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DONORS

Building a culture of philanthropy

Hal Jackman Foundation
Helping students transition from college to university.
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TD Bank Group
Innovative training for financial services professionals.
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HONOURING SENECA'S MOST STEADFAST DONORS

An extraordinary “degree” of generosity

Rita and Rudy Koehler's awards will help more than 80 students this academic year.
PHOTO: JOANNE RATAJCZAK

AT THE SPRING 2015 Convocation, Rudy and Rita Koehler joined a distinguished list of honorary degree recipients at Seneca.

For more than 12 years, the Koehlers have shown an unwavering dedication to student success and have become the most generous benefactors in Seneca's history. Bursaries from the Koehler Grandchildren Endowment, named after the couple's two granddaughters, who graduated from Seneca, have made education possible for hundreds of students, providing them with vital financial support and recognition for their academic success.

This extraordinary couple's legacy of generosity has continued with their most recent gift to Seneca, which will grow the Koehler Grandchildren Endowment and establish the Koehler Award for Academic Upgrading Graduates and the Koehler Family Student Success Scholarship. These awards are for at-risk students entering Seneca through the Academic Upgrading program, and those excelling within the Faculty of Applied Arts and Health Sciences.

The Koehlers’ generosity is as wide as it is deep. They support several charities in education, the arts and social services across Canada. And caring about, and for, others became a priority early in life.

As a boy, Mr. Koehler would sneak out into the cold German night to cut down trees for firewood. It was forbidden to do so, but his family needed heat. He was an orphan, often going to bed hungry, and he also lost two brothers to war. Mr. Koehler recalls playing soccer barefoot, as shoes were considered a luxury.

Mr. and Mrs. Koehler left Germany in 1956 with a 14-month-old son and a five-year plan to succeed in a country full of opportunity. Mr. Koehler was a dedicated student of mechanical engineering who challenged conventional thinking, with the goals to improve business practices and develop quality products.

“I was always looking to find a better way, and that still exists within me,” says Mr. Koehler. “Rita and I hope our actions will inspire others.”

The Koehlers’ business acumen allowed them to acquire and develop some of Canada's most successful companies. They are thankful they took the opportunity to live in Canada and are humbled by being awarded an honorary degree from Seneca.

“We came from nothing, and because of that, Rita and I believe in giving,” says Mr. Koehler. “There is no better feeling. Our actions are founded on three simple values: love, share and give.”

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