Real change starts with one small step. For Rose-Mary Siemens (SSWD ’22), that step was starting the Social Service Worker diploma at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). 

At the age of 51, Rose-Mary felt unfulfilled. After a 30-year career in the hospitality sector, she wanted to pursue her true passion — providing others with emotional support. 

After surviving domestic abuse and having witnessed the mental health struggles of loved ones, Rose-Mary was all too aware of the dire need for mental health support in our community. 

“Education lifts us up and brings us to a better place, and it transformed me,” says Rose-Mary. “UFV made it easy for me to change the course of my life. Now, I am impacting a bigger community and that impact multiplies with every interaction.”

Rose-Mary graduated from UFV in June 2022 and was the recipient of the Governor General’s bronze medal. 

At UFV, we believe that students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences give them a unique perspective. By building on these experiences, we equip them to become drivers for change in the community. 

But these stories of transformation could not happen without you. 

Donate to UFV this holiday season and create opportunities for more students, like Rose-Mary, to become the difference-makers of tomorrow.