Andra Takacs Scholarship celebrates 30 years of helping students overcome social barriers to higher education

Jun 26, 2025

Donors Andra Takacs and Bryan Davies have worked with the University of Toronto and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto to encourage more than 100 students through funding for post-secondary education

A couple seated at a banquet table — *Donors Andra Takacs and Bryan Davies*.

When Vivian Liang applied to the University of Toronto, she knew she wanted to pursue an undergraduate degree in life sciences.

“My father was a doctor back in China and I was very inspired by him. But I come from a family of immigrants – where my parents and grandparents don’t speak English and never studied in Canada – so, it was difficult for us,” says Liang, who will begin her fourth year at U of T in the fall.

“With six family members at home and just one working parent, I was grateful to receive an Andra Takacs Scholarship. Having my tuition covered took a huge weight off my parents’ shoulders.”

Since 1995, the Andra Takacs Scholarship has helped over 100 students overcome financial and social barriers to post-secondary education. The scholarship is awarded annually to Grade 8 students involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto programs, empowering them to plan for university just as they are entering high school.

“When we were researching scholarships, I was told repeatedly that many kids opt out of post-secondary education because of their family’s financial situation,” says Andra Takacs, a retired Government of Ontario executive.

“We were advised not to wait until they’re finishing high school to offer support, but to reach them when they’re young. That is why we decided to set up the scholarships for students in eighth grade.”

Swapping wedding gifts for a scholarship fund

Takacs and her husband, Bryan Davies, a former a former vice-president of business affairs at U of T, created the award to celebrate their marriage. Instead of accepting gifts, they asked friends and family to contribute to the new scholarship fund at U of T.

The first award supported one student, and as the endowment grew, the program expanded to two annual scholarships. Then in 2008, it received a significant boost from an unexpected bequest from the estate of Bertha Lamb.

Thanks to this new funding, and additional donations from Davies and Takacs, the scholarship is now awarded to four students each year: two recipients receive $10,000 annually for four years of undergraduate studies, while two alternates receive $3,500 per year for up to four years.

“The scholarship really helps young people dream,” says Stachen Lett-Frederick, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto. “To have a donor like Andra, who has been so committed for 30 years, allows us to tell our young people: you have so much more within you than your immediate circumstances suggest.”

Three decades of support

In late May, Takacs and Davies celebrated the award’s 30^th anniversary at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre, where 40 past and present Takacs Scholars gathered with members of the U of T and Big Brothers Big Sisters communities to mark the milestone.

“Going into high school with a scholarship, it was hard to imagine what that sum of money really meant. I was so young,” says Emin Guliyev, a fourth-year computer science student at the University of Toronto Scarborough. “But when I finally reached the point where I could say, ‘I have a scholarship and I got into U of T after working so hard,’ it felt surreal.”

Awards such as the Andra Takacs Scholarship play a vital role in advancing U of T’s mission to provide a world-class education to academically qualified undergraduate students, regardless of financial or other barriers.

A large group of people standing on a staircase

The scholarship gave Haille Bailey-Harris, who graduated from U of T in 2017 with a degree in English and Art History, a financial head start.

“Coming from a single-parent household, my experience could have been very different,” says Bailey-Harris, now a DEI, Culture & Engagement manager at Indigo. “This is a really unique and incredible program since it supports kids as they’re growing up – it’s a very rare opportunity.”

“This scholarship has meant so much to me as someone with limited support,” adds Liang. “My family and I are very grateful to the donors – I can’t say it enough.”