Friday, November 15, 2024
Lynn Dramnitzki remembers fondly her father working at the University of Waterloo during her childhood, as a custodian and facilities staff person. When the time came for her to consider universities, there was no question where she wanted to go.
As a Sociology major at Waterloo, Lynn enjoyed her time on campus. Attending talks and author readings, and evenings at Fed Hall were just as impactful as her studies as she navigated university life and learned about who she was. She completed her undergraduate degree, transformed by a passion for learning.
In 1988 Lynn moved to Toronto to pursue a law degree. While there she met Jon. They returned to Kitchener in the 90’s and were soon married.
Throughout the years, Lynn and Jon attended University events and socialized with faculty and staff in the community, particularly through Lynn’s involvement with Scottish Country Dancing. The couple also donated to the University, as giving back and supporting students was important to them.
It was during the pandemic that Lynn became aware of a previously unknown benefit of being a Waterloo alumni: she still had access to a number of resources from the University of Waterloo Libraries!
Lynn remembers wandering down the aisles of Dana Porter Library and pulling books from the shelves that caught her eye. That sense of wonder has stuck with her: “I believe libraries are critical to education. They’re at an intersection within a university community – they are a place you can go to discover knowledge on any topic.”
As Lynn and Jon were considering their next gift to the University, this love of the Libraries came back to Lynn, coupled with their desire to help as many students as possible. Walking around the libraries and seeing all the students studying for hours on end, they noticed the chairs at Dana Porter.
While the Libraries’ facilities team puts heroic effort into maintaining the chairs, some look as though they could be the same chairs from Lynn’s days studying at Waterloo. Thinking back to how hard her father worked all those years to create an inviting environment for students, Lynn and Jon decided to make a gift to the Libraries in support of furniture, so that students could be comfortable as they focus on their studies.
Recently Lynn and Jon visited Dana Porter Library to see the upgraded chairs their gift helped purchase. They were thrilled to see the new chairs and to witness first-hand how their gift was supporting students. Alongside this excitement, they’ve also been getting to know library staff and the expert support they provide students and researchers — a wonderful side benefit of being donors and library users.
