Go to page content

A memorable experience

International alumna returns with family to tour Memorial

Campus and Community

By Janet Harron

Eva Francess Richards just knocked a big item off her bucket list.

As a graduate student from Sierra Leone who attended Memorial from 1963-65 on a Commonwealth scholarship, Ms. Richards was one of the university’s first African students.

During her two years at Memorial, she completed a master’s degree in economics, lived in Bowater House with other international students and bonded with local students.

After graduating, she went on to a career in the civil service and with UNICEF. But her years at Memorial always stood out in her memory. So, her adult children hatched a plan for a visit.

1/ Gold pin

Ms. Richards receives her gold alumni pin from Memorial's chancellor, Dr. Susan Dyer Knight.

Photo: Rich Blenkinsop

2/ Group shot

From left are daughter Tania Faulkner, Ms. Richards, Dr. Susan Dyer Knight, daughter Nadia Palmer and son Rick Richards.

Photo: Rich Blenkinsop

3/ Meeting the dean

Ms. Richards meets with Dr. Jennifer Simpson, dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Photo: Submitted

4/ At the gym

Ms. Richards revisits the gym where she wrote her exams.

Photo: Submitted

5/ Outside Bowater House

Ms. Richards and her family outside her old residence.

Photo: Submitted

6/ Interviewed by CBC

Ms. Richards being interviewed by a crew from the CBC in her old residence room in Bowater House.

Photo: Submitted

Chris Hounsell of the Office of Alumni Affairs and Development took the lead on planning a special campus tour for Ms. Richards.

“When Tania, her daughter, reached out to me last December and shared her mother’s story and what her siblings wanted to do for her, I definitely felt a desire to make it happen,” he said.

“I was intrigued as to how a young woman from Sierra Leone found her way to Memorial University in 1963, and what she would think of Memorial given that 50-plus years had passed since she last stepped foot on campus. And everyone else I reached out to across campus with the story wanted to help however they could, as they were just as intrigued by the story as I was.”

In addition to Ms. Richards and three of her children, current student Alyona Lewis, also from Sierra Leone, and a master’s of science candidate in the Faculty of Medicine’s department of clinical epidemiology, joined the tour.

Among the highlights of Ms. Richards’ visit were receiving a gold alumni pin from Chancellor Dr. Susan Dyer Knight and touring Bowater House.

Of her return Ms. Richards commented: “Emotionally, extremely satisfying, because it’s been quite a long ambition of mine to come back.”


To receive news from Memorial in your inbox, subscribe to Gazette Now.


Latest News

Histories, conversations, insights

Dr. Harris Berger renewed as Canada Research Chair in ethnomusicology

Technology test bed

The Launch selected as NATO network test centre

Memorial at 100

Looking back and launching forth: celebrating Memorial University’s centennial anniversary

Mutually beneficial

Celebrating Work-Integrated Learning Day at RAnLab

Top shelf

Business students score with Hockey NL partnership

All things to all people

Engineering's Canada Research Chair aiming for universal connectivity