A single parent's story

Eight years ago, Erin Neal started a journey at Mount Royal University that will come full circle this June 2015 when she dons her convocation gown and crosses the stage.

Neal says she was raised in a tumultuous environment by parents who struggled with addiction demons.

“In many ways, it could have been worse. I grew up with a house, food and loving siblings, but it does not change the fact that my childhood was, frankly, difficult,” Neal says.

When she found herself pregnant at 17 years old, she vowed that she would create a better situation for her own son. The then teenager was already living on her own. Neal says she was forced to make some difficult decisions with no parental support. She struggled to escape an abusive relationship that took her through the system of shelters, aid agencies and public housing options.

Wanting more for her family, Neal, with the support of her maternal grandparents and her mentor, found the courage to begin a new stage in life at Mount Royal it is here she says she truly found a supportive community.

“Without the University community, I would not be where I am today,” she says.

While the smaller class sizes originally drew her to Mount Royal, it was discovering an area of study that captured her heart. She will graduate this spring with a Bachelor of Arts, History with a minor in Indigenous Studies.

Just a few years into her academic career, Neal found herself a single parent for the second time and she began to fear she would have to abandon her studies in favour of working full-time to support her children.

Opportunity came knocking in the form of the Sam and Betty Switzer Bursary for single parent students; Neal has three times been a recipient. This award provided her with the opportunity to complete three semesters of school, while still being a hands-on mom to her two young boys.

“I am so grateful for the hand up. I have found that most people are innately good, but it’s wonderful to meet someone like Sam, who truly gives back. I can see where my education has improved my communication skills and confidence to engage people at many different levels. I don’t know where I would be without it,” Neal says, adding that she vows to give back to her own community however she can.

“I can’t see myself not involved helping people. It could have easily been me using the services at the Calgary Drop-In & Rehab Centre as opposed to working there.”

She also finds time to volunteer as a mentor to other students at Mount Royal.

“I have broken the cycle,” she says. “I do feel that you can rise above the situation that you are dealt with. You just have to do better for yourself and your family.”

Philanthropist, businessman and life-long learner

Sam Switzer, a business man, philanthropist and native Calgarian, recently reflected on his career and recognized that one of his greatest accomplishments was receiving his Honorary Degree from Mount Royal University, a Bachelor of Business Administration — Entrepreneurship.

Switzer says his formal education didn’t take him past Grade 9, but he believes that through hard work and his love of learning he was able to propel his successful career as a builder. Switzer contributed to the Calgary landscape by building everything from large-scale apartment buildings and hotels, to shopping malls.

“If I could pass anything along to the next generation, it would be my philosophy of ‘would’ve, should’ve, could’ve’,” Switzer says. “If you don’t take advantage of opportunities presented, you could miss out on something great.”

Switzer says he learned to read people, places and situations and see opportunities that others would easily dismiss. Whether it was selling ice as a child, delivering prescriptions as a teenager, retail sales, property management or construction, Switzer thrived on continuous learning and the challenge of new prospects.

He credits much of his success to his late wife Betty, who he lovingly describes as his mentor. His face radiates when he speaks about her.

“She changed my life,” he says. “I trusted her implicitly and she made me a better person.”

Switzer first met Betty when she worked the front counter at the YWCA. Even then, as a single mother herself, she was helping women get a new start on life. Switzer recruited Betty to work for him at one of his hotels. Mutual respect and admiration as work colleagues morphed into a deeper commitment and they married in 1981.

“Betty could see beyond just making money,” Switzer says. “She saw how we could make a difference.”

Wanting to share their good fortune, the Switzer family created the Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation in 2007. Switzer says both he and his wife believed that “it’s not how much you have but its how much you give back.” Since 2008, their foundation has helped over 87 students at Mount Royal change their lives and achieve their dreams.

Throughout his life, Switzer created a balance of giving not only monetarily, but also with time. A long-standing member of the Rotary Club, the Al Azhar Shriners, the Masonic Lodge and the Skäl International Travel Club, volunteering was a large focus of his efforts. He relinquished many of his volunteer positions but still sits as the Chairman of the Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation.

“I have seen the positive results and I get from giving back, it’s a great sense of satisfaction,” he says.