EMPOWERING HER FUTURE How Your Generosity Shapes Success— and Strengthens Our Entire Community
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“You set the whole trajectory for my life.” — Margaret ASCAN’26, Financial Assistance Recipient
Margaret offers these words in gratitude to donors like you. As you’ll read in the following pages, her story shows exactly what your generosity makes possible—and it’s just one of many stories like it across our community.
A LETTER FROM KIMBERLY BROOKER CARTER’96 Every day I see how Financial Assistance changes a student’s path. As Head of Enrolment Management and a Co-Chair of the Financial Assistance Committee, I meet these students first. Bright, driven, accomplished—young women who’ve earned their place at Branksome and are ready to seize every opportunity. Because of you, financial barriers fall away and more students get to say “yes” to Branksome. You are having an incredible impact, helping us break that barrier to access. Supporting even one more student transforms her entire world. You are opening horizons, shaping confident leaders and building a stronger Branksome for everyone. Margaret’s story is one of many. I hope it shows you the profound difference you’re making right now. It’s especially essential because I see firsthand that we haven’t closed the gap yet. Every year, there are remarkable students we can’t support, simply because the need outpaces the funds available. Thank you for bridging the gap, changing futures and making a lasting difference.
THE ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPORT A scholarship to Branksome Hall is, first and foremost, about tuition. It’s nothing less than a full passport to the Branksome experience. But what else does your generosity provide for? Your support also funds technology to power a worldclass Grades 7–12 education, uniforms and everyday essentials that let every student belong from day one. You also fund athletics, arts, debate and leadership opportunities that build confidence and resilience, and global experiences that connect students across borders. Thanks to you, every dimension of a student’s journey is made possible!
BH ASIA EXCHANGE FUNDED BY DONORS: Donor support enabled students receiving Financial Assistance to join Branksome’s annual Grade 9 exchange with our sister school in South Korea—an experience otherwise not accessible.
Investing in Inclusion:
Donor Impact by the Numbers 2025–26
$1.67 MILLION in total Financial Assistance awarded
10% 24 100%
of Grades 7 to 12 students supported
trips and experiences supported
of demonstrated incidental and cocurricular needs met
COUNTLESS learning opportunities that build confidence, expand horizons and develop future-ready skills
FINDING HER WAY BACK—AND FORWARD Financial Assistance gave Margaret the opportunity to return to Branksome Hall. What she did with that opportunity has shaped the course of her life.
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“My experience in the Junior School built the foundation for me, because that was when I really started to love learning. The memories I made there have always stayed with me. Even though I had been away for such a long time, I still felt like a returning student. The Junior School was right there, and many of the same teachers and faculty members were still around. I never felt lonely or like an outsider.”
Instead, Margaret found a community ready to welcome her back—and teachers whose enthusiasm quickly reignited her own.
COMING BACK Margaret first attended Branksome Hall from Grades 1 to 6. After her family moved to Europe, her educational journey took several unexpected turns including pandemic-era learning and a significant change in her family’s financial circumstances. Financial Assistance allowed Margaret ASCAN’26 to return to Branksome for Grades 11 and 12. Although she had been away for several years, returning did not feel like starting over.
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FINDING MOMENTUM
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“My teachers never made it feel as though we were learning simply to pass an exam. Their passion for their subjects rubbed off on me. They didn’t put pressure on us to get good marks for the sake of it— they wanted us to enjoy the subject. That made me naturally want to do better, understand things more deeply and build a stronger foundation, especially in the sciences.”
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SECOND CHAPTER BOOKS
Margaret and fellow History Club members had a passion for external history competitions.
Returning to Branksome gave Margaret more than academic stability. It gave her something important to work toward. “With Financial Assistance, I was able to return to Branksome for Grades 11 and 12. The IB, the teachers and the students helped put my life back on track and gave me something to look forward to: university.”
That renewed sense of purpose soon extended beyond the classroom.
