\u201cIt meant that others saw the potential in what we were building, and it gave me the confidence to bring it to life,\u201d she said. \u201cThat kind of belief changes everything \u2014 especially as a student.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hill was among the guest speakers at Brock University\u2019s Chancellor\u2019s Reception, held Thursday, Nov. 20 in celebration of donor impact on student success.<\/p>\n
![\"Six](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/ChancellorReception_8-1050x700.jpg\")
<\/a>From left are Del Rollo, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Arterra Wines Canada; Lesley Rigg, President and Vice-Chancellor; Tina Nguyen, fourth-year Sport Management student; Hilary Pearson, Chancellor; Meaghan Rusnell, Interim Vice-President, External; Isabelle Hill (BKin \u201922, MSc \u201924), PhD student specializing in Behavioural and Population Health, at the Chancellor’s Reception on Thursday, Nov. 20.<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI am just one example of what your support makes possible,\u201d she said. \u201cI know I speak for so many students when I say your generosity does more than ease financial pressures; it helps students build the confidence to continue to take their ideas to the next level; it builds community; and it creates opportunities for students to step forward and become the future leaders who shape meaningful change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Held at Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate, the evening was hosted by Brock University Chancellor Hilary Pearson<\/a><\/u>, who has invested in the next generation through student awards supporting women entrepreneurs and those pursuing STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.<\/p>\n In 2023, Pearson and her husband Michael Sabia made a generous $500,000 gift to the University<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to create student awards honouring the legacy of Michael\u2019s mother Laura Sabia, a noted Niagara politician, journalist and women\u2019s rights leader.<\/p>\n During a fireside chat with Brock President and Vice-Chancellor Lesley Rigg, Pearson reflected on the vital role awards play in helping students to reach their full potential.<\/p>\n \u201cAwards can be life-changing for their recipient: removing financial barriers and empowering students from all backgrounds to not only pursue their education, but also thrive in their university experience,\u201d Pearson said. \u201cThey can unlock opportunities students may have believed were out of reach and even open their eyes to new possibilities they did not know existed.\u201d<\/p>\n Fourth-year Sport Management student Tina Nguyen knows this all too well.<\/p>\n The first-generation university student is thankful for the doors awards have opened for her, offering relief from financial pressures while she built the future her parents, who immigrated from Vietnam to Canada, always believed she deserved.<\/p>\n \u201cStudent awards have profoundly shaped my journey, allowing me to honour the sacrifices my family has made while giving me the chance to grow into the person they worked so hard for me to become,\u201d Nguyen said. \u201cStudent awards have given me the privilege to fully pursue my education and to build a life shaped not by struggle but by possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Each donation toward student awards is an investment in a reimagined tomorrow led by inspiring students determined to break through and create change in their professions and communities, said President Rigg.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the greatest privileges in leadership is meeting student award recipients and hearing their stories of gratitude, resilience and success \u2014 powerful reminders that these awards often make the critical difference in turning the dream of a university education into a reality,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cBrock is grateful for all of its donors, who each contribute to a shared goal: fostering the next generation of changemakers whose curiosity, creativity and courage will lead us to a better future for all.\u201d<\/p>\n Join Brock in creating a stronger Niagara and reimagining a better tomorrow by donating at brocku.ca\/donate<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n