available now<\/a>, with all proceeds benefiting the DSBN Academy graduating class of 2025. The event takes place Thursday, Feb. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Queenston Mile Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake.<\/p>\nThis year, BLCS aims to raise $10,000, adding to the more than $90,000 the event has raised for DSBN Academy students over the past nine years.<\/p>\n
The shift from a formal gala to a cocktail-style event in recent years has helped the fundraiser grow and attract a wider audience, with attendees invited to don their best denim and dazzling jewelry while enjoying live music, a raffle and a live auction.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccess isn\u2019t just about the amount of money raised,\u201d says Shelby Vollmershausen, Vice-President of BLCS and a third-year Concurrent Teacher Education. \u201cIt\u2019s about bringing people together to believe in making a change. Every attendee contributes to shaping the futures of these students.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of those students is Reisa Bell, a first-year Women and Gender Studies student at Brock University and a past bursary recipient. Now part of the BLCS team organizing this year\u2019s event, she credits the bursary for helping her transition into post-secondary education.<\/p>\n
\u201cOpportunity is about having the resources and support to chase your dreams,\u201d Bell says. \u201cReceiving the Denim, Diamonds and Diplomas bursary offset costs for my education and provided me with a sense of community. It\u2019s incredible to now be working alongside the very team that made this opportunity possible for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bell emphasized the broader impact of initiatives like Denim, Diamonds and Diplomas, which directly invest in Niagara\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupporting first-generation students through events like this creates a ripple effect,\u201d she says. \u201cThese students become the workers, advocates and leaders of tomorrow, driving innovation, excellence and diversity in our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Vollmershausen, seeing the personal impact of the bursary is deeply motivating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had the privilege of mentoring Reisa, and her determination to achieve her dreams inspires me to keep this initiative going,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
With proceeds from the event going directly to DSBN Academy bursaries, both Vollmershausen and Bell hope attendees leave feeling proud of their contributions to building an equitable and inclusive Niagara.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy supporting these students, we\u2019re helping to ensure their dreams become a reality,\u201d Bell says. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating a brighter future for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the past 10 years, the annual Denim, Diamonds and Diplomas fundraiser has been a beacon of hope for first-generation post-secondary students in Niagara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":98755,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9794,1],"tags":[8595,308,4402,703,12388,4892],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98752"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=98752"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98770,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98752\/revisions\/98770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=98752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=98752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=98752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}