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Yesterday, September 25th, 2019 was a significant day for the College as we accepted the largest donation to our Scholarship, Bursaries and Awards program to date. Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh have graciously chosen to invest in the education of Sault College students through a new scholarship valued at $230,000.
Representatives from Sault College were joined by Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh and some of their friends to accept the donation that will provide two scholarships annually worth $2500: one scholarship will be awarded to a second year Forestry Technician student and the second to a third or fourth year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student. In recognition of the generosity of Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh, the College dedicated a room within the J Wing Welcome Centre now proudly named the “The Payandeh Family Room”.
“This is an amazing day for our College! We are so honoured that Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh have chosen to support our College and our students through this generous donation,” said Dr. Ron Common, President, Sault College. “This type of support is paramount to the success of our Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards program and supports our overall goal of increasing access to higher education. This donation will assist many students in pursuing their educational goals and we commend Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh for their commitment to student success and for helping to reinforce the importance of higher education and learning,” he added.
Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh released the following statement:
“Simin and I immigrated to Canada over 50 years ago with only a few dollars in our pockets and settled in Sault Ste. Marie. Although our families could have helped us financially, we made the decision to make it on our own: I as a Research Scientist (with Canadian Forestry Service for 30 years) and she as a Dental Surgeon (for 38 years) worked very hard, saved and invested where we could,” said Dr. Bijan Payandeh.
“Simin and I were recognized by the late Shah of Iran, receiving medals for high scholastic achievements and educational scholarships thereof, although Simin didn’t benefit from it directly. Had I not received the four year scholarship to study abroad, we wouldn’t be here today. We have contributed to this community in every which way we know, which is why we decided to establish these scholarships as a lasting tribute to our names,” he added.
“I remember 50 years ago at the age of 23, fresh out of dental school when I first walked through the doors of Sault College. I was so nervous and yet determined to learn English so that I could practice dentistry in Canada. Although I was Valedictorian in Iran, I was told that I could not touch a single dental instrument unless I became qualified in Canada. I enrolled in Medical Terminology at the College to begin this journey. You can imagine how frightened I was, but I was also determined to be successful in Canada too. I studied 16 hours a day for 10 months and it paid off! I was the only one out of 21 dentists from around the world to pass the qualifying dental exam. This allowed me to begin my career as the very first female dentist in Sault Ste. Marie,” said Dr. Simin Payandeh.
The legacy of Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh will continue in many ways, including through their family. “We were blessed with three healthy bright children, Nina Lynn, Jubin Bijan and Jian Mehr-Dean. We raised them to the best of our ability and by the Zoroastrian principles of “Good Thoughts, Good Deeds and Good Words” in addition to working hard as set by example. They have developed into young hard working professionals with their own families serving their respective communities: Nina in Sault Ste. Marie as an Alumni of Sault College with a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education, Jubin, a well-recognized Orthopaedic Surgeon in Thunder Bay, and Jian a Lead Scientist in Structural Biology at Genentech Pharma, in South San Franscico, California.”
Sault College Students’ Union released the following statement:
For Sault College students, these types of scholarships not only help them to continue to pursue their passions, they also demonstrate the tremendous support and encouragement they have from donors such as Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh.
“With the ever growing challenges to complete post-secondary with funding constraints, this generous donation from Dr. Bijan and Dr. Simin Payandeh is amazing. I want to express our deep appreciation and gratitude for this additional support to Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards. Mental Health is a priority to us and we know students face a lot of stresses in terms of financial burdens. With the generous donation from our donors, this will alleviate some of that stress for the recipient(s) to have success in their related fields,” said Jonathan Boyer-Nolan, President Sault College Students’ Union.
This bursary is now available to students for the 2019-20 academic year. More information about this and other Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries is available herehttps://www.saultcollege.ca/FinancialAssistance/ScholarhipsAwards.asp.
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