For Bob Chan Kent and his father Robert, giving to UBC is a family tradition that spans four generations.

Family patriarch Charles Chan Kent was born in Victoria in 1896. Although he didn’t have the opportunity to pursue higher education, he became a successful business owner and entrepreneur. His company, Aero Garment Ltd., operated for 80 years, employing 350 people (including five of his sons).

Charles and his wife Toy Chan Kent had 14 children, all but one of whom are still alive today. Son Robert Chan Kent credits “lucky genes” for the longevity of these siblings.

Both Robert Chan Kent and his son Bob are graduates of the UBC Faculty of Commerce (now Sauder School of Business). Bob heads up Quantum Apparel Group Inc., a Vancouver-based garment company with a strong presence in the US and Canada under the label Taylor Brooke. Bob’s daughter Shannon currently attends UBC.

“In my grandfather’s day, students of Chinese origin were not well off, and many could not afford to go to school,” says Bob. “Grandfather understood that an education could give a person a real head start, so he decided to help by creating an education fund.”

In 1964 Charles created the Charles Chan Kent Golden Wedding Anniversary Bursary to mark his and Toy’s 50th anniversary. Since then, this bursary has helped over 80 students complete their education at UBC. Many of these students are successful UBC graduates who are now also donors to UBC.

“We really feel that the bursary is owned by our whole family,” Bob says. “Dad is the chairman of the trust, but the family supports it because we all believe in the values that the trust espouses.”

A bursary tells a student that other people care about them, and that the community is there for them as they struggle to make ends meet while pursuing their goals. “We feel privileged to contribute, even in a small way, to a student’s success at UBC,” says Bob.

A bursary is a non-repayable award that helps to fill the gap between a student’s assessed financial need and available government assistance. UBC’s Policy 72 states that “No eligible student will be prevented from commencing or continuing his or her studies at the University for financial reasons alone.” In 2007-08, UBC issued $13 million in bursaries to 3,483 students.

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