AV俱乐部

In celebration of National Philanthropy Day聽鈥� Friday, November 15聽鈥� we are sharing the story of Schulich Law alumni Patrick ('18) and Amanda (Toulany) Brousseau ('18). The married couple, who met while studying at Weldon, now give back to the law school and the next generation of law students through a bursary they created together.

This story originally appeared in the聽2024 edition of聽Hearsay, the Schulich School of Law Alumni Magazine.

Growing up in the small community of Colby Village in Dartmouth, N.S., it would be safe to assume that Patrick Brousseau鈥檚 (鈥�18) and Amanda Toulany鈥檚 (鈥�18) paths would have crossed at some point.

But instead, they went in separate directions as Amanda ventured into real estate while Patrick went to McGill University. In a twist of fate, they would finally meet years later when their mutual ambitions鈥攖o study law while remaining close to home in Nova Scotia鈥攍ed them to the Schulich School of Law at the same time.

During their first year of studies, Patrick and Amanda made an immediate connection and their relationship quickly developed while they bonded over their shared fascination with the law and desire to help others. 鈥淚 remember when we were in our second year, we were sitting in the big classrooms looking at the named plaques on the backs of the auditorium chairs and said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to put the Brousseaus on there one day,鈥欌�� says Amanda.

鈥淲e still need to figure out how to get our names on those chairs,鈥� Patrick jokingly reminds her.

A generous entrance scholarship helped Patrick manage the costs of law school, fueling his determination to give back. He served on the Scholarship Committee for three years, an experience which showed him the vast scope of students鈥� needs. 鈥淚 have been in the room making those decisions and I know how much some students are going into debt. Every little bit can help, whether it鈥檚 money to buy books or help with the cost of living.鈥�

They graduated in 2018 and married in 2019, but despite being busy with new careers and a young family, they didn鈥檛 hesitate to give back to the next generation of law students. Patrick explains they focused on finding a way to give that was financially attainable for them.

鈥淲hen I think of all the little things that I spend money on in my daily life, just cutting out one of those a week quickly adds up to enough to be able to contribute in some way,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e felt that it was a small sacrifice for us to make to support students,鈥� Amanda adds.

They chose to establish a bursary for students with whom they have a shared heritage. Supporting students of Middle Eastern descent was a priority driven by Amanda鈥檚 personal experiences as a second-generation Lebanese Canadian and the first in her family to become a lawyer. She recognized that members of her community are underrepresented in the legal profession and wanted to change that.

They were also inspired by their experiences growing up in Nova Scotia in French-speaking households. Aiming the bursary at French-speaking students from the Maritimes, Nova Scotia in particular, was a clear choice for the couple as they felt strongly about encouraging members of their local community to pursue legal careers.

Patrick knows from his time on the scholarship committee that many students gain a sense of validation and belonging from receiving scholarships or bursaries. 鈥淚t always feels nice to be singled out and receive a scholarship or award and be able to put that on a resume. There鈥檚 often more to it than just the money.鈥�

Over the years, the Brousseaus have maintained a strong connection to AV俱乐部, recently attending their five-year reunion. Amanda, who practices real estate law, and Patrick, who is in-house counsel at Nova Scotia Power, already have an eye on expanding their giving in the future as their capacity to do so increases.

Reflecting on the life they have built together since graduating, the couple share a strong sense of gratitude.

鈥淒al has a special spot in our hearts. We owe our lovely life to the law school,鈥� shares Amanda. 鈥淲e felt that we wanted to give back to the place that has given so much to us.鈥