Renu Kapoor to receive the University of Regina's highest honour
Posted: June 6, 2019 9:55 a.m.
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Renu Kapoor, long-serving volunteer and recipient of the President's Community Award in 2014, credits her parents for modelling the importance of giving back to your community. She will receive an honorary degree from the U of R today. Photo: U of R Photography
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At the University of Regina's 45th annual spring convocation being held at the Conexus Arts Centre today at 2:00 p.m., Renu Kapoor will receive the highest recognition the University can bestow - an honorary degree - for her lifelong commitment to community service.
Renu Kapoor
Honorary Doctor of Laws
Growing up in India, Renu Kapoor absorbed many childhood lessons from her mother and father about being of service to others. She watched her mother help young women in the community further their education, while her father was a founding member of the Rotary service club in India.
Kapoor also remembers her parents welcoming into their home students coming from other countries to attend school in their community. She has applied these examples in her professional work as a counsellor, and in her involvement as a volunteer and fundraiser with many organizations and events.
Kapoor earned a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Lucknow, India, and a Master of Science, Social Work from the University of Wisconsin before she and her husband Don settled in Regina in 1965. She worked as a mental health and addictions counsellor with the former Saskatchewan Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and the Regina Health District for more than 35 years. Over that period and in retirement her volunteer activities have encompassed Cultural Connections Regina, Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse, the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, SaskCulture, Regina Public Library, the YWCA of Regina, Health Care Excellence Awards, United Way of Regina, and the Regina Airport Authority.
Kapoor has also taken lead roles in several fundraising galas, including India Night, Champions for Mental Health, Moving Forward Together, and the RCMP Charity Ball. Her volunteer work has been recognized with the Governor General's Sovereign Medal, Diamond and Jubilee Medals, University of Regina President's Community Award, YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Saskatchewan Volunteer Medal, among many others.
"It is the biggest surprise of my life, and I feel deeply humbled by this honour," Kapoor says about receiving the honorary degree. "Regina has enriched my and my family's life so much, and I believe in giving back to this community."