Joanne Cousineau has always had a predisposition to give back; whether by paying-it-forward in a Starbucks drive-thru or making her annual donation to SickKids Foundation, generosity has always been top-of-mind for Joanne. This only begins to explain why she has been such a loyal supporter of Niagara College students throughout her 14 years as a staff member in the Development and Alumni Relations office.
Cousineau’s ‘NC story’ started when she was a student at the College. She graduated in 1984 with a diploma in the Early Childhood Education program and, decades later, with a certificate in Floral Design in 2013.
As an alum, her support began with various small contributions to NC programs and grew to provide two annual bursaries per year in honour of her family names.
A St. Catharines native, she describes her childhood as humble and happy, with philanthropic parents who routinely instilled the importance of giving back—a value that has become a lifelong passion.
When her father suddenly became ill with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in 2012, the idea to create a bursary in his name just made sense.
“When he was in hospice, I knew that I wanted to do something in his memory so that we could carry on his name,” she said. “I was able to let him know that I wanted to start an award in his honour, and we selected the program he wanted the bursary to go towards together. It was the only time in my life I saw my father cry; he sobbed when I told my dad I wanted to create the award.”
Aptly named the Chuck Frigault Memorial Bursary, it awards $500 to an NC student working towards a career in the construction field. Chuck worked as a skilled carpenter since he was just 15 years old, so it was important that this bursary helped students entering the industry.
After four years of seeing the great impact her father’s memorial bursary had on students’ lives, she decided that one would simply not be enough. Together with her husband and fellow alumnus, Mike Cousineau, they created the Mike and Joanne Cousineau Family Bursary in 2016.
“I had a great experience as a student,” she said. “I’m still friends with people I graduated with well over 35 years ago … we just couldn’t think of a better way to give back than to help students achieve their dreams.”
The $500 bursary is given to a recipient of the General Machinist program, which Mike graduated from in 1987.
“The bursaries are based on financial need, so we know that students who receive the award need assistance,” said Cousineau. “There are no conditions to us giving. We give because we want to, it brings us joy and it keeps my dad’s memory alive and that, to me, is priceless.”
Now more than ever, Cousineau knows that her family’s efforts are being put to good use. “We understand it’s been hard with COVID,” she said. “Many students have [now] done their whole program online.”
Considering the challenges of the last few years, Cousineau has also donated more frequently to on-campus efforts, such as the Nourishing Minds fund, which addresses food insecurity for students at Niagara College.
To Cousineau and her family, the value of a gift is not always about the dollar amount; it is about knowing that you can make a difference in someone’s life.
“People worry that if they cannot afford to give a certain amount, it will not be enough to make an impact,” she said. “This just is not true; every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference in the lives of NC students, which, in turn, makes me feel great – giving is part of my DNA.”
To learn more about how you can donate towards student success at Niagara College, please visit donate.niagaracollege.ca/ways-to-give. Please note that staff giving is eligible for payroll deduction.
