Jason Wong - Donor Spotlight

It was the morning of March 26, 2021 when I first had the pleasure of speaking with Jason Wong (‘02 BCom). Jason had read an email about the 30-day Triple Your Gift Challenge and reached out to a friend who put him in contact with me to make a gift. 

Jason always had it in the back of his mind to do something philanthropic at the U of A; he had friends giving to their alma mater’s, but originally decided to wait another year. The match challenge enticed him to act now. Nineteen years after graduation, Jason and his wife Yim Yeung embarked on a lifelong journey with the Alberta School of Business to support first-generation Canadian citizens or refugee students through an endowed scholarship. Jason and Yim are creating lasting impact at the School, and I am so honored to be a part of it.

Jason and Yim are no strangers to challenge. Born in a refugee camp in Thailand, Jason and his parents came to Canada in 1979. At this time, you weren’t able to choose where you wanted to go. The Wong’s were assigned to St, Paul, Alberta — in January! Talk about a huge transition. Jason spent much of his childhood in small towns until high school when he and his mother  moved to Edmonton. Yim’s parents immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1989, looking to make a better life for themselves and their young children.

As time went on and Jason neared his high school graduation, like many students he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do. He’s thankful that he chose to spend his time at the Alberta School of Business since he found there were many different career paths to choose from! Jason decided that the finance discipline was where he wanted to focus. Finance doesn’t offer as clear a career path as Accounting but even without this, he knew he wanted to major here.

Upon Graduation in 2002, the job market was challenging for new grads. The tech bubble had just burst, and he found himself working in retail and commercial banking until 2008. It was then he decided this was not a path for him. What I have learned about Jason is how he has taken the strength of a business degree and been able to be very agile in his career. He has a keen sense for learning, an open-minded personality and a supportive partner in Yim. When an acquaintance approached him to consider getting his CPA, he thought “why not?” Three successful careers later he is a Senior Recruitment Consultant with Recruitment Partners where he is able to help guide people into finding their right fit. This is a passion for Jason.

Now Jason and Yim can turn their passion into impact. “When you come to Canada, it’s to make a better life,” said Jason. He and Yim want to give other families the opportunity to achieve their dreams. They both remember how hard it was to put themselves through school. Their families didn’t have a lot of money so both Jason and Yim needed to work full-time and take out student loans. 

“If we can help someone who is in the same position Yim and I were in back then it would be an amazing feeling. Creating a legacy that will last long after we are gone is a point of pride”

Beyond the gift, Jason looks forward to giving back to the School in other ways. The time is right for him, and he looks forward to many possibilities to get involved — like guest speaking or teaching. 

“It’s easy to fall into a mindset that your success is entirely your own. There are so many outside factors contribute to what some people would call “personal success.” But no man is an island” said Jason, when asked about sharing his personal message about philanthropy with our business community. 

“We all had help and luck along the way. What to you or me is a small amount of money could be a lot of money to a teenager entering university.” 

I look forward to working with Jason and Yim and sharing the joy that their students will experience with their support. They will change many lives with their generosity. 

Jason offers some final words of wisdom and encouragement for our graduating readers: 

“Education and training are important, but the personality piece is huge; be a real person. After your first job, no one will ask you for your transcripts. Talk about your extracurriculars and show that you are well-rounded — whether that’s in sports, music, or something else.”

 Would you want to spend 40 hours a week with you?

Thank you Jason and Yim. You are an inspiration.

Sarah Kowalevsky is the associate director of development for the Alberta School of Business.