Legacy in Action

More than 40 classes across Smith’s programs are celebrating reunions in 2025 and taking the opportunity to reconnect with classmates and revisit their time at the business school.

Many will return to campus during Homecoming weekend in October, and some, like the Commerce Class of 1995, will seek to mark the occasion through Class Giving Campaigns, creating or continuing a legacy for their class by supporting the education of future leaders. 

Class Giving Campaigns are a powerful tool for alumni to give back. By working together, alumni can maximize their impact, as they create or support scholarships, resources, programs, and initiatives. 

“The Commerce Class of 1995 exemplifies how alumni can come together to create lasting change,” says Ylber Kusari, Executive Director, Development & Alumni Relations. “Their commitment to reducing financial barriers through The BCom 1995 Award shows how a unified class effort can transform individual generosity into a powerful legacy, one that continues to shape the future of Smith students.” The Commerce Class of 1995 has focused its efforts on reducing financial barriers for students entering the Smith Commerce program with The BCom 1995 Award. First established in 2014, the award is among Queen’s University’s Top 20 Class Endowments.

What motivates the Commerce Class of 1995 to give back, and what does it take to maintain momentum and success? We caught up with some of the champions of the BCom’95 Class Giving Campaign—Andrew Guilfoyle, Michael Castellarin, Marjan Oman, Mike Flux, and Amein Punjani—to find out.

Legacy in Motion

In 2014, a committee gathered in Toronto to begin planning its 20-year class reunion the following year. As they discussed the weekend’s social festivities, they also started thinking about creating a class gift and using their anniversary to make a positive impact.

Andrew had spent his first year after graduation in Africa, doing a mix of volunteering and travelling. There, he met two particularly talented youth whose opportunity sets were extremely limited, largely because of socioeconomic factors. It stuck with him.

Twenty years after graduating, much of the class had achieved some financial success. These were also personally expensive years with houses, kids and schools, but as Andrew puts it, “Ultimately, I decided I wanted to make a personally meaningful financial donation to the institution that was most responsible for my financial success.”

He ended up landing on a gift of $25,000 over five years. Michael Castellarin and Mike Flux decided to match him, and they started to spread the word to others. Together, the class raised over $300,000 and, with support from the Dean’s Matching Fund, $600,000 was directed into the creation of the award. “We came to the agreement that the funds should benefit Commerce students with financial need, basically to broaden the net so more deserving, talented students could enjoy an amazing experience like we did,” Andrew says.

Today, the Award is ranked among Queen’s University’s Top 20 Class Endowments. “It all started with making sure we had a great 20th reunion, and we definitely had an amazing weekend, where new memories were created,” says Michael Castellarin.

“There’s a lot of pride and adoration between us BCom'95s," says Amein. “Some have achieved incredible things and developed enviable careers. We celebrate this, and giving back to Queen’s is the natural expression of that pride.”

The class had built deep friendships during their four-years at Queen’s and maintained those strong ties in the 20 years since graduating. That camaraderie provided a strong springboard to its class giving campaign; that togetherness, momentum and positive energy were vital to their success, Michael notes.

Shaping the Future

The BCom’95 Award provides financial assistance to talented students accepted to Smith Commerce, but who face financial barriers. To date, the fund has supported 10 students and it has been instrumental in helping their families finance their Smith Commerce education.

“This year we asked ourselves whether to select another objective for the class gift. The response from classmates was that this cause is the one about which they are most impassioned,” Mike Flux reveals. “There is a strong feeling that Smith's exceptional business education should be offered to the most talented students - and that financial means should not be a barrier to attracting Canada's best and greatest to Smith Commerce.”

At Homecoming next month, the Class is hoping to replicate the success of its 20th reunion. They have a full schedule of events planned and hope to raise $300,000. A few have committed to $30,000 over five years in honour of their 30th, while others are contributing an amount they are comfortable with.

“I’m confident that we’re going to cross over the $1 Million mark (the fund currently sits at $928,047). I feel like we've got the energy and the togetherness, to have success raising funds; exactly how much, I'm not sure, but it will be meaningful, and it will move the class fund forward materially,” says Michael Castellarin.

Regardless of the final tally, all donations, both big and small, play an important role in ensuring that cost isn’t a barrier for tomorrow’s business leaders.

“We believe education is a vitally important tool to help close wealth and income inequality in society, and we want to continue to be a catalyst for talented, motivated, hard-working students with great potential, but who may lack the financial resources, to attend Smith Commerce,” Marjan says.

Words of Wisdom

The Commerce Class of 1995 is hoping to see other classes join them in their commitment to maintaining strong bonds and creating a legacy at Smith.

“It's been wonderful how our BCom'95 classmates have organically rekindled past friendships through a 30-Year Homecoming Reunion social media channel, sharing recent stories, images from the past and present, and bantering back-and-forth with one another,” notes Marjan.

Marrying that camaraderie with a mission that resonates with the class, has been the winning recipe for the Commerce Class of 95. However, if Michael Castellarin could do one thing differently, he said it would be starting earlier.

“The sooner classes can do it after graduation, the better. In some ways, waiting until our 20th wasn’t ideal; our class gift has been very impactful but had we started 10 years earlier, imagine what else we could have contributed to the school and future students,” he says.

For those classes just getting started, Marjan says, “Focus on participation and the positive impact you can make. Don't be afraid to be ambitious and ask each member of the class to be a part of it. Class Giving is among the most noble of causes and when described in that context, it becomes a powerful rallying cry for a class as they seek to connect their past common experience with the school's future.”