Montreal residents Gregory J. David, Com’89, and Neil G. Rossy, Artsci’92, know that even the most gifted students need support from time-to-time. It is one of the reasons they chose to support mental health programs at Queen’s, such as the embedded counselling program and QSuccess.
The Montreal Branch of the Queen’s University Alumni Association is recognizing their contributions with this year’s Stirling Award, the highest honour bestowed by the Montreal branch. A special reception will take place June 14.
Mr. Rossy, the CEO of Dollarama, and Mr. David, the CEO of the financial advisory firm GRI Capital, answered a few questions about why it is important to give back to the community and why they chose to support mental health initiatives at Queen’s.
Question: How does it feel to be the recipients of the Stirling Award?
Mr. David: Given the past Stirling Award recipients’ accomplishments and service to Queen’s we are humbled and...
Mr. Rossy: … we are honoured.
When you were students at Queen’s, was there one lesson, class, or professor that had a big impact on you?
Mr. David: Professor Frank Collom had a big impact on my Queen’s experience. He enabled me to transfer into the Commerce program after spending my first week in Arts. Such a move was quite unusual, but he made it happen. The switch transformed my whole experience. I learned a great deal from him over my three years at Queen’s and the program taught me to make the most of the opportunities that present themselves.
Mr. Rossy: My time at Queen’s taught me that much is learned well beyond the classroom walls. While in Kingston, I became acquainted with passions and interests that I continue to enjoy to this day – photography, the great sport of Ultimate Frisbee, and so much more.
Why is it important for you to be charitable and give back to the community?
Mr. David: The world and community we are part of were built by those who preceded us. We are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to do the same for those who come after us.
Mr. Rossy: There is nothing better than giving back and sharing the fruits of our hard work with others. It is a very fulfilling experience to witness the positive impact achieved as a result of the projects we partner on.
There are a lot of causes at Queen’s you could support – student assistance, athletics, faculties, etc... Why choose mental health?
Mr. David: Queen’s provided us with several interesting options and this was one with direct and immediate impact on current students and their ability to make the most of their Queen’s experience.
Mr. Rossy: Everyone experiences some stressors during the course of their university studies, even the most gifted of students. The area of mental health was a priority for Queen’s where we could help students build their resilience skills and provide them with counselling to cope with difficulties impacting them.
Join members of the Montreal Alumni Branch at the Stirling Award reception on June 14. Online registration is now open.
