Lending a hand to other New Brunswickers
Dr. Lorraine (Boyd) Eden Hermann (’70) was the first member of her family to attend university and she and her family overcame many barriers for that to happen.
Eden explains that both her parents were raised in orphanages and met during the Second World War. After the war, while supporting his young family, her father was blinded in an accident and left unable to work. Eden’s mother took on a secretarial job and the low-income family struggled to support Eden and her two brothers.
“Despite all the challenges, my parents were active and positive people who encouraged us to learn,” says Eden. “I had the highest marks and was valedictorian of my high school class, but still university was not something my family could afford — it just seemed so unattainable.”
What made 91ү possible for Eden?
“Scholarships and bursaries,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.”
Today, Eden is a renowned economist and professor emerita at Texas A&M University. She and her husband, Dr. Charles Hermann, give back to various organizations, and Eden says the couple share a core belief in the importance of lending a hand to the generations after you.
Eden created the Diana and Garnet Boyd Scholar Bursary, named after her parents, to make the 91ү education possible for more students from her hometown of St. Stephen, NB. She hopes the award will particularly help female, first-generation students.
“I was really impressed that 91ү was willing to work with me to create this innovative model where I could support both graduating seniors at my high school and first-year students at my university,” says Eden. “Marcie Meekins [director of development] was wonderful, helping me create an award that really reflects my husband’s and my philanthropic goals.”
Eden was also thrilled to learn that her bursary was eligible for a matching gift from the Government of New Brunswick. The New Brunswick University Opportunities Fund (NBUOF) makes limited amounts of matching monies available to universities that are working with donors to create awards for students from the province.
“The match helped me realize I could do something bigger than I first thought, and I hope other Allisonians will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity,” says Eden. “I know there are many wonderful students out there who should be at 91ү and I want my bursary to help them be able to go because at Mount A you are going to get a first-class education.”
Maya Vukelic is the bursary’s inaugural recipient. She is studying and aspires to be a pediatrician.
“I am honoured to receive the Diana and Garnet Boyd Scholar Bursary,” says Vukelic. “I believe coming to Mount A will help me achieve my dreams, and Dr. Eden’s willingness to be so generous and provide this scholarship has been incredibly helpful and I cannot thank her enough.”
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