June is Pride Month! To celebrate, we’re rallying Centennial supporters, alumni, staff, and students to donate in support of the Pride Bursary – a special fund launched by the College’s Pride Committee in 2020 to break down financial barriers for students who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+.
Community members are also invited to celebrate Pride at Centennial’s 2022 Pride event, taking place on June 7 at the Progress Campus CCSAI Main Events Hall/Alumni Courtyard!
To learn more about the Pride Bursary and this year’s event, we spoke with Manny Rodrigues –– Centennial’s Manager of Compensation and Job Evaluation and the volunteer Chair of the Pride Committee.
Happy Pride! First, can you tell us about the Pride Bursary and how it started?
When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in early 2020, I received an email from a student late one night asking if I could help them access any financial support to continue with their education at Centennial. Since my name is on all of our Pride-related materials, they felt safe reaching out. They shared that they were gay and struggling financially due to the pandemic and weren’t sure what help might be available.
I directed them to the different bursaries offered by the College, but I felt there must be something more we can do. I met with the Pride Committee, and we decided to create the Pride Bursary.
We needed to raise funds for it, so we organized a virtual fundraiser. We hired drag queens to do virtual performances and had people send in video messages of support, and it was a huge success!
That year, we raised $6,075 and the College generously matched that amount, bringing our total to $12,150. And then in 2021, we raised $7,540 and the College matched it again – bringing our total to $15,080 that year as well. It’s become a huge passion project for all of us on the Pride Committee.
How many students have been supported to date?
For the past two years, we’ve been able to support 30 students each year with $500 each. So 60 students in total have received support from the Pride Bursary. We’ve been incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated over the past couple of years, including the Centennial College Student Association Inc. (CCSAI).
The only criteria are that you have to be a student at the College, identify as a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+community, and are in need of financial assistance. There are no other restrictions; it’s available to domestic and international students, full-time and part-time. I wanted this to be as inclusive as possible.
What are your goals and plans this year for the bursary?
The need is so great; there have been many students we haven’t been able to help because we only had so much money available. So this year, we’re being a lot more bold in our fundraising efforts. We’re leveraging our in-person Pride event on June 7 to raise awareness for the bursary and encourage more people to donate; there will be a lot of fun and creative ways to get involved!
Our goal is to raise $30,000 this year! For the third year in a row, the College has very generously offered to match donations up to $15,000, and the CCSAI will be contributing funds once again this year. I’m hopeful we can raise even more than our goal so we can support every 2SLGBTQQIA+ student experiencing financial barriers.
You are a personal donor to the bursary. What has it meant to you support the success of 2SLGBTQQIA+ students in this way?
I had a Pride Scholarship for two years, and when we started the Pride Bursary, I decided to transfer my paycheque contributions to the fund. It was really inspiring to know that my contribution would be doubled by the College, which would allow my money to have a much greater impact.
It means a lot to me to support this bursary. I’m gay myself, and I was once a student who was struggling. My mom was a single mother who didn’t have money saved up for me to go to school. Now I’m in a position where I work for the College, I’m leading this initiative, I can rally people, and I can speak passionately about it, because I know it’s helping people.
If I had $500 when I was 19 and trying to make ends meet, it would have been a game-changer. That’s rent for a month. That’s groceries. It makes a huge difference.
Can you share a bit about what’s happening at Centennial’s Pride event on June 7?
Pride will be back in person this year! Our Pride event is taking place on June 7 from noon to 2p.m. We’ll have drag performers, a special edition of our speaker series called Conversations for Social Change featuring an all student Queer panel, and lots of community partners offering different services, information, or demonstrations. We’ll have a button and tye dye t-shirt making station, a huge silent auction, and so much more.
We’re also very grateful to CCSAI, which will be offering great Centennial Pride t-shirts and hoodies, with all proceeds supporting the Pride Bursary. We’ll also have a two-spirited indigenous performer showcasing their art and talents virtually, and someone will be coming in to do a vogue performance and workshop.
I’m really excited about this year’s event, because we’ll be hosting a lot of fun performances but also offering spaces for critical conversations about what it means to be queer. We want all students to feel safe and supported, and to know they have a place here at Centennial.
I want to personally invite all students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members to join us on June 7 From 12 pm to 2pm at the Progress campus – Alumni Courtyard!
Make a gift in support of the Pride Bursary. All gifts up to $15,000 will be matched by the College and 100% of your donation will go directly to students! See you there!
To learn more about the Office of Development and the many ways you can support Centennial students, Learn more about the Office of Development and the many ways you can support Centennial students. Every gift –– in any amount –– is an investment in the unlimited potential of the next generation.