The holiday season invites us to pause, reflect, and cherish the people and traditions that shape our lives. It is also a time when acts of generosity carry special meaning—reminding us that the values we pass on can continue long beyond our own lifetimes.
This year, we are honoured to share the stories behind two memorial awards created by families who chose to celebrate their loved ones through opportunities that uplift future generations of students. These awards are tributes to cherished memories and powerful reminders of how giving can transform lives, strengthen communities, and carry forward a legacy of compassion.
Honouring a Life of Service: The Shig Kobayashi Memorial Award in Pharmacy
Sometimes the most profound impacts begin with the simplest motivations: a family's desire to honour a beloved father whose life embodied the values they hope to see flourish in future generations. The establishment of the Shig Kobayashi Memorial Award in Pharmacy in 2024 represents exactly this kind of meaningful tribute—one that transforms personal loss into lasting opportunity for outstanding pharmacy students.
Shigeo "Shig" Kobayashi's story reflects the best of what pharmacy can offer both professionals and the communities they serve. After graduating from UBC with his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1958, Shig began his career at Galloway Ellis Drugs in Kamloops, BC. What started as a position evolved into partnership in 1965, sole ownership in 1988, and a distinguished 35-year career that ended with his retirement in 1993. But Shig's influence extended far beyond his pharmacy's walls.
Throughout his career, Shig tutored chemistry students and assessed pharmacy qualifying exams, helping shape the next generation of pharmacists while maintaining his own practice. His passion for education was equally evident at home, where his advocacy inspired all four of his children to pursue post-secondary education. He was also an active participant, coach, and supporter of team sports, understanding that success in pharmacy (like success in athletics) requires both individual excellence and collaborative teamwork.
The memorial award, established through gifts from friends and family, provides annual support for outstanding students in the Entry-to-Practice Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Reflecting Shig's own values, preference is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to their community or significant achievement in team sports. This criteria ensures that recipients embody the same commitment to service and collaborative excellence that defined Shig's own career.
Recent graduate Philip He, PharmD'25 was the recipient of the 2024 Winter Academic Session Shig Kobayashi Memorial Award in Pharmacy. While in the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program, he represented exactly the kind of future pharmacist the award was designed to support. Philip was both a dedicated pharmacy student and competitive swimmer and embodied the balance of academic excellence and athletic achievement that Shig valued throughout his life.
"When I received the Shig Kobayashi Memorial Award in Pharmacy in my final year of the Entry-to-Practice PharmD program, I remember how it further deepened my commitment to becoming a pharmacist and contributing to the wellbeing of my community," reflects Philip. "With the financial support offered by the award, I was able to better focus on my academics and fourth-year placements, and outside of the classroom, continue in my athletics as a competitive swimmer."
"The kindness and generosity of donors has inspired me to one day pay it forward, and support students in achieving their goals, just as I was with mine," Philip explains.
Left to right: Shigeo “Shig” Kobayashi (photo credit: Kobayashi Family); Dorothy Margaret Covello (photo provided by the Covello Family)
From Heartbreak to Hope: The Dorothy Margaret Covello Memorial Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Philanthropy often emerges from the most profound experiences of loss, transforming tragedy into lasting opportunity for future generations. The Dorothy Margaret Covello Memorial Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences, established in 2024 through The Covello Family Charitable Fund, represents this powerful transformation of grief into hope.
Dorothy Margaret Covello's story is one of promise interrupted. Born in Vanderhoof in 1931 and raised in Northern BC, Dorothy was a high school graduate from Prince George who pursued her passion for pharmacy at UBC, completing her Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1953. She married Tom Covello, originally from Thorold, Ontario, who was dedicated to construction projects across Western Canada. Their lives together, filled with the optimism of young professionals building careers and contributing to their communities, were tragically cut short in July 1965 when both Dorothy and Tom lost their lives in the CP Flight 21 crash at 100 Mile House.
The memorial award honours Dorothy's legacy by supporting an outstanding domestic student annually, who is entering into the first-year of the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences program and demonstrates participation in extracurricular activities. Reflecting Dorothy's own Northern BC roots, preference is given to students from high schools in Northern BC or rural areas throughout the province. This geographic focus ensures that students from regions like Dorothy's—areas that often face additional barriers to accessing post-secondary education—have dedicated support to pursue their pharmaceutical sciences dreams.
The award criteria captures the essence of who Dorothy was: an engaged student who balanced academic excellence with broader community involvement, someone who understood that education extends beyond the classroom to encompass the full development of future healthcare professionals.
Kamalnoor Sharma, a second-year student in the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences program and recipient of the 2024 Winter Academic Session Dorothy Margaret Covello Memorial Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences, exemplifies the kind of engaged, multi-faceted student Dorothy herself was. Her experience demonstrates how early support can shape a student's entire university journey.
"I was tremendously grateful to receive the Dorothy Margaret Covello Memorial Award in Pharmaceutical Sciences," shares Kamalnoor. "The support has allowed me to dedicate more time to my studies and pursue my dreams without having to worry about my finances. As a person who is passionate about exploring my interests, both academically and personally, I was honoured to be recognized with this award as it felt like someone believed in me and my potential."
"From my own experience of being a recipient, I know this award will be extremely beneficial to future recipients in supporting them in their growth, and encouraging them in their pursuit of opportunities towards their own success.”
To learn more about how you can support our students, please visit pharmsci.ubc.ca/give.