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“I associate the U of A and the prairies with high standards of mutual support and neighbourliness,” says Eva-Marie Kröller, a member of the Order of Canada (CM).

Eva-Marie emigrated to Canada in 1973 and obtained her PhD in Comparative Literature at the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ in 1978.

“Recently, I have been sorting the many letters I wrote to my family from the U of A between 1973-1978. They faithfully saved them all. The letters remind me in some detail of how I benefitted intellectually and socially from this environment and how, as a result, I prospered,” says Eva-Marie.

While she left the prairies shortly after graduation, Eva-Marie went on to shape Canadian literature as a decorated writer, editor and educator. Notably, she was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2022 for her significant contributions to our country.

When she discovered that other alumni and donors had designated their RRSP/RRIF as a gift to the U of A, she decided to do the same. And she chose to designate her gift to support international students.

“My studies at the U of A, some of my teachers there, the fellow students I befriended, and ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ns generally made a life-changing, enduring, and positive impression on me. It seemed only right to want to give back,” Eva-Marie shares. “I hope my gift will assist future students to have an experience as positive as my own.”

When alumni and donors like Eva-Marie support students at the U of A through bursaries, scholarships and awards, they remove financial barriers that stand in the way of talented, ambitious students, enabling them to make the most of their potential.

They can also help students have access to experiential learning. Through her gift, Eva-Marie hopes to help international students develop and diversify their abilities as extensively as possible.

She adds, “I’d consider my gift and its possible impact to be a kind of generational relay and, therefore, a logical continuation of the work I did as a teacher, researcher and administrator at the University of British Columbia for over 40 years. It was always important to me to set a positive example to my students in every possible way, and the principle of reciprocity as it applied to my career is part of this effort.”

And to fellow alumni and supporters who may consider including a gift to the U of A as part of their estate plans, she says, “I would encourage prospective donors to think about the experiences that shaped their lives and achievements the most and make their decision based on the resulting ‘balance sheet.’ For me, the tilting point toward U of A was provided by the personal growth that resulted from my time there.”