A special gift to recognize a big accomplishment

Graduating from university is a big accomplishment.

To help graduating students in the Tuition Waiver Program (TWP) for former youth in care mark this momentous achievement, VIU’s Financial Aid and Awards department, in collaboration with many generous community donors, created a graduate gift box program. Of the 33 Tuition Waiver Program students who graduated in June 2022, 21 signed up to receive a box filled with items to help them celebrate. 

For Kayla R, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduate, receiving a gift box made her feel recognized and acknowledged in a way that she didn’t experience often growing up, and just knowing there was a team of people thinking of her and cheering her on was a good feeling.

“It’s so much more than what comes in the box, it’s about that act of kindness,” she says. “Having your achievements and the hard work and the struggles acknowledged, it gives me hope for the future.”

The gift box project started in the fall of 2020 when Angela Meneghetti, VIU’s Financial Aid Access Specialist, was looking for a way to continue reaching the students she supports in ways that reinforced for them that the University cared and was there for them.

“The rapid shift to remote working and learning conditions prompted a change in my own approaches towards delivering student support,” she says. “At the same time, the pandemic intensified an already chaotic and stressful educational experience for TWP students. The gift boxes instil a sense of joy, purpose, optimism and belonging that significantly benefit students’ overall educational experiences and mental well-being, while providing them with something tangible as they make their way back into the work world.”

Tuition Waiver Program graduates were invited to choose from several different options – the Self-Care Box, the Indulgence Box or the Kitchen and Pantry Box. Each box included uniquely crafted, locally produced items for graduates to indulge in.

Kayla opted for the Self-Care Box, which included candles, chocolate, bath bombs and tea. She says receiving the box was a good reminder to take some time for herself.

“As a student, you kind of lose that self-care aspect, we forget to take a break and be kind to ourselves,” she says. “Having these types of things and a community that’s recognizing you is huge. For me personally, not having a support network of family members to reach out to and lean on, of the Tuition Waiver Program was almost like a safety net, it was a community and a support system in itself. It wasn’t just about the funds or the financial support – that was one aspect that was huge – but it was also about people like Angela and others, cheering us on along the way, the emails we received saying, ‘We are proud of you, keep going.’”