Cambree’s Story

From a young age, it was clear that Cambree Lovesy enjoyed learning, making music, and performing. She can remember as early as seven when she was determined to sing at her elementary school talent show. Her determination paid off, and she sang Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid movie. From that day on, she never stopped performing. She learned piano at nine and started writing music at 11 when she learned guitar. Realizing that she loved storytelling, writing country songs, and performing, she actively started chasing her music career by performing every chance she could. She was consumed almost every day after school with writing and recording her own music. 

She also learned in her early years that she loved learning. Education soon became a big part of her life, and she thrived in the academic space, enrolling in advanced placement classes throughout high school. She attended Robert Bateman Secondary, where she worked hard to get good grades and participate in extracurricular activities like leadership, peer tutoring, and editing for the school newspaper. She remembers her school also supporting her music career, allowing her to regularly sing the national anthem on the intercom system. Cambree shared that she loved the social and community aspect of high school. 

GROWING PAINS

Although Cambree thrived in school, she faced her fair share of challenges. She was open about her mental health struggles, sharing that she has struggled since a young age. Learning the words burn out very quickly, Cambree hit rock bottom during high school. Her anxiety spiked, and she was having challenges managing her time. With her anxiety at its worst, she leaned into music, using it as therapy and a means to cope with the rising pressures. She continued to work on her mental health, relying on her family for support. Cambree shared that her family was and continues to be her backbone, helping her navigate life and the many stressors that come along with it. She is also thankful that she had a great group of friends throughout high school that she could also rely on. She remembers school as being her happy place. She had great teachers who were very supportive. Cambree started to learn how to better manage her time by giving time to the things she cared about and enjoyed. Looking back, she sees this learning as part of growing up. 

With her love for learning, Cambree knew she wanted to pursue post-secondary education after high school. When her grade 12 year rolled around, she also knew she wanted to apply for awards through the Abbotsford Community Foundation’s (ACF) Student Awards Program after seeing older classmates who had previously graduated receive awards. When it was time for her convocation ceremony, she remembers being excited to hear if she was the successful recipient of any awards. She was thrilled to be awarded the Aldergrove Credit Union and Hartley & Roslin Lovick Memorial scholarship awards. She recalls feeling incredibly honoured. Although she was working hard to make money and save for her post-secondary education through her music career, she felt a weight lifted, knowing that this would take some of the financial pressure off herself and her family. 

FINANCIAL FREEDOM TO TRY NEW THINGS

With her sights set on post-secondary education, she chose the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) because of the institution’s welcoming feeling, small class sizes, and proximity to home. At UFV, she shared that she was given a chance to develop and become a well-rounded community member. Cambree learned a lot about herself during this time through taking classes and participating in volunteer and work opportunities like mentoring, working with the International department, and helping with New Student Orientation. She realized that people, culture, and entertainment are her passion. 

She also shared about the challenges she faced in university, similar to the ones she faced in high school. She started her post-secondary education as a perfectionist, often hard on herself, especially in the early years. Through support from UFV faculty, she learned to embrace the learning process and be okay with making mistakes. Cambree shared that the financial support she received through the ACF’ Student Awards Program helped take the financial burden off her academic pursuits. This support was the catalyst to allow her some extra time in university, enabling her to do more extracurricular activities and learn more about her interests. 

After four years and a lot of hard work, she completed a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Media Communications Studies. Cambree remarked that her time at UFV exceeded her expectations, making lifelong friendships and meaningful connections with faculty and administration. Since graduating, she has been given multiple chances to return and perform at various events hosted by UFV. Cambree continues to pursue education while completing a Master’s in Communication and Technology at the University of Alberta. Although she shared that the program has been challenging, she finds the learning rewarding, given her coursework is tied to her current work. 

FROM ONE BIG STAGE TO ANOTHER

For work, she continues to perform at events and chase her music dreams. When she’s not on stage, she serves as the Game Day Coordinator and host for the Abbotsford Canucks, managing the operations and entertainment of the games. This role includes connecting with the community through events and other engagements. She’s thankful for the connections she made through UFV and other organizations because she can now use those connections in her current role. These relationships enable her to champion the organizations, allowing them to shine at community events and games. Recently she had the opportunity to attend the Abbotsford Community Foundation’s 7th Annual Smart and Caring Golf Classic on behalf of the Abbotsford Canucks. This serves as one example of how her education and work experience have come together to allow her to support important causes in our community. 

As she looks to the future, she hopes to finish her master’s degree next year and continue her work in music and sports entertainment. She feels as though everything is coming together. She shared that she’s incredibly thankful for the scholarship awards and support she has received over the years from family, friends, colleagues and other connections. 

To learn more about how we continue to support graduating students through our Student Awards Program, click here.