"It had always been in the back of my mind that I would get involved with Queen's."
Sheila Murray’s words are ones you hear repeated by many Queen's graduates. They feel the university made an impact in their lives, and want to give back. Not just financially but in other ways, as well.
But for Murray, as for many alumni, the demands of career or family meant that it simply wasn't possible. Murray, a Commerce ('79) and Law graduate ('82), was further constrained by the fact that, as the individual responsible for hiring new lawyers for her firm, she couldn’t show Queen's any particular preference.
A change in jobs and a meeting with law school dean Bill Flanagan changed all that. "I really loved what he told me about the school, what he changed there since I'd been there and his vision of the school."
For anyone eager to get involved with Queen's but afraid they may never have the chance, Murray’s story is an inspiration. Today, just five short years later, she is the chair of the Dean’s Council, the advisory body that advises the law school on strategic issues, serves as a sounding board for the dean, and undertakes fundraising. She also serves on the cabinet for the Initiative Campaign. As a donor, Murray has supported both the David Mullan Entrance Scholarship and the school's new Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace, which she calls, "a fantastic idea and something that distinguishes Queen’s from other schools."
For Murray, doing work for Queen’s just feels right.
I think we all feel – or we should all feel – that the education we got, whether undergraduate or post grad, is the basis of our success today. I owe them.
