Thank You Message from George Evans
To everyone that cared:
Thank you to everyone that has donated to the “Keep George Here” fundraiser. I feel as though I can never adequately express my gratitude, but I will try.
Dana and Katherine: what a display of humanitarianism. Look at what you’ve done! You embody kindness and a determination to help others – I hope I can emulate this in my lifetime.
Queen’s Law, you inspire me. The support I have received from my classmates, the graduating class, and first years alike, is very humbling. I have so many caring friends - I love you all. I knew, coming into Queen’s law, that I would be surrounded by many special individuals. This fundraiser is a testament to that, and more so to how special our community is.
I have also received immense support from friends outside of law school, lasting bonds that I have made in Canada. Thank you! To the people that have donated that I have never met and may never get the chance to meet, thank you equally!
I had started to lose a bit of hope before this all happened, but not anymore. I will make my future happen. I will figure out a way to complete my law degree at Queen’s, and without your help, this may not have been possible. I hope that I can someday help to restore this hope in others, as you have all done for me.
Sincerely,
George Evans
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Thank you to everyone that has donated to the “Keep George Here” fundraiser. I feel as though I can never adequately express my gratitude, but I will try.
Dana and Katherine: what a display of humanitarianism. Look at what you’ve done! You embody kindness and a determination to help others – I hope I can emulate this in my lifetime.
Queen’s Law, you inspire me. The support I have received from my classmates, the graduating class, and first years alike, is very humbling. I have so many caring friends - I love you all. I knew, coming into Queen’s law, that I would be surrounded by many special individuals. This fundraiser is a testament to that, and more so to how special our community is.
I have also received immense support from friends outside of law school, lasting bonds that I have made in Canada. Thank you! To the people that have donated that I have never met and may never get the chance to meet, thank you equally!
I had started to lose a bit of hope before this all happened, but not anymore. I will make my future happen. I will figure out a way to complete my law degree at Queen’s, and without your help, this may not have been possible. I hope that I can someday help to restore this hope in others, as you have all done for me.
Sincerely,
George Evans
Some Frequently Asked Questions
1. If we reach our goal of $19,000 will George be able to fund the rest of his legal education at Queen's?
A. This question has (rightfully) come up a lot. Though we are not able to answer in the definitive (as no one knows the future), we are confident that George will be able to work to secure funding for the rest of his time at Queen's. He has a couple of different options that are of a more personal nature than we are willing to speak to on this website, but I think the fact of the matter is that once George is back in school he is eligible to apply for scholarships both in Canada and back home again, he is pursuing any avenue of procuring loans both in Canada and back home that are available to him, as well as hoping that the situation with his mother's employer is resolved so she is able to help him (which was his original plan in budgeting for law school). We understand completely why people ask this question, and also that it might be a little bit tough to not have any set in stone answers. However, I would remind you that life is not set in stone and anything could happen to any one of us at any moment that would affect our ability to pay for law school, and I can assure you all that I personally am confident, using the information I have, that George is doing-- and will continue to do-- absolutely everything in his power to ensure he can finish his degree in good standing.
2. If we fail to reach our goal of $19,000, what will happen to the money that is donated via the party tonight at Monkey Bar?
A. First off, we aren't going to fail. Though I said in the above question that no one knows the future, I will contradict myself and let you know that victory, in this case, is certain. In the event that I am wrong, we have a couple options. In that case, we can ask everyone via (confidential) e-mail who went to the party and would like their $20 refunded to send us a message and we will reimburse you in cash right away. Another option is that for those of you who don't wish to be refunded, we can donate the money to a charity that supports the education of international students. Please know that Katherine and I have been taking extremely seriously the need to be professional, responsible, and confidential in every matter regarding every cent that is donated-- we know who it comes from, where it is, and how to get it from one place to another at any time. We also have, and will continue to, respect everyone's privacy and comfort in this matter to the utmost degree.
If you have any more questions about these issues or anything else at all, please don't hesitate to contact either one of us.
LOVE, k & d.
