Liv Brown, Second-year Communications Student

March 3, 2022

Growth has been a defining feature of the past two years for Liv Brown.

Her Trent journey began in May 2020, long before she had attended any orientation events or classes. As the recipient of the Prestigious Champlain Scholarship, awarded to two incoming students of exceptionally high academic achievement and promise, she instantly felt welcomed.

“It made me feel like, after I chose Trent, Trent chose me.”

Liv began her first year as a history student and part of Trent’s Law and Arts Dual Degree program. She intended to, in her third year, travel to Swansea, Wales as part of the program and study law at the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law. But, to her surprise, Trent offered other intriguing opportunities.

She studied almost entirely online during her first year, feeling supported by Trent from the very beginning.

“Seeing the commitment of our professors to keep us connected and engaged was amazing,“ she says. “They are so excited about our learning.”

Striving to be more involved within her university, Liv began working as an Alumni Development Representative at Trent, an on-campus donor-funded position. In her role, Liv was able to “personally thank the people who continue to make Trent an incredible university.”

Over the summer, Liv’s position evolved, and she began working in Trent’s Community Relations office.

In this new role, she was given opportunity to write speeches, news stories and profiles, assist with event hosting, submit project proposals and truly learn the ins and outs of the University. In the Fall, she returned to work in both the Alumni and Community Relations offices. She found the experiences incredibly fulfilling.

“I felt like I was learning new skills everyday,” she explains. “And expanding my knowledge outside of the classroom. My managers seemed to really care about me and about equipping me with tools to succeed in the future. I felt like the University had invested in me.”

In turn, Liv decided that she needed to use the experiences and support she had been given at Trent to find her passion, and pursue it. She realized this meant leaving the Law and Arts program and changing her major to Communications.

“Working in Community Relations and Alumni was really satisfying and engaging; and while the History program was a fantastic home for me, I needed to start taking courses that I knew were leading me towards my future. I am grateful for the flexibility of Trent’s course system and incredible academic advisors, who worked with me to ensure that I could graduate in a discipline that I love. This feels like the best of both worlds; I can actually see my course knowledge reflected in my on-campus work.”

Liv says that leaving the Law and Arts program was difficult, particularly as she had been acting as the President of the Law and Arts Society, but she is fully committed to her new educational path. This commitment carries into her work at the University, where Liv feels empowered by the experiences and events she has been able to participate in throughout the past few semesters.

She highlights attending the unveiling of the new Treaty Rock on campus, speaking at the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony, and continuing her involvement with Trent alumni as pivotal moments in her decision to switch her major.

Throughout the changes that have occurred during the past two years, Liv continues to appreciate being a recipient of the Prestigious Champlain scholarship.

“Thank you,” she says to the donors supporting her scholarship and the Trent Fund. “I’m just as dedicated to my studies as you were to donating to Trent. Your support has had a profound impact on my future and has given me the chance to explore my passions and learnings hands-on.”

Supporting the Trent Fund gives students like Liv on-campus employment, financial aid, experiential learning opportunities, mentoring, on-campus safety, and health and wellness. Gifts to the Trent Fund have an immediate impact on students and can directly change the course of their lives.

“It definitely did with me,” notes Liv. “And I’m excited to where it will help lead me next.”