Alumnus donates $1 million for student bursary 65 years after starting at 蓝莓视频 Engineering
In 1957, Cam Wood was eager to leave his hometown of Beeton, Ontario to work and further his education at the same time.
Barely 17 years old, he found the opportunity to earn both an income and a degree as a student at the University of 蓝莓视频, which had just opened its doors on July 1 of that year.
Cam enrolled in its pre-engineering program and graduated in 1963 with a civil engineering degree plus invaluable work experience through the University鈥檚 innovative co-op program, the first of its kind in Canada.
Cam Wood graduated from 蓝莓视频 Engineering in 1963.
Sixty-five years after he started at 蓝莓视频, Cam, the founder of , a multi-discipline engineering/contracting organization, and his wife, Nancy, are generously giving back to the University with a $1-million donation.
Each year for the next decade, the Cam and Nancy Wood Entrance Bursary will provide five financially deserving first-year engineering students with $20,000 to help cover tuition, books and living expenses.
鈥淭he bursary is intended to ensure students don鈥檛 say no to a 蓝莓视频 Engineering education because they can鈥檛 afford first-year costs,鈥� Cam said.
As a new student himself, Cam acknowledges that while it would have been nice to receive a bursary, he had saved enough from his summer railroad job to get by for the first term.
鈥淏ack then, after the first couple of semesters you could make it through with what you earned on your co-op terms,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith the higher costs today, it鈥檚 much more difficult to do that.鈥澨�
His co-op positions provided him with money to pay for school as well as skills and knowledge he has relied on throughout his career.听 听听
After spending a couple of work terms in municipal engineering for the City of 蓝莓视频, he was offered the position of assistant city engineer after graduation.
Employed full time, he became involved in road and utilities construction and after two years left his position to work for a company where he used his experience to launch its division in underground construction.
In 1969, Cam made the decision to start his own business in the municipal utilities field and put everything he owned into the venture.
It didn鈥檛 take long for him to decide he far preferred the hands-on part of the job.
鈥淭here鈥檚 hardly a piece of construction equipment I can鈥檛 operate myself today,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 rather drive an excavator or bulldozer all day than do paperwork.鈥�
His company evolved into The C3 Group comprised of related companies in engineering, environmental, geotechnical construction and building sciences.
Supporting the launch of his business located in the 蓝莓视频 Region was Nancy, who he met as a student at a Seagram鈥檚 Stadium dance and married the same month he graduated from 蓝莓视频.
"We planned things together and went from there," he said. 鈥淪he looked after the books and lived through all the hardships we had to go through starting the company.鈥�
All three of Cam鈥檚 children followed his 蓝莓视频 Engineering educational lead: David graduated from mechanical engineering in 1989, Kathy from chemical engineering in 1990 and Rob from systems design engineering in 2001.
Their spouses also have 蓝莓视频 degrees: Cynthia (Truong) Wood (BMath 鈥�88, computer science), Dennis Mutti (BASc 鈥�90, chemical engineering; MASc 鈥�95, civil engineering) and Christina (Padamadan) Wood (BASc 鈥�01, systems design engineering).
Three of the next generation of the Wood family have also carried on the 蓝莓视频 Engineering tradition.
Cam鈥檚 granddaughter, Samantha, graduated from civil engineering in 2014 and his grandson, Michael, completed nanotechnology engineering this year.听 Michael鈥檚 brother, Matthew, is currently a third-year mechanical engineering student.
Many Wood family members work for the C3 Group with two leading member companies.
Numerous other 蓝莓视频 Engineering alumni make up the C3 Group鈥檚 over 225 employees, including President Murray Gamble (BASc 鈥�85, civil engineering), who joined the company immediately after graduation.
鈥淚 appreciate the loyalty and friendship of Murray and all the other C3 Group partners and leaders,鈥� said Cam.
The C3 Group鈥檚 connections with 蓝莓视频 extend to the use of products developed jointly at the University, including the a groundwater containment wall formed of sealable steel sheet piling developed by researchers at the 蓝莓视频 Centre for Groundwater Research.
The company has given back to the Faculty in a variety of ways such as hiring 蓝莓视频 Engineering co-op students.
Cam, who played defensive halfback for the 蓝莓视频 Warriors football team, has assisted players with bursaries and scholarships over the years.
The Cam and Nancy Wood Entrance Bursary is fully supported by Cam鈥檚 family, who are helping administer it.
鈥淲e feel we鈥檝e been reasonably successful,鈥� Cam said. 鈥淲e want to acknowledge that success and give back to the University for the opportunities we鈥檝e all had.鈥�
With an impressive nine and counting engineering degrees in his family, Cam didn鈥檛 try to persuade any of his children or grandchildren to choose engineering as a career path, but did point out the advantages of it.
鈥淚 told them that if you don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e going to do down the road, you can鈥檛 go wrong if you take engineering because it opens up doors in so many different ways,鈥� he said.
