The Innes van Nostrand and Alison Holt Scholarship Fund
For almost fifteen years, Innes van Nostrand has been the steady hand and generous heart at the centre of Appleby College. As he prepares to retire at the end of the 2026-2027 school year, the Appleby College Parents' Association is proud to announce a new endowed scholarship in his honour, and in honour of his wife, Alison Holt: The Innes van Nostrand and Alison Holt Scholarship Fund. This fund will provide financial assistance in perpetuity, ensuring that a place at Appleby remains within reach for deserving students long after Innes has left the Principal's office for the last time.
It is hard to imagine the Appleby of today without Innes's fingerprints on nearly every corner of it. Under his leadership, the school has undergone a period of growth and transformation unmatched in its recent history. He championed the construction of the A.W.B. Alumni Centre for Athletics and Student Life, a building that has become the beating heart of school spirit and community life. He has also been a driving force behind the growth of Appleby's endowment, building financial assistance programs that today support roughly 24% of the student body, ensuring that an Appleby education is defined by talent and character. And today, as his tenure draws to a close, he is overseeing the construction of Cockwell Hall, one final gift to a school he has spent his career building up.
But Innes's impact was never only about buildings and acreage. It was about people. He has spent countless hours building and fostering relationships with parents and alumni across the world, treating every conversation, whether with a first-year family or a graduate decades removed from Appleby, with the same warmth and genuine curiosity. He has led with compassion and empathy, and with a creative, open-minded spirit that has allowed Appleby to grow without ever losing sight of what makes it special.
Innes has always understood that some of the most important learning at Appleby happens far from the classroom. He led the purchase of Kandalore Camp, extending the Appleby experience into a wilderness setting of its own. And at Temagami, Appleby's own northern campus, his commitment to that same philosophy has been personal as well as professional. Those who know Innes well know that some of his most cherished moments have taken place on its trails and lakes. He has made the trip north countless times over the years, in the spring and the fall, and, most memorably of all, in the depths of winter, when the lake freezes over and the north country reveals a different kind of beauty. Those who have joined him there will tell you that it is at Temagami, as much as anywhere, that you come to understand who Innes truly is: a person who finds joy in the natural world, who leads best when he is walking alongside you, and who believes deeply in the power of shared experience.
Alongside Innes every step of the way has been his wife, Alison Holt. Alison's own commitment to the Appleby community has been a constant throughout Innes's tenure. She has brought joy to countless students, parents, and colleagues, and her warmth has left its own lasting mark on this school. It is only fitting that this fund carries her name alongside her husband's, a recognition of a partnership that has shaped Appleby together.
An Invitation to Give
As Innes and Alison prepare for this next chapter, we invite you, our alumni, parents, and colleagues, to join us in honouring their extraordinary contribution to Appleby College. A gift to the Innes van Nostrand and Alison Holt Scholarship Fund is a gift that reflects everything Innes has stood for: opportunity, access, and the belief that an Appleby education should be within reach for every deserving student, regardless of their family's financial circumstances. As an endowed fund, every gift made today will continue to support Appleby students for generations to come, a fitting tribute to a leader whose own impact will be felt for generations.
We hope you will join us in this tribute, and in doing so, help carry forward the legacy of two people who have given Appleby College so much.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the Innes van Nostrand and Alison Holt Scholarship Fund please contact Jenna Fontyn, Donor Relations and Engagement Officer at jfontyn@appleby.on.ca or 905-845-4681 ext. 168.
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