ABOUTTHE KPU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The KPUAlumni Association (KPUAA) became a registered society in 2008. Foundersand directorsare KPUalum who volunteer and support the growth of KPUby creating engagement opportunitiesfor our alum The KPUAAboard of directorsfollows a governance model and isresponsible for providing the strategic vision to achieve our mission and mandate of engaging a population of over 77,000 KPU alum.
MISSON
TheKPUAlumni Association will bringtogether KPUalum and help them build lifelong relationshipswith theuniversityand the community,increasingtheinstitution?s reputationand theimpact that graduateshave on KPUand theworld
1 2 3 Enhanceengagement within our alum community 2025 STRATEGIC VISION Enhancethevalueof being KPUalum IntegratingtheAlumni Associationintothelifeof KPU
More about the board of directorscan be viewed on our website at alumni.kpu.ca/kpuaa
Back row L-R: Sukh Rai, Desmond Lough, Monty Puaar, Taylor Todd, Henry Flowers, Vice Chair; Lovepreet Kaur, JamesGrange, Past Chair, Haney Romana
Front row L- R: Ayesha Khan, former director; Deepak Gill, Daman Garcha, Colby Davidson, Jacqueline Tarantino, Chair; Liz Penner, Priya Johal, Treasurer; Nancy Armitage, Executive Director
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
What anexcitingyear it'sbeenfor theKPUAlumni Association! We?vetakenbold stepsforward? most notably,expandingour commitment tostudent successbyincreasingour endowment by $50,000,withanadditional pledgeof up to $10,000 annually over the next fiveyears Thisbuildsonour original 2020gift andwill bringour total contributiontoover $150,000 by2030 Asof March 31, 2025,the endowment had alreadygrownto $60,057,andwiththisnewgift,we?re ontracktosurpass$110,000 byyear?send? funding three annual awards that will directlysupport studentsinneed TheKPUAlumni Associationgives backbysponsoringkeyevents In 2024wewerepleasedtosupport KPU?sNewMoonGalainsupport of Indigenousstudentsassilver sponsors
Wealsocelebrated theachievements of twoexceptional alum? Kevin Kokoska and Yongjie Yon? as recipientsof the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award Their stories,along withthoseof 9 other remarkable graduates,werefeaturedinthe8th issueof the KPU Alumni Magazine
Our Alumni Perks programgot aboost too,withnewdiscountsand servicesadded toour mobileappand microsite
Thisyear,wealsore-imaginedtheconvocationexperiencebyintroducing abrand-newgift:apersonalizedStageClip? capturingtheexact moment eachgraduatecrossedthestageanddeliveringit straight totheir inboxas alastingdigital keepsake
We?realsogrowingour alum communityinnew andexcitingways This year sawthelaunchof the Psychology Alumni Chapter,andwe?vebegun exploringthepotential for a Brewing Alumni Chapter anda Marketing Alumni Chapter.You?ll find moreonthesedevelopmentsinthepages ahead
Wewerethrilled towelcome Liz Penner, Monty Puaar, and Haney Romana totheBoardof Directorsthispast year Their energyandideas arealreadymakinganimpact Youcanlearnmoreabout them at alumni kpu ca/kpuaa
At our 2024Annual General Meeting,wesaid aheartfelt thankyouto GabbyGill,whocompleted histermasPast Chair Iwashonoured tostep intotheroleof Chair,withHenryFlowersasViceChair andPriyaJohal joiningtheExecutiveCommitteeasTreasurer.
TheAlumni Affairsofficecontinuestobringour strategicvisiontolife throughadynamic,board-approvedthree-year businessplan.Thanksto their dedication? andthesupport of our entirealum community? wenot onlymet but exceededour goalsfor thisreportingperiod
Together, we?re building something powerful: a vibrant, engaged alumni network that?s making a difference for students, for KPU, and for each other
Jacqueline Tarantino Chair, KPUAlumni Association
MESSAGEFROMTHE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOROF THE KPU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Dear friends,
Thispast year hasbeennothingshort of stellar for theKPU Alumni Affairsteam GuidedbytheStrategicVisionof theKPU Alumni Associationandour three-year businessplan,wenot only met our goals? wefar exceeded them
Theenergyandexpertiseof our teamof fivehasmadeatruly meaningful impact,positioningus togrowandenhanceour alumni engagement programsinexciting newways
We?vealsoexpandedour offerings throughtheAlumni Perksmobile app,whichnow featuresa growinglist of exclusivediscounts fromKPUalum-owned businesses? availabletoall alum Thisinitiativecontinuestostrengthenconnectionswithinour communitywhilesupportingalum entrepreneurs
In-personengagement alsosawaboost Wewereproudtohost andparticipateinseveral keyevents,includingCo-op Connect: Alumni BridgingthePast andFuture,our alumni mentorship event,and the2024Annual General Meeting Wealsostarted planningfor theinaugural MelvilleSchool of BusinessAlumni Mixer Thesegatheringsprovided valuableopportunitiesfor alum toreconnect,shareexperiences,and buildlastingrelationships
Withastrengthened team andaclear vision,we?reexcited about what?sahead Themomentumisreal? andwe?rejust getting started
Nancy Armitage ExecutiveDirector, KPUAlumni AssociationandDirector, Alumni Affairs
KPUAADISTINGUISHED
ALUMNI AWARDS 2024
DISTINGUISHEDALUMNIAWARDRECIPIENT
KEVIN KOKOSKA
Since2008,theKPUAlumni Association hasproudlyrecognized outstanding alum whoexemplifyexcellencein their fieldsand makealastingimpact in their communities.
