A Durham College professor who spent her career helping students find their way is being remembered through a bursary in her name, aimed at the very students she most wanted to help.
Patricia Whaley taught at Durham College in Oshawa for years before passing away in 2024 after a four-year battle with cancer. Her daughter, Jennifer, and husband Ivan are hoping to raise $25,000 through GoFundMe, to establish the Patricia Whaley Memorial Bursary, focused on students facing financial barriers to education, particularly single mothers. “For Patricia, helping people wasn’t something she did occasionally. It was part of who she was,” the family writes.
$11,518 Raised Of $18,000 Goal
The GoFundMe has already reached 64% of its goal with only 47 donations from the public.
The family stresses the importance of prioritizing expenses by saying, “Please don’t feel pressured to donate. We know life is expensive. Every contribution, no matter the size, will help us get closer to creating something that will continue Patricia’s legacy for years to come. We can’t think of a better way to honour her than to help someone else have the opportunity to learn, grow, and build the future they deserve.”
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