Alumni honour Roy's service to poor

By Paul Mayne - Western News

“This is my school." “I'm proud of it." “I love coming back to Western." It there were ever an official ambassador for The University of Western Ontario, one that proves the best student experience can be carried forward into their personal and professional lives as well as the lives of others, Jane Roy (BSc'87) would certainly appear near the top of that list.
Jane Roy is one of a dozen Western alumni being honoured Friday at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner. Roy is being recognized for community services for spearheading the London Food Bank and advocacy on poverty and civil strife issues.
If there were ever an official ambassador for The University of Western Ontario, one that proves the best student experience can be carried forward into their personal and professional lives as well as the lives of others, Jane Roy (BSc'87) would certainly appear near the top of that list.

A community advocate in London through work at the London Food Bank; a fundraising veteran of numerous disaster relief crises; a volunteer activist in Rwanda, Iraq, Somalia, Guatemala and Sudan; and, of course, Roy is also a London native whose appreciation for her university experience is apparent in her career endeavours.

“I applied to everyone else but I was always set on going to Western, there was no issue about that," says Roy, who will receive an Alumni Award of Merit (Community Service Award) Friday night from the Western Alumni Association.

Going to all the classes, meeting all the people; it was great," she adds. “Western is a big part of the London community and growing up here I tend to see it as a huge part of the community experience for me."

Along with her husband, London North Centre MP Glen Pearson, Roy has established a charitable organization, Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS). Her most recent efforts in Sudan involve freeing child slaves, building schools, developing a women's literacy program and aid program that helps women set up their own businesses. The couple's three children are adopted siblings from Sudan.

Jane has served as chairperson of the Ontario Association of Food Banks, as member of London's Round Table on the Environment and Economy, and was a key member of the Mayor's Anti-Poverty Task Force. Most recently, Roy and Pearson were recognized on the Mayor's New Year's Honours List 2007 for humanitarianism.

Her time spent at Western gets described as “life-building" and having a strong influence on who she has become and where her life has taken her. “When I look at Western I really think what it taught me was how to learn, how to ask questions and be curious…and the confidence to get things done," says Roy, adding she's honoured the Alumni Association has chosen to recognize her.

“Most kids that age want to save the world, but to keep that attitude as you get older is really important," Roy advises current students.

“Get involved outside the Western community in the context of 'be out there as a Western student'. For me, it was a great time of life, but when you get older you need to continue to do all the things you believe in."