Cultivator of hope
A BBA graduate honored as Volunteer of the Year by Make-A-Wish
August 7, 2025
One might believe that Victoria Sauriol is hyperactive, given the impressive amount of volunteer activities this recent Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) graduate participates in while working and studying. For her, though, nothing is more normal than volunteering selflessly, in order to contribute to the well-being of others.
For almost two years now, Victoria Sauriol has been involved with Make-A-Wish, an organization that grants the heartfelt wishes of children with critical illnesses.
Last April, Make-A-Wish honored Victoria Sauriol’s exceptional commitment and significant impact within her community by presenting her with the Quebec Volunteer of the Year Award.
Victoria Sauriol’s motivation stems from the looks in the eyes of the children the organization helps and with whom she meets regularly.
“People generally find volunteering time-consuming, but for me, it’s normal because I’ve been doing it since childhood. And I’ve been able to see the effect it has on others. Seeing the smiles on the children’s faces is what always makes me want to keep going. For them, I am the one who embodies Make-A-Wish. I feel great satisfaction seeing that our work changes their lives or at least gives them hope.”
Serving children... since early childhood
Victoria Sauriol began volunteering when she was in sixth grade. This resident of Montréal’s North Shore first got involved with an association that helps young people with disabilities by enabling them to participate in sports. She dedicated herself to it through high school and college.
When she arrived in Montréal to pursue university studies, she immediately looked for a new place to volunteer. She decided to apply to Make-A-Wish, a charity with international links, that she knew by reputation. She was selected for the role of a wish granter.
In this role, Victoria has been responsible for coordinating the entire process of granting children’s wishes. She has granted 20 of them so far.
Her responsibilities are numerous. Among other things, she establishes initial contact with the selected candidates, meets them with their families, explains the categories of wishes available and notes down their detailed hopes. She also organizes the announcement of the wish which will ultimately be granted through a thematic and fun event and handles the delivery of the "dream incentive", a gift in Make-A-Wish’s iconic blue box. This is presented between the time of the announcement and the granting of the wish, and it helps keep the little dreamers entertained. She also sometimes accompanies the child while their wish is being granted.
Photo: Victoria Sauriol (centre), when Make-A-Wish presented her with the Provincial Volunteer of the Year (Quebec) award.
A multitasking involvement
Victoria has an absolute passion for volunteer work. She frequently seeks mandates to take on new wishes. Sometimes she handles two or three wishes at the same time, which can amount to a time investment of more than 20 hours per week.
And making wishes come true isn’t the only activity Victoria is involved in at Make-A-Wish. For instance, she participates in the 48-Hour Ride, a cycling relay event organized every year in Mirabel to attract corporate donors. She was also part of the Trees of Joy event, a fundraiser where organizations are invited to decorate Christmas trees for the children’s families.
Last year, Victoria was also an ambassador for the Women for Wishes campaign. So, like the 100 other Canadian businesswomen who participated in this campaign, this 22-year-old student managed her own fundraising to achieve her personal goal of $10,000.
Career objective: funding wishes
The woman who aspired to become a doctor as a child ultimately set her sights on a career in investment. She put her plan into action by completing her BBA at HEC Montréal and opting for the mixed specialization in finance and international business.
Since the beginning of summer, she has been employed at CIBC Wood Gundy Private Wealth Management as an administrative assistant, while waiting for her license to practice as an investment advisor.
According to her, the field of investments is an ideal vehicle to help people achieve their personal goals or better yet, fulfill their wishes.