Impact of Giving

Mahendra and Audrey Uppal like to say that their story is simple. They retired after long careers in photography, they now operate a hospitality business from their lovely home overlooking the St. John River, and they have decided to leave the bulk of their estate to the University of New Brunswick for scholarships.
 
It’s simple, but not straightforward. The Uppals had no previous connection to UNB – they’re not graduates, their children attended universities in Ontario, and they have never worked for the university.
 
Instead, the motivation for their largesse lies in the nature of the work they did in New Brunswick spanning the better part of 50 years. They are professional photographers and, working together, they have taken the school and graduation photos of thousands of New Brunswick students from one end of the province to the other.
 
“We saw many students who were bright kids but couldn’t afford to go to university,” Mahendra said. “We'd ask them, ‘What are you going to do after graduation?’ And they’d say they’ll find a job or leave the province to look for work. That was profound for us and we decided that perhaps we can help at least some kids go to university.”
 
Mahendra said the trajectory of his own life changed for the better many years ago when he received a scholarship to study in Germany.
 
The Mahendra and Audrey Uppal Scholarships will be awarded, at the value of tuition and fees, to undergraduate students in science or engineering at UNB Fredericton based on outstanding academic achievement and financial need. The Uppals’ estate gift to UNB will go into a fund that endows the awards in perpetuity.

Audrey said it’s important that it is a four-year scholarship, awarded to the recipients each year of their university program as long as they maintain good grades. As part of the legacy, the Uppals’ three children will get letters annually from UNB, telling them about the students receiving the scholarship.
 
“For me, that’s a legacy that we are leaving to our children, rather than just an inheritance,” Audrey said. “Not too many people who get an inheritance use it wisely . . . It’s important for us to show that what you give is more important and makes you feel better than what you receive.”
 
The Uppals said they are very happy to make the bequest, noting that throughout their careers they recorded the joyous moments in peoples’ lives, especially weddings and graduations.
 
“We met a lot of nice people along the way and made memories for them and for us,” Mahendra said. “Now we are creating a legacy that will create happy occasions for many more people, going into the future.”

Learn how to make a bequest to UNB.