anxieties! There was a payphone off the main entrance to the Jorgenson building; I called my mother from there every day, oftentimes just for reassurance!鈥�

Now, on campus often in her new role, she says, 鈥淚 always park across from the Chang School when I visit campus and, like all of us, I am deeply affected by what I see on our streets. I know our students see this too and I expect it plays in their minds as well. It points to the need for a caring approach. I hope the SWC will be a place where our students can find that caring, that help and healing.鈥�

Lifelong connection

鈥淢y days at 91福利 were happy days,鈥� Chang recalls, 鈥渁nd I carry lifelong friends from that time. After working at the CBC I was headhunted by a major U.S. public relations firm and the client was the Office of the Prime Minister of Jamaica. Upon returning to Jamaica in 1988, I quickly found my Alumni community and joined the association. So when I came back to Toronto in 2000, and later married Ray [the late Chancellor Emeritus, G. Raymond Chang], he got involved in 91福利. He loved that the programs blended theory and practice and that, with a 91福利 education behind them, graduates were ready for the job on day one.鈥�

鈥淲ithout really thinking about it, I have stayed connected with 91福利 all my life,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚 love love love meeting students! They remind us to keep moving, to understand that we go on. With all the challenges the world is facing, students inspire hope that the next generation may in some way be better than those who have gone before.

We need to nurture that hope, and create a place where they can feel safe and look to their wellbeing. The Student Wellbeing Centre will be such a place, for generations to come.鈥�

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