Profile : A Next Generation Scholarship breaks new ground in family legacy

It's one thing to attend the same university as your parents, and another thing to attend alongside your sibling. But when a pair of brothers can follow in their father's footsteps and have a scholarship established in their name before they've even graduated? Well, that's something special.

"Our dad speaks so highly of uOttawa and it was a very big part of his life. Now it's our turn to carry on that torch," says Conor Bundy, a third-year student in the Telfer School of Management and a member of the Gee-Gees lacrosse team. "We wanted to show appreciation for what the school has done for our family." 

Brock Bundy Senior was a standout running back for the Gee-Gees football team and a member of the Hall of Fame 1980 team. A 1985 graduate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, he was inspired to create a scholarship in his name in 2016 and five years later his sons have a scholarship fund in their name as well. 

The RJ Brock and Conor Bundy Scholarship supports a Gee-Gees student-athlete on the football team or the men's lacrosse team studying at the Telfer School of Management or the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Ottawa.

Older brother Brock is a fifth-year engineering student who emphasizes the supportive nature of the scholarship. "Us being here [as students] takes it to a new level," he says. "It might be harder for new people to reach out to alumni, but we're just students. We want to be available to help." 

"The Engineering Faculty has been very supportive and walked me through several situations," Brock continues, also noting his passion for being hands on in the faculty labs and the Makerspace. "Them being so willing to help me, someone they don't know, was really refreshing."  

"This is not only an athletic scholarship but also ties in what my brother and I have in common so much which is loving our faculties," adds Conor. "University has opened me up to new possibilities of what I want to go into and given me a vision of what I want to do. Telfer has so many clubs and you get to get a taste of many different career paths – the amount of variety really opens up your eyes to how much there is to learn." 

As older brother, Brock also is also quietly proud of the support the new scholarship will give to the Gee-Gees lacrosse program. "Lacrosse has been a huge part of Conor's life. Having the scholarship be for the lacrosse team was very important." 

"We want to open up the door for future scholarships for lacrosse," Conor says with conviction. "This is the first one and now the process is set in stone and people know that they can do it. I think it can be a very motivational thing." 

"Being able to continue playing lacrosse in university and having the support of the university and my coaches and teammates has really brought my whole university experience together and it's something I will cherish for the rest of my life."