For Lesley Brechin (BA (Theatre)ā90), working in the Fountain School of Performing Arts (FSPA) gives her unique perspective as a Ā鶹“«Ć½ donor.
āMusic and theatre are my passions, and I love the students ā they are the reason I do what I do,ā she says. āWorking in the Fountain School, itās really easy to see the need, and where students could use the most support ā whether itās financial help, equipment or extracurricular areas. As an employee, I get to see directly where I am making a difference.ā
Discovering her passion
Lesleyās contributions have made a huge difference for more than 30 years, but she didnāt set out to create a legacy of giving. Initially, she arrived on the Dal campus as a student in 1980.
āI was going to be an accountant,ā she says. āThat was the plan, but after two years in the Commerce program, I realized the classes I enjoyed the most were my theatre electives. My parents werenāt ready for me to pursue a career on the stage, so I took a business college program that landed me back at Dal working in Word Processing Services, before the days of desktop computers,ā she says.
She has spent half of her 34 years at Dal working in a position more in keeping with her passion: 13 years in the department of music and, since 2014, as a valued member of the FSPA staff. Lesley is the administrative officer, academic & productions.
Commitment to the performing arts
During her career, she decided to finish her degree at Ā鶹“«Ć½, settling on theatre as a better educational fit. āThanks to Dalās tuition waiver program for employees, I finished my degree part-time, returning to the only subject I really loved ā theatre,ā she says.
The focus of Lesleyās giving is aimed at helping students in the performing arts financially, recognizing the hard work and dedication these students give to their studies.
Leslie Brechin poses at the Ā鶹“«Ć½ Arts Centre, home of the Fountain School of the Performing ArtsāPerforming arts is like two degrees: thereās the academic study and also the performance aspect,ā Lesley says. āIn a performing arts program, students have many rehearsals and concerts. Our students are incredibly committed to their programs, so itās really difficult for those in financial need to find part time jobs around their academic and performance schedule,ā she says. āThey work really hard. I wanted to help.ā
Giving back
Countless students have benefitted from Lesleyās support, which she says also allows her to give back to the place that shaped her education and career.
āĀ鶹“«Ć½ is a great place. The university has allowed me to work and study in a field that I love, and I think thatās amazing. I wanted to do something to give back,ā she says.
āIām a philanthropic person, and so I have always believed in giving to good causes. I thought to myself, what better cause than Ā鶹“«Ć½ ā a place thatās given me so much.ā
Lesley BrechinĀ is a member of the , which celebrates alumni and friends who make the decision year-over-year to give back to Ā鶹“«Ć½. She has achieved Silver status in The MacLennan Society, after giving consistently to Dal for more than 25 years.
The society was named forĀ Rod MacLennan (BScā60, LLDā98)Ā in honour of his longstanding and far-reaching support. Over the coming year, we will be presenting more profiles of MacLennan Society members, many of whom like Lesley are employed as faculty and staff at Ā鶹“«Ć½.