Read more
A. This question has (rightfully) come up a lot. Though we are not able to answer in the definitive (as no one knows the future), we are confident that George will be able to work to secure funding for the rest of his time at Queen's. He has a couple of different options that are of a more personal nature than we are willing to speak to on this website, but I think the fact of the matter is that once George is back in school he is eligible to apply for scholarships both in Canada and back home again, he is pursuing any avenue of procuring loans both in Canada and back home that are available to him, as well as hoping that the situation with his mother's employer is resolved so she is able to help him (which was his original plan in budgeting for law school). We understand completely why people ask this question, and also that it might be a little bit tough to not have any set in stone answers. However, I would remind you that life is not set in stone and anything could happen to any one of us at any moment that would affect our ability to pay for law school, and I can assure you all that I personally am confident, using the information I have, that George is doing-- and will continue to do-- absolutely everything in his power to ensure he can finish his degree in good standing.
2. If we fail to reach our goal of $19,000, what will happen to the money that is donated via the party tonight at Monkey Bar?
A. First off, we aren't going to fail. Though I said in the above question that no one knows the future, I will contradict myself and let you know that victory, in this case, is certain. In the event that I am wrong, we have a couple options. In that case, we can ask everyone via (confidential) e-mail who went to the party and would like their $20 refunded to send us a message and we will reimburse you in cash right away. Another option is that for those of you who don't wish to be refunded, we can donate the money to a charity that supports the education of international students. Please know that Katherine and I have been taking extremely seriously the need to be professional, responsible, and confidential in every matter regarding every cent that is donated-- we know who it comes from, where it is, and how to get it from one place to another at any time. We also have, and will continue to, respect everyone's privacy and comfort in this matter to the utmost degree.
If you have any more questions about these issues or anything else at all, please don't hesitate to contact either one of us.
LOVE, k & d.
Keep George Here in the News!
The overwhelming support towards the Keep George Here initiative has been phenomenal! We were even featured on the front page of the Whig Standard today(Read Here)!! The article has also been picked up by the Toronto Sun and Canoe News. The press attention has generated over $2000 in a matter of hours, and we are absolutely ecstatic!!! As a result of today's donations, we have now hit the $10 000 mark! Keep momentum up guys, we can do it!!
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The G-List: Party Party Party!!!
This Wednesday we will come together and dance our pants off in support of our friend George Evans. There will be a cover charge of $20 which will 100% go directly towards our goal of $19 000. We have cheap drink specials lined up and prizes to be won! Please check out the facebook event for more information (https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=244008588976119). You can help by spreading the word and coming out to party party party! We truly appreciate all the support guys!
P.S. If anyone has any raffle prizes they could donate, please contact Dana or Katherine! THANKS!
Day 1 Update: Queen's Law Rocks!
Hey all!
We were able to raise $2630 yesterday!!! AMAZING!!! To everyone who donated, big THANK YOU! We had donations ranging from $500-$30, and even donations from people not attending Queen's Law -- IT ALL HELPS! We really appreciate everybody donating what they can. This is what Queen's Law is all about!
Keep spreading the word, and getting excited!!! BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING, KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING! WHOOOOO!
An Important Message
I send you this message because something has come to my attention that has been pulling at my heart strings, and I wanted to bring it to your attention too so that we have a fighting chance to do something about it together.
George Evans is from the Bahamas, and is thus an international student at our lovely Queen’s Law. That means his tuition is that of an international student, which is significantly more than the domestic amount. Last month he shared with me while we were hanging out over the summer working on OCIs that it was likely he wasn’t going to be able to register for classes due to an outstanding amount owed on his tuition from last year. This concern has come to fruition, and he is not enrolled at Queen’s anymore, was not able to hand in his OCI applications, and is currently in limbo as to whether he can continue on with his legal education.
Since George is not a Canadian citizen, he is ineligible for Canadian government student loans, and is unable to apply for a student line of credit. He is also not allowed to apply for most scholarships until he is a student again. His VISA allows him to be in Canada as a student, which means he cannot work here in Canada at this time, either. All of these factors, combined with an unfortunate change in the financial situation of his mother back home, on whom he was relying on for help with tuition, has rendered George unable to do anything at all about this situation.
