The first thing Laurel King did upon receiving her degree from Dalhousie was to rush right out and get it framed.

“That’s how excited I was to be a graduate of the University. It was such a positive experience that I had to have it on my wall.”

Finding the right fit at Dalhousie

There was good reason to celebrate that moment and sense of accomplishment. Just a few years before, King was a third-year university student in Ontario. Unmotivated, and fortunate to have the understanding of her parents, she decided to take a year off, and, remembering a happy summer spent in Halifax after first-year, headed East, finding work as a secretary.

“After six months, I realized I missed school and I wanted to go back and continue my studies part-time,” King explains. “I had taken a summer course at Dalhousie and knew the campus relatively well, so I applied.”

What King found at Dalhousie was a supportive learning environment where professors genuinely cared about their students. “The faculty really encouraged you to go deeper, to challenge assumptions. And every time I reached out for help, I received it. Dalhousie gave me the tools and the experiences that made me feel as though I could go out in the world and accomplish anything.”

Supporting the next generation of students

Grateful for all that Dalhousie has given her, King was determined to give something to her alma mater in return. Just after graduating, she included Dalhousie in her will and, in 2007, she established the Laurel V. King Scholarship Fund, which provides financial support to second and third-year history students. She plans to increase her scholarship fund next year and looks forward to the day she can make a more substantive gift to the University.

“I made my gift because I really wanted to thank Dalhousie for giving me a fantastic, high-calibre education. I included Dal in my will to ensure it continues to offer that experience to other students for years to come.”