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“I squeezed all of the quintessential high school experiences into two years.”
Through Branksome’s Noodle business accelerator program, Margaret co-founded Second Chapter Books, a student textbook resale service.
Having once been particularly conscious of textbook costs herself, Margaret understood the difference a simple, accessible service could make.
“I think we made a very meaningful impact.”
130
books collected
$1,000 for the community
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BEYOND THE CLASSROOM Margaret also discovered debating, joined the choir and formed lasting friendships during a school trip to Costa Rica.
“My friends and I studied together, edited one another’s essays, shared notes and completed practice tests together. I know I would not have done as well in math or physics without the friends who studied with me every night leading up to our tests.”
MAKING OPPORTUNITIES
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One of the biggest lessons Margaret will take away from Branksome is that you never get what you don’t ask for. A friend and Margaret found a history competition that interested them. Branksome had never participated in history competitions before, but they asked the teacher who led the History Club if she would support them—and she said yes.
“One of the biggest lessons I have taken away from Branksome is that you never get what you don’t ask for, or accomplish what you don’t try. Opportunities are always there if you reach out and pursue them.”
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OPENING A NEW DOOR Margaret has now earned the highly competitive McEuen Scholarship, awarded to exceptional Canadian students pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
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It was an opportunity she says she would never have imagined pursuing without Branksome’s IB program and the encouragement of her University Counsellor.
“I wouldn’t be going to the United Kingdom, I wouldn’t have received this scholarship and I wouldn’t feel so happy and confident in my own abilities if I hadn’t returned to Branksome. It is such an all-encompassing experience. My loyalty will always be to Branksome because it was so transformative for me. I feel very bonded to everyone I met there.”
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AWARDS & RECOGNITION Margaret’s curiosity, dedication and leadership have been recognized through a range of academic honours, including:
University of St. Andrews, Scotland
• Subject Prize for Chemistry • Subject Prize for Literature • Extended Essay Award • Creative and Critical Thinking Award
CHANGING A LIFE’S TRAJECTORY Margaret knows firsthand that providing Financial Assistance to one additional student can have an impact far beyond the years that student spends at Branksome.
“Providing Financial Assistance to even one more student is incredibly meaningful. The opportunity will transform their whole world. I don’t think it is possible to put into words how much your support means to me. You set the whole trajectory of my life, and that motivates me to pay it forward in every way I can. I may be an alum, but I’ll always be coming back. Branksome is not a stagnant school. It is always thinking about something different to try and do, and I can’t wait to see where that leads. I want to contribute somehow. I don’t yet know what that will look like, but I’m excited to see what opportunities arise.
“Always go for it, because you never know what could happen. The world might surprise you.”
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WHY DONORS GIVE The impact of your philanthropy extends far beyond the students who receive support. By ensuring that talented and deserving students can thrive at Branksome, Financial Assistance enriches the experience of every community member.
“ “ “ What is Your ‘Why’?
“So that another student can discover her potential and uncover her confidence.” — Lisa B. KEABLE‘92, matched her gift to Financial Assistance through the Alum Matching Program, supported by CK PURKS Hoffler‘80 and Mary Pat JONES Armstrong‘63
“To support students in need with a foundation for success.”
— Jennifer McDonald, Parent, Class of 2026, supported the Graduating Class Fund
“As an alum I feel Branksome opened so many doors for me both personally and professionally.” — Mary E. SAMSON’59, doubled her gift to invest in girls’ futures
Diverse perspectives, lived experiences and ways of thinking strengthen classroom discussions, inspire innovation and foster a richer, more inclusive learning environment for all.
THANK YOU You’ve read Margaret’s story. Every student who walks through Branksome’s doors brings unique talents, aspirations and perspectives. Through Financial Assistance, donors ensure that those opportunities are determined by potential—not by means. Your gift creates pathways to possibility, strengthens our community and helps the next generation of girls discover who they can become.
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