Upon hearing this news, I personally got, and am still, pretty emotional about all of this. Each of you knows George to varying degrees and while all will have had different interactions and experiences with him at Queen’s law over the past year, I think collectively we all know just how special he is. I personally don’t know anyone else who stayed on campus for well over 24 hours studying without going home (or sleeping.. or eating..) during exams. George has a genuine passion for the law, and is generous with his time and talent; he has been known for giving anything and everything to any one of us if he thought there was even just a chance it was needed.
George is literally one of the best people I have ever met in my entire life. He is an extremely caring, devoted, hard-working, funny, generous, and overall lovely person. He is someone that genuinely deserves to be where we are all just so lucky to be. I can’t face the thought that someone who is so deserving won’t be there with us, making us smile during the fun times and tough challenges we will surely face this year, and getting his own chance to live his dream and experience success. So, I decided that he is too great, and life is too short, to stand by and do nothing.
I’ve set up this website as an avenue for people to contribute money, if they wish, in the hopes we can reach the amount George needs to be able to once again be enrolled as a student at Queen’s Law. The funds are (of course) going straight from this PayPal account into a cheque made out to the University, payable towards his account. In the event that we fall short, and don’t raise enough, the funds are going to be tracked and returned to you in full. If George’s family comes into some money in the meantime and is able to contribute rendering our efforts above our goal, we will reimburse each of you proportionately and promptly.
In closing, I just feel from the bottom of my heart that we are all so lucky to be where we are and to be Canadians and to be able to go to such an awesome school and live in our great country, and that if we can do this it will be one of the best things we all will ever have been a part of.
If you are able to contribute, please do so because I truly think we can do this. In making this plan, I have considered the number of law students and friends of George, and the amount required to allow him to re-enroll. If everyone who is able could donate $100, we can do this. There have already been some very generous and lovely individuals who have committed to donate, and I have so much confidence in all of us.
Note that I did speak with George and secured his permission for all of this. He was, of course, exceptionally touched, grateful, emotional, and overwhelmed. He told me he couldn’t believe he had such great friends, but all I could say is that I think I must speak on behalf of all of us when I say we feel exactly the same way about him.
Of course, if I have included you in the link to this site and you are unable to donate for any reason at all, please know that that is absolutely and completely fine, we won’t be keeping tabs or anything like that AT ALL—it’s up to you. If $100 is too much and you were able to contribute a lesser amount it would be so, so appreciated also.
I personally know that if all of this had happened without my knowledge and I had heard one day in the coming weeks/months that George wasn’t at school, and/or had to go back home and had left quietly (which I’m sure he would have preferred—but sorry George, that’s not how I roll, and that’s not how this amazing Queen’s Law community rolls) I would have been so sad to not only not have known about this situation, but moreso not had the opportunity to do something so simple as donate the same amount of money I have spent at MyBar this week—let’s be honest, it’s probably less.
If there is anyone I have neglected to invite to this site that you feel would be sympathetic to this cause please do not hesitate to send him/her/them the link. As well, if you have any questions AT ALL about what I’m trying to do and how it is going to work, PLEASE e-mail me at dana.carson@queensu.ca or message me on facebook, or arrange a time to meet with me. I’m happy to answer any and all questions. If you have problems donating online, please email katherine.chau@queensu.ca and we'll sort it out!
Sincere thanks for being who you are, Queen’s Law, and for spreading the love.
From,
Dana Carson— “dreamer, and lover of people so much it hurts”
Katherine Chau—“technological dreamboat and tough love extraordinaire”
P.S. Please feel free to comment below and share with us your own feelings about George!
Read more
George Evans is from the Bahamas, and is thus an international student at our lovely Queen’s Law. That means his tuition is that of an international student, which is significantly more than the domestic amount. Last month he shared with me while we were hanging out over the summer working on OCIs that it was likely he wasn’t going to be able to register for classes due to an outstanding amount owed on his tuition from last year. This concern has come to fruition, and he is not enrolled at Queen’s anymore, was not able to hand in his OCI applications, and is currently in limbo as to whether he can continue on with his legal education.
