Topher Lamm spent plenty of time asking, so he figured he had better give. When he did, he made history.
Topher, 21, has worked at Queen’s Telefundraising Services for the past three years. Initially his role was to phone alumni, update them on Queen’s activities and arrange donations. Today, as a student supervisor in the same department, he assists the efforts of other student callers.
As a caller, Topher was consistently wowed by the affection that Queen’s alumni have for their alma mater and how gladly they contributed to the university. Their stories got him thinking about what Queen’s means to him.
Topher threw a fundraising party at his house to seek a little help from his friends. Someone volunteered to DJ; others loaned lighting and sound equipment. Topher placed a donation jar by the door.
As it turns out, it means plenty. Topher is in his fifth year of a politics and philosophy degree. His professors' subject knowledge, teaching abilities, enthusiasm and willingness to make themselves available to students to answer questions have always impressed him. He is also an active participant in the Queen's Conference on Philanthropy, whose members organize an annual event that brings together students from across Canada to learn and discuss how they can make a positive difference in the world through philanthropy.
This and other Queen's experiences have moved Topher to pursue a career in corporate law, preferably in a position that involves acting for organizations with a social-justice mission. They also stirred him to become a philanthropist himself.
"Queen’s got me to where I am," he says. "I wanted to give back."
To do that, this January Topher threw a fundraising party at his house to seek a little help from his friends. Someone volunteered to DJ; others loaned lighting and sound equipment. Topher placed a donation jar by the door. The partiers were generous, and afterwards he delivered the proceeds, jar and all, directly to the AMS club office. Topher’s contribution makes him one of the youngest-ever members of Queen’s Summerhill Society, whose members have donated between $500 and $1000 to the university.
"After I leave Queen’s the clubs will still go on," says Topher. "I'd like to see other students have the same opportunities that I had."
