Our UofT Giving Day Results!

This March, our UofT Giving Day campaign demonstrated the powerful impact of our community coming together.

Thanks to the generosity of alumni, donors, and friends, we raised $15,652 towards our featured funds (before matching funds!).  

These gifts champion access and will help ease financial barriers for students, strengthening access to vital academic and personal supports, and investing in opportunities that allow students to thrive both inside and outside the classroom. The collective impact of Giving Day reflects a shared belief in education as a catalyst for confidence, belonging, and long-term success. 

The story below shows what that support can do. Thank you to everyone who participated!  

“It's not just financial aid – it's a vote of confidence”

For Anthony Beauchamp, the University of Toronto was more than a place to study—it was the realization of a long-held dream. Now a professional hockey player on Les Gothiques d'Amiens in France and a PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Anthony looks back on his time at Woodsworth College and the University of Toronto as a defining chapter that shaped both his career and his sense of purpose. 

Anthony came to UofT during the uncertainty of the pandemic, recruited to play on the Varsity Blues hockey team. While hockey opened the door, it was the university’s academic reputation that sealed his decision. “I deeply value education,” he reflects. “UofT was a place I always dreamed about and the opportunity to be intellectually challenged really mattered to me.” 

Driven by curiosity and a desire to make an impact, Anthony pursued studies in psychology, an area that aligned with his early academic interests. Midway through his final year, he signed a professional hockey contract—an extraordinary milestone that required careful balance between academics and elite sport. 

Throughout his time at UofT, Anthony found himself immersed in a vibrant and inspiring community. From rigorous academics to varsity community events, he valued the opportunity to connect with people who had gone on to success. “My heart is still in Toronto,” he says. “I really enjoyed being there—the people, the community and the energy of the university.” 

Academically, UofT satisfied Anthony’s desire to go deeper. He credits the university with sharpening the critical thinking skills that became foundational to everything that followed. “Critical thinking is the most important thing you can have,” he explains. “UofT set that foundation for me.” 

His psychology coursework was especially influential. Through his studies, Anthony became fascinated by the connection between the mind, the brain, and performance—particularly in sport. Courses that bridged social psychology, neuroscience, and mental preparation helped him better understand how individuals interact with their environment and how knowledge can be applied to create meaningful change. These ideas continue to inform his work today. 

Since graduating, Anthony’s UofT education has continued to open doors. In addition to his professional hockey career, he has progressed in academia, completing a Master of Science degree focused on clinical exercise physiology, and is now pursuing a PhD. His future plans include research focused on the connection between physiological training and cognition, with the goal of optimizing performance in sports like hockey. 

An unforgettable aspect of Anthony’s undergraduate experience was receiving the Sandra Laughren and Steven Dwyer Scholarship -- the scholarship provided both practical and psychological support at a critical moment. 

“Receiving the Sandra Laughren and Steven Dwyer Scholarship meant a great deal to me,” Anthony says. “It was more than just financial support—it felt like recognition and belief in what I was trying to build for myself.” 

Balancing varsity athletics with rigorous academic expectations left little room for outside work, and the scholarship eased that burden. More importantly, it offered encouragement. “It's not just financial aid – it's a vote of confidence. It gave me an extra push,” he explains. “It meant the world at the time, and it helped me focus on excellence.” 

Anthony understands deeply how transformative scholarships can be—not only for individual recipients, but for entire communities. As someone who is Indigenous and comes from a small town, he is especially grateful for the scholarship’s power to inspire others to believe in their own potential. “It’s a pat on the back for everyone else watching,” he reflects. “It shows that it doesn’t matter where you’re from—what matters is the human being.” 

Anthony hopes to return to Toronto in the future, carrying with him the education, confidence, and sense of belonging that Woodsworth and UofT provided. For donors, his story is a powerful reminder that scholarships like the Sandra Laughren and Steven Dwyer Scholarship are not just investments in education—they are investments in people, potential, and lasting impact. 

Donor support helps create moments of confidence and opportunity—moments that can define a student’s future, just as they did for Anthony.