Since George is not a Canadian citizen, he is ineligible for Canadian government student loans, and is unable to apply for a student line of credit. He is also not allowed to apply for most scholarships until he is a student again. His VISA allows him to be in Canada as a student, which means he cannot work here in Canada at this time, either. All of these factors, combined with an unfortunate change in the financial situation of his mother back home, on whom he was relying on for help with tuition, has rendered George unable to do anything at all about this situation.
Upon hearing this news, I personally got, and am still, pretty emotional about all of this. Each of you knows George to varying degrees and while all will have had different interactions and experiences with him at Queen’s law over the past year, I think collectively we all know just how special he is. I personally don’t know anyone else who stayed on campus for well over 24 hours studying without going home (or sleeping.. or eating..) during exams. George has a genuine passion for the law, and is generous with his time and talent; he has been known for giving anything and everything to any one of us if he thought there was even just a chance it was needed.
George is literally one of the best people I have ever met in my entire life. He is an extremely caring, devoted, hard-working, funny, generous, and overall lovely person. He is someone that genuinely deserves to be where we are all just so lucky to be. I can’t face the thought that someone who is so deserving won’t be there with us, making us smile during the fun times and tough challenges we will surely face this year, and getting his own chance to live his dream and experience success. So, I decided that he is too great, and life is too short, to stand by and do nothing.
I’ve set up this website as an avenue for people to contribute money, if they wish, in the hopes we can reach the amount George needs to be able to once again be enrolled as a student at Queen’s Law. The funds are (of course) going straight from this PayPal account into a cheque made out to the University, payable towards his account. In the event that we fall short, and don’t raise enough, the funds are going to be tracked and returned to you in full. If George’s family comes into some money in the meantime and is able to contribute rendering our efforts above our goal, we will reimburse each of you proportionately and promptly.
In closing, I just feel from the bottom of my heart that we are all so lucky to be where we are and to be Canadians and to be able to go to such an awesome school and live in our great country, and that if we can do this it will be one of the best things we all will ever have been a part of.
If you are able to contribute, please do so because I truly think we can do this. In making this plan, I have considered the number of law students and friends of George, and the amount required to allow him to re-enroll. If everyone who is able could donate $100, we can do this. There have already been some very generous and lovely individuals who have committed to donate, and I have so much confidence in all of us.
Note that I did speak with George and secured his permission for all of this. He was, of course, exceptionally touched, grateful, emotional, and overwhelmed. He told me he couldn’t believe he had such great friends, but all I could say is that I think I must speak on behalf of all of us when I say we feel exactly the same way about him.
Of course, if I have included you in the link to this site and you are unable to donate for any reason at all, please know that that is absolutely and completely fine, we won’t be keeping tabs or anything like that AT ALL—it’s up to you. If $100 is too much and you were able to contribute a lesser amount it would be so, so appreciated also.
I personally know that if all of this had happened without my knowledge and I had heard one day in the coming weeks/months that George wasn’t at school, and/or had to go back home and had left quietly (which I’m sure he would have preferred—but sorry George, that’s not how I roll, and that’s not how this amazing Queen’s Law community rolls) I would have been so sad to not only not have known about this situation, but moreso not had the opportunity to do something so simple as donate the same amount of money I have spent at MyBar this week—let’s be honest, it’s probably less.
If there is anyone I have neglected to invite to this site that you feel would be sympathetic to this cause please do not hesitate to send him/her/them the link. As well, if you have any questions AT ALL about what I’m trying to do and how it is going to work, PLEASE e-mail me at dana.carson@queensu.ca or message me on facebook, or arrange a time to meet with me. I’m happy to answer any and all questions. If you have problems donating online, please email katherine.chau@queensu.ca and we'll sort it out!
Sincere thanks for being who you are, Queen’s Law, and for spreading the love.
From,
Dana Carson— “dreamer, and lover of people so much it hurts”
Katherine Chau—“technological dreamboat and tough love extraordinaire”
P.S. Please feel free to comment below and share with us your own feelings about George!