A $1M Commitment to Students

There was some hooting and hollering when Cameron Johnson told his parents he had been awarded Capilano University’s President’s Entrance Award. The first-year Motion Picture Arts (MOPA) student is one of 15 students in the inaugural cohort of the newly endowed award.

The President’s Entrance Award was launched last year in honour of past Capilano University President Paul Dangerfield’s legacy of student-centred leadership. It is the university’s largest donor-endowed entrance award, surpassing $1 million at its creation. Awarded to students entering bachelor’s degree programs, the award criteria adapts annually to align with CapU’s priorities.

“I worked really hard in high school, and it felt great to have all those hours be worth something – to have the effort I put into investing in my future pay off,” says Cameron.

During the intimidating process of choosing a post-secondary institution, CapU was always a leading choice for Cameron.

“It’s hard to understand all of the options. When you look at costs, it’s not always clear. In a program like film, depending on the school, you may have to own more of your own equipment. You may have to self-fund your third- and fourth-year films,” he explains. “CapU might not have the lowest tuition, but when you consider value and all of the resources included, my family and I felt more confident about the long-term costs of the program.”

The President’s Entrance Award also helped Cameron and his family decide that he would live in CapU housing rather than commute from Coquitlam, shaping his student experience in meaningful ways.

“MOPA is an intense program, and the hours are long. Being able to live with my classmates and learn from [upper year] students who share their understanding and passion has made CapU feel like home. I see my brother commuting to [another] university and I am having a much different experience. I feel like a part of CapU, and CapU feels like me.”

Now settled into university life, Cameron encourages prospective students to pursue scholarship opportunities both at CapU and beyond.

“There is money out there. We heard in high school that there are unused scholarships every year. It can take a bit of work to gather your reference letters and write the other parts of the application, but it's definitely worth it – apply for all you can.”