Torch - Fall 2017

Donor Profile

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“ It’s important to give back and to say thank you for all that Havergal does for its students. — Linda Lin

Gifts of Gratitude

Lin and Li are particularly grateful for the guidance and career counselling that Christina received. It was a most helpful process and something Lin wishes she had experienced herself when attending high school. Both girls have enjoyed the variety of classes and activities offered at the school and have made friendships that will last a lifetime. Lin and Li thought they could show their appreciation through donations. As Lin says, it was simply “the right thing to do” because they were grateful. She wants to see the buildings maintained and she hopes her gifts will help pass on the Havergal experience to future students. Lin encourages others to make giving to Havergal a priority. “It’s important to give back and to say thank you for all that Havergal does for its students.”

Lin, Li and their daughters were welcomed most warmly by the school’s staff and they were deeply impressed with what they discovered. Lin remembers most fondly the beauty of the campus. Both parents could sense the open nature of the students and the professional calibre of the faculty. It was an easy transition for their daughters, Christina (14 at the time) and Joanna (nine), to start attending Havergal. It was a new beginning they never regretted. Since starting at Havergal in 2012, the girls have developed a deep respect for the school, as have their parents. Christina (Class of 2016) easily rose to the challenge of Havergal’s high academic standards. Now a second-year student at Queen’s University studying engineering, she feels she should write a personal thank-you note to all her teachers for preparing her so well for post- secondary education.

When Linda Lin and her husband Larry Li arrived in Canada from China in 2010, they discovered exciting opportunities and faced new challenges as they started growing their business in the international trade industry. Perhaps most important to this highly educated couple was finding the best schools for their four children. For their two eldest daughters, Havergal proved to be instrumental in their development and they are profoundly grateful. When asked how she found Havergal, Lin laughs and says: “The Internet!” She and Li wanted a good private school in Toronto with reasonable tuition; one that had both Junior and Upper Schools so their girls could attend together. When Lin carefully read the information about Havergal online, she had a good feeling. She began to ask questions in their Toronto community and heard only positive things about Havergal and its values. Those feelings and insights were confirmed when they met with the Admissions team.

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