The gifts that teachers give to students don’t usually come wrapped in shiny paper or tied in a fancy bow. You won’t find them under a tree, or stuffed in a stocking.

Teachers’ gifts are things like knowledge. Shared passion for a particular discipline or subject. Support and guidance, both academic and personal. A love of learning.

For more than 20 years, teaching more than 45 courses at Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH), professor Dan Andreae has given all those gifts to his students.

This year, a few weeks before Christmas, he decided to give Humber students a different sort of present.

Andreae, currently a psychology professor at U of GH, has established the Dr. Dan Andreae Scholarships, an endowment of $250,000 that will fund three annual awards for students taking courses associated with Humber’s School of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

“I believe in Humber, and I believe in what we’re doing here,” explains Andreae. “During my time here, I’ve supported scholarships for students, and I decided that I wanted to do more – that I really wanted to help students, to encourage and inspire them. Over years of attending awards nights I’ve seen that the kind of confidence-building that comes with receiving a scholarship is irreplaceable.”

The awards will recognize academic achievement within the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences in three categories. One is for a mature student who has overcome significant difficulties in order to attend Humber, one is for a student who is in a psychology course and the third is for a student who has demonstrated leadership within Humber or their community.

For Paula Gouveia, dean of the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the awards reflect Andreae’s approach to education and his dedication to his students.

“Dan, whose background is in social work, believes in elevating his students. These awards speak to what he believes in, as an individual and as a faculty member,” says Gouveia. “Through this award, and through his involvement in so many diverse programs, he  has helped our students achieve and be so much more than they thought was possible.”

Andreae’s endowment is the largest single gift that Humber has ever received from an individual donor. He says he’d like to inspire others to think about how they might contribute to the Humber community.

“Giving back, whether you’re giving money or time, is incredibly important, so I’d like to inspire others to give and help students,” says Andreae, who has twice won the University of Guelph-Humber’s Faculty of the Year award. “Just to know students are being helped means the most to me. I chose Humber because I want to see Humber, and its students, grow and evolve.”