An increase in funding from the Goettler Family is significantly expanding support for single parents studying at Niagara College.
The new $54,000 pledge will provide six annual $3,000 scholarships over the next three years to help alleviate the financial burdens faced by students balancing their educational goals with parenting responsibilities.
For Liz Nerida Mamani Torocahua, a Business Administration-Marketing Co-op student, being among the first single parents to receive the $3,000 scholarship was transformative.
“Knowing that Lauren and Vaughn Goettler believed in me by granting me this scholarship gave me the strength to keep going, no matter how tough things got,” said Mamani Torocahua. She notes that there were times when she needed to utilize some of the funds to provide healthy food for her family. “Now, I make it my mission to share the kindness I received from the Goettlers every day.”
The cause holds a special place in Lauren Goettler’s heart, who alongside her husband Vaughn, is a prominent community philanthropist. She remembers experiencing firsthand the challenges of single parenthood and was inspired to redirect funding toward the new Goettler Family Foundation Scholarship for Single Parents.
“This is truly a heartfelt issue for me because, in addition to single-parenting three children, I was unable to attend law school after being accepted. Finances just didn’t permit it. But my dream was to become a family law lawyer. I hope our scholarships help others achieve their dreams,” said Lauren Goettler.
A Goettler Family Foundation Scholarship was originally established in 2021 to provide 12 $1,000 scholarships to students in each of the College’s main schools. Donating to students is a priority for the Goettler Family because they see Niagara College as essential to nurturing talent, creativity, and optimism throughout the Niagara region.
“Many NC students juggle family responsibilities and their educations. The Goettler’s generous gift recognizes, supports, and celebrates these amazing students and parents. The increased scholarships will make a big difference for these families and for our community,” said Gord Arbeau, Vice President, Advancement.
Lauren and Vaughn Goettler, along with their foundation’s director, Jodey Porter, visited Benchmark Restaurant at the Daniel J. Patterson campus last July to meet some of the scholarship recipients. The luncheon was a unique opportunity to hear directly from students about their NC journey and the impact the scholarships had on their success.
For Julia Krasovec, receiving funding toward her Honours Bachelor of Business Administration (Human Resources) studies was essential for covering her tuition, which was not fully covered by OSAP. “Support from organizations like the Goettler Family Foundation is vital for students who must balance work, assignments, and family obligations,” she said. “It makes a significant difference to have that burden lightened, and I’m really grateful for it.”
The bond forged between the donors and students is a lasting one.
“Spending time with Liz and Julia helped put a face to the impact the awards make,” said Jodey Porter. “It’s wonderful that Niagara College facilitated the opportunity for us to get to know each other on a personal level. We feel fortunate to help students and hope to set an example of how impactful community giving can be.”
The Goettler Family Foundation Scholarship for Single Parents exemplifies how donors can support personally meaningful causes that also aid underrepresented students.
Making college education more accessible is a key priority for Niagara College, and a pillar of the Together campaign, which aims to expand scholarships and bursaries so that every student can access support. In addition to empowering student success, the multi-year $50 million fundraising campaign is addressing the worker shortages in trades and healthcare, creating equitable and diverse learning environments, equipping graduates with cultural awareness and global competencies, and fostering research, creativity, and innovation to help close Canada’s productivity gap.
Community partners and donors are invited to learn more about the important priorities of the Together campaign by visiting niagaracollege.ca/together. Discover how you can support this and other worthwhile initiatives by getting involved.
