Posted: November 5, 2025
For Giving Power
Jakub Orzechowski (R) with McKee family in Toronto.
When Jakub Orzechowski (BComm’03) received financial support through an award created by Ian and Johanne McKee, he knew it would change his life. But he had no idea just how much.
Orzechowski was in the third year of his commerce degree at ĢAV when he got the news. At the time, he had stepped away from volleyball, the sport that had brought him to Canada from Poland, to focus on his studies. His goal, he says, was to gain permanent employment in Canada or an advantage if he went back home to Poland, where unemployment was high. But even with a bursary, part-time jobs, and funds his parents sent after depleting their savings and selling their car, he was struggling to make ends meet.
“I wasn’t sure I would be able to make it through all four years,” he says.
Honouring a son, making a difference
Help came from the McKees through the Christopher S.F. McKee Award of Merit. They started the award to commemorate their son, Christopher (BComm’81), a chartered accountant who passed away from a brain tumor in July 1996 at the age of 36. The award supports second- and third-year students who have demonstrated academic excellence and contributed to the university.
We just felt it was a nice way to honour his memory, and we were quite happy to be able to do that by helping students like Jakub. — Johanne McKee
“As an immigrant coming to Canada, the financial support was significant,” Orzechowski says. “But it was also a validation for me. I was looking to get a job in investment banking, which was very competitive, and the banks weren’t even coming to Dal to recruit because they had so many schools in Ontario to choose from. The award helped me stand out as a candidate.”
Touched by their generosity, Orzechowski began to keep in touch with the McKees as he continued his studies at ĢAV. Over time, a bond began to form between them. For him, it meant a welcoming home to ward off loneliness during Christmas, encouragement, and career advice. For the McKees, Orzechowski’s willingness to assist with anything they needed helped manage the grief of losing Christopher.
“I spent a lot of time with them to the point where I felt like I was one of their sons,” says Orzechowski.
(L-R) Ian McKee, Jakub Orzechowski, Johanne McKee.
Paying kindness forward
Over the years, Orzechowski has paid the McKees’ kindness forward in several ways. He’s made gifts of his own to the Christopher S.F. McKee Award of Merit to ensure more students have access to the same support and validation he received as a student. He also offers career advice to Dal students who reach out to him through LinkedIn. This, he says, is a way to honour Ian, who passed away in December 2024.
“He always had time for me,” Orzechowski says. “His advice helped me land my first job, which was the catalyst for my whole career, and I often leveraged his expertise in investment. If there is someone I can help the way he helped me, I will.”
The bond forged between Orzechowski and the McKee family remains as strong as ever more than 20 years after they first met. In May, while changing jobs and preparing for his wedding, Orzechowski travelled from Toronto to Halifax to join the family for a celebration of life for Ian. Two weeks later, two of Johanne’s grandsons joined Orzechowski at that wedding.
“We always keep in touch,” says Johanne. “At least once a month, we call or send an email back and forth.”
Adds Orzechowski, “I’m just very blessed to have met them.”