Last year this time I was preparing student marks for submission for moderation. I was planning my academic year for 2020. I was going to get a few MSc students to graduation, I would submit my own PhD, and I would write two papers that have been sitting for a while. When I came to sit down to write this, I noticed a 2020 year-planner rolled up behind my screen. I marvel at how empty the planner is, and how full the year has been!
At The Small Things Fund, the pandemic brought us even closer to the coalface with first generation students making their way through academia. We have met remarkable young people who have overcome tremendous obstacles just to have gotten into university. They showed that same tenacity and perseverance to stay in the academic game.
We salute all students for whom staying was no longer an option. We salute them for trying – the toll of sacrifice is high. We respect you for your effort, for your incredible endurance. We look forward to hearing of the change-makers who were forced to leave academia, but who do what they can where they are with what they have. Your academic strengths will shine through wherever you find yourself, and it may illuminate the path back to academia for you, or for a loved one you light the way for.
We have seen and been exposed to deep learning about student needs of first generation students in our circles. We thank them for honouring us with their trust. We have shared in the joys, anxieties, expectations and hopes of students in our networks. We continue to work for the material needs, at the very least. Toiletries, food, data and airtime remain high on the list of things that seem to be needed.
As the academic year comes to an end, student needs are likely to change. Let’s keep an eye out for those changes. We anticipate that students travelling home will need transport fare. Those travelling across provincial and country borders face high prices and long waiting times for bookings because of reduced travel options. Students unable to go home will need to cover living costs in expensive university towns – these include essentials like food, toiletries and airtime or data. The seasons have changed, so there will be a change in wardrobe.
These are the material needs. But all students have other needs too. Remember that exam times are stressful at the best of times. Send a message of support, remind them how far they’ve come through a very difficult year. Send them a gift voucher that allows them the dignity to choose what they need. Think of inviting a student over for dinner with your family, or take them for a coffee in town. Ask after their loved ones. Offer praise for their efforts to make assignment deadlines and good grades. Offer words of encouragement over failed tests and missed practicals.
Sadly, we will not host our annual Thanksgiving meal at the end of this year. But we do look forward to news of graduations, publications, and academic achievements, and we celebrate every milestone all the same.
My colleague, soil ecological Prof. Shayne Jacobs, recently reminded me that in academia, no learning opportunity is wasted. I’d like to think this is so in all contexts. It would be reasonable to remember 2020 as the year of COVID-19. But here is a narrative that is also true. 2020 has been the year of courage, endurance and hope under incredibly difficult circumstances. The toll on students, and on first generation students in particular, will still be reckoned for some time to come. 2020 has been a different year, but we are still here. We are still here.
The Small Things Fund 