A life-altering accident forced Beau Hayward to confront his future — and profound barriers

Apr 25, 2024

In the summer of 2018, Beau Hayward sustained a spinal cord injury after diving into a lake at a friend’s cottage. Miraculously, he survived, but his mobility was significantly limited. Yearning to gain independence and purpose, Hayward decided to pursue a degree in history and archaeology at the University of Toronto’s Woodsworth College.

“After my accident, I promised myself that I would set out to do something with meaning, something I love,” he says. He enrolled in Woodsworth College’s academic bridging program to get started. The program – which he calls a “lifesaver” – gave him the skills and confidence to take his education further. Today he is in his final year of an undergraduate degree and will begin a master’s in fall 2024.

Studying a lifelong interest

Hayward’s area of focus is 20th-century American social and labour history. “I will be focusing on a niche section of American labour history, analysing intelligence tactics utilized by private detective agencies employed by coal companies in Appalachia as mine workers struggled to organize into labour unions,” he says.

Without hard work, determination and donor support, there is no way I could find my purpose.

Hayward says that without financial assistance, pursuing his educational dreams at U of T would have been much more challenging. One award he received was the Norma Brock Award, created with a gift from the Estate of Norma Brock, a 1947 graduate of the Division of University Extension (the precursor to Woodsworth College). Brock’s will included a bequest to establish merit- and needs-based awards for mature and/or single-parent students at Woodsworth College – particularly those who were previously unable to study full time due to financial considerations.

Without hard work, determination and donor support, there is no way I could find my purpose.

Donor support: the difference

“Without hard work, determination and donor support, there is no way I could find my purpose,” says Hayward. “Daily processes that take people minutes to do, take me, with assistance, a tremendous amount of time. For me to work another job while being a student is not feasible.”

Instead, Hayward fills what time he can find to volunteer with projects on and off campus. “I look at volunteering as a way to give back,” he says.

Giving back by volunteering

Hayward has volunteered with several campus accessibility projects, including a work-study position with the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education’s sports and recreation diversity and equity team. The initiative aims to expand opportunities for students with disabilities to take part in accessible sports and recreation.

“I got involved in some great stuff, including a program called Play the Game, where we taught bocce ball to students with disabilities and held a tournament,” he says. “I feel that bocce is the most inclusive and accessible sport – anyone can play it.”

It’s really important to me to let people know that even if your life is flipped upside down, you can find purpose and chase your dreams.

He also helped set up a ski day for students with disabilities. “I loved skiing and snowboarding growing up, and I was so happy to share that experience with others with disabilities.”

Hayward has also advocated with the University’s planning, design and construction office, providing lived experience consultation for ongoing accessibility projects on campus.

It’s really important to me to let people know that even if your life is flipped upside down, you can find purpose and chase your dreams.

Advocating for accessibility

Off campus, Hayward has been a peer mentor at Lyndhurst Rehabilitation at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. “It’s really important to me to let people know that even if your life is flipped upside down, you can find purpose and chase your dreams.” 

If you would like to find out more about how to donate through your will, please visit the gift planning website or reach out to Michelle Osborne at michelle.osborne@utoronto.ca.

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