Donor impact
Amy Johnson, a single parent who grew up in Manitoba, was awarded the Class of ’81 Scholarship, established in 2011 by the Windsor Law class of 1981 to commemorate their 30th reunion. supplied
Generosity spreads far beyond recipients
When Amy Johnson was awarded a scholarship to study law at the University of Windsor in 2012, she knew it would change her life. What she didn’t realize was that it would change the lives of her six sons as well.
Ms. Johnson, a single parent who grew up in Manitoba, was awarded the Class of ’81 Scholarship, a $1-million grant established in 2011 by the Windsor Law class of 1981 to commemorate their 30th reunion.
“I don’t think I can properly quantify the long-term impact of the scholarship, because when the class of ’81 helped me, they also helped my six sons,” she says.
“[The Class of ’81 Scholarship] allowed me to focus on what was important at the time, which was studying law and not thinking about how I’m going to pay my rent or buy books or pay for next year’s tuition. ”
Her eldest son was in grade nine when Ms. Johnson started law school and witnessed the effort it took. It motivated him to get an undergraduate and two master’s degrees.
“He recognized the value of post-secondary education,” she says. “Now my second and third sons are both in the process of getting their undergrad degrees because they witnessed the value of education and the impact it has on others.”
Her three younger sons are on their way to pursuing post-secondary and lifelong goals because of the way the scholarship impacted them, adds Ms. Johnson.
“One thing I would like to say to anybody who is considering whether or not their donations make a difference and whether or not they should continue to donate is that this scholarship in particular and scholarships in general are game changers,” she says.
Ms. Johnson ended up at Windsor Law after applying to three law schools in locations where she thought she could afford to live with her six sons. Two turned her down; one because of her lack of funds and the second because they believed she would never cope with law studies while raising six children.
“They discounted me completely without even getting to know me,” she says. “But Windsor Law accepted my application. They believed in me and were prepared to take a chance on a woman who thought that with six children she could still become a lawyer. They were prepared to support my goals.”
The Class of ’81 Scholarship meant Ms. Johnson could pursue her dream of studying law, which she would not have been able to afford otherwise.
“As a single parent attending law school and having six mouths to feed, having the scholarship allowed me to focus on my studies instead of constantly worrying about finances,” she says.
Nevertheless, raising six boys aged from six to 14 at the same time as studying law was not easy.
“My older boys fondly remember mom never going anywhere without her books,” she says. “They tell stories about me showing up to their football and baseball games or practices with my books and a highlighter. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. It meant getting up early and going to bed late, not watching TV and not being able to have conversations about things that were going on, like shows or movies people were watching because I was just too busy helping with homework and then doing my own.”
Dragana Bukejlovic had been working in the construction sector for just over four years and had undergraduate and master’s degrees in political science under her belt when she began studying law at the University of Windsor and was awarded the Class of ’81 Scholarship.
Ms. Bukejlovic had always wanted to be a lawyer, but the cost of law school had been an obstacle.
“I had used up all the savings I put together in the four years that I worked before law school, so receiving the scholarship relieved the financial burden on me, especially as an older student who had already learned the value of a dollar having worked before,” she says. “It allowed me to focus on what was important at the time, which was studying law and not thinking about how I’m going to pay my rent or buy books or pay for next year’s tuition.”
While Ms. Bukejlovic applied to other law schools, she was drawn to Windsor Law because of the school’s diversity, not only of the student body but also to its focus on access to justice, which is close to her heart and underpins the pro bono work she now does, representing people in small claims court and participating in a PBO legal hotline program.
After graduating and being called to the bar in 2019, Ms. Bukejlovic joined the Toronto office of Dentons Canada LLP as an associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution group where she focuses on complex civil litigation matters and construction disputes.
And it’s thanks to the Class of ’81 that she got there.
“I’m very grateful for the class of 1981,” she says. “The scholarship is such a great initiative. It’s wonderful that this entire class came together to do something every year for students. I will always be grateful to them.”
Ms. Johnson graduated in the top 20 per cent of her class in 2015 and was called to the bar in 2016 after a year of articling. Before law school she obtained an undergraduate degree in social studies from the University of Waterloo and a diploma in social work.
“My youngest son was two when I started my undergrad studies, and he said to me the other day that he can’t remember a time during his childhood when I wasn’t studying,” she says.
Ms. Johnson currently practises family law at the Howie Johnson law firm in Windsor, Ontario. It’s a field close to her heart. Having experienced a challenging divorce herself, she believed she could help other families facing similar situations.
“I felt driven to help other people in an area where I recognized a crisis,” she says. “I bring a different perspective to that crisis; I’ve been there, and I can relate to people going through something similar. It’s about me being able to help others who are in real need of help.”
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