Meriko Kubota, 2003 W. Garfield Weston scholar

Meriko Kubota (W. Garfield Weston Award 2003) understands how important it is to provide educational opportunities for people who may not otherwise be able to afford them. She herself benefited from such support as a music student, first as a child and then in college. “Coming from a low-income family, the reason I was able to study music growing up was because I had a piano teacher who taught me for free,” she notes. And, she continues, “I don’t think I would have been able to go to post-secondary education if I hadn’t had the W. Garfield Weston scholarship... I thought it was very unique that it was supporting college students. That gave me the chance to go to the institution that fit my needs.”

Given those experiences, she was inspired to start Give Music, a non-profit social enterprise devoted to building a pool of online volunteers who will provide free or low-cost music instruction. Meriko is looking to build the Give Music community through social networking media, and, since November last year, when the project got underway, she has also been sharing her experiences with starting up a non-profit via her blog. She is currently in the process of finalizing the board members and developing the organization’s website.

Since obtaining her diploma in music, Meriko’s professional career has moved away from the field—but “my heart’s still in music,” she says, “and I wanted to give back.” She is doing so through Give Music; meanwhile, at her day job, she helps others give back to their community. A manager of partnerships and projects for the Vancouver Foundation, she provides grants to non-profits throughout British Columbia, especially in the sphere of arts and culture. Her role is also connected to producing Vital Signs, a report card on the livability of Vancouver. Outside of the Vancouver Foundation, she is a board or committee member for several non-profit organizations.

Meriko’s transition from music student to a career in community development began in her final year of studies, when she worked for UBC’s Institute for Environment, Resources, and Sustainability as an international internship coordinator. She then went abroad herself and spent several months with an NGO in Mexico, visiting small villages to support people with special needs. Upon returning home, she recalls, “I wanted to know what it would be like to work on development in my own community, and the Vancouver Foundation was the pinnacle as far as that was concerned. It was a very fortunate opportunity.”

In keeping with her interest in building and supporting networks, Meriko is now keen to help get the W. Garfield Weston scholars’ association off the ground. “I would really like to bring all the Vancouver [alumni] together, even in an informal setting,” she remarks. “I think there’s true value in being able to connect people who receive the scholarship. It has great potential for new relationships with colleagues and peers.”