A gift to Smith School of Business’ Commerce Bursary Fund is a pledge that Smith will always welcome exceptional students regardless of financial circumstance.

Ozge’s parents have only ever wanted their children to have the opportunity to choose their own path in life. With grit and determination, they packed their family up and moved 7,000 kilometers from Istanbul, a city of 15 million, to the much smaller city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Although her parents did not speak English and neither had finished high school, they found employment in a grocery store to provide for Ozge and her brother. Life was tough.

When it came time to select a university, Ozge had many interests, but after a visit to Queen’s, she decided to study commerce. Queen’s resonated with her as a school that gives its students many opportunities and takes an interest in them in a way that felt like family – two things that figured prominently in Ozge’s life.

Her choice was clear, but she was going to need help to make her dream a reality and Queen’s, like family, was there for her.

Ozge was awarded the D & R Sobey Atlantic Scholarship. The breathing room afforded to her by financial aid has meant that she can focus on her aspirations for the future. Smith Commerce is a very fast-paced program, but her early lessons in preparation, hard work and determination equipped her for the challenge.

Today, she’s more excited than ever for the future that awaits – a future made possible thanks to Queen’s financial aid and the generosity of alumni like you.

“There are just so many opportunities that will be out there waiting for me.”
– Ozge Avci, Smith School of Business, Commerce ’23