Each year,theDistinguished Alumni Awardshonour individualswho elevate KPU?sreputationthrough exceptional achievementsintheir professions, industries,and throughmeaningful publicor volunteer service
In 2024,wewerethrilled to present this prestigiousaward to YongjieYon and Kevin Kokoska,tworemarkablealum whoseaccomplishmentsreflect the spirit,innovation,and leadership that definetheKPUcommunity
Their storiesinspireusall,and weare proud to celebratetheir contributionsin thisyear?sreport.
Kev Kokoska is a counsellor and social entrepreneur dedicated to making mental health accessible to all In his work, Kev focuses on mental health care, mainly for incarcerated men and communities typically unable to afford counselling services
Kev earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from KPU in 2010 During his time at the university, he won the President?s Award for combined excellence in athletics and academics He developed an educational tool for coaches and athletes called ?Depression in Collegiate Athletes,?winning the British Columbia Psychological Association (BCPA) award for Most Outstanding Outreach Project He also volunteered with the BCPA to create an early intervention checklist to educate coaches on mental health risks in amateur athletes
Kev is committed to making counselling affordable During the pandemic, he challenged this by cofounding Phare, a platform that matches counsellors and clients using a pay-what-feels-fair system
Driven by a desire to give back to the community and raise awareness about mental health, Kev has spent five years teaching the Family and Community Counselling program at Native Education College. He also established a pre-therapy practice aimed at those beginning their journey to self-awareness This practice focuses on educating individuals and providing them with the tools needed for self-care
Kev tries to address gaps in the mental health care system with creativity and innovation While pursuing his master?s degree at the University of British Columbia, he discovered a passion for acting He leveraged this interest by writing several one-person plays, a unique approach to educating people on self-awareness and the importance of mental health He further expanded his interest by studying documentary filmmaking while pursuing his PhD in interdisciplinary mental health
Kev's limitless enthusiasm and ability to apply his education and professional skills to improve systems and create opportunities for others are commendable
DISTINGUISHEDALUMNIAWARDRECIPIENT
YONGJIEYON
Yongjie Yon is an expert in healthy aging committed to raising awareness and changing the narrative about age and aging Earning his bachelor?s degree in psychology in 2007, Yongjie is the Technical Lead for the Ageing and Health program at the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark His work focuses on supporting 53 member states in promoting healthy aging through national strategy development This includes spearheading campaigns against ageism and elder abuse, as well as crafting age-friendly initiatives to enhance the health and well-being of older individuals
Yongjie's interest for aging was ignited during his time at KPU, particularly under the guidance of his psychology professor, the late Dr Larry Anderson Working as a research assistant to Dr Anderson, they conducted the first study in B.C. on ageism. Building on this foundation, Yongjie pursued further education, obtaining a master's degree in gerontology from Simon Fraser University and a PhD from the University of Southern California.
Driven by his commitment to enhancing the lives of older individuals, Yongjie has served as a research and policy analyst with the Canadian government on aging policies, advocating for evidence-informed decision making on issues such as elder abuse, retirement income and mental health of older persons He actively participates in international conferences and symposiums, sharing insights and promoting innovative approaches to healthy aging.
Beyond his professional endeavours, Yongjie is passionate about bridging the generational gap between older persons and youth, advocating for a life-course approach to healthy aging He believes that the journey to living longer and healthier lives starts early in life In his spare time, Yongjie actively volunteers with the Soka Gakkai International, a Buddhist organization dedicated to peace, culture and education. He engages with youth in North America and Europe empowering them to believe in themselves and take purposeful action grounded in compassion.
Yongjie is an advocate for healthy aging and a leader in his field His work not only focuses on developing policies to enhance the health and well-being of older persons but also on educating younger generations about the importance of health for the long term
Activities and Events
Convocation
TheKPUAAcontinuestoplayan integral roleat KPU?sconvocation ceremonies HostingtheAlumni Lounge wecontinuedour tradition of providingeachgraduatewho signsup for Alumni Perksan opportunitytoplayKeystoYour Futuretowinaprize. Wewerealsothrilledtobeableto offer eachgradaStageclipto celebrate themoment theycrossed thestage.Thiswasmadepossible bythegenerosityof theKPUAlumni Association
Manyof our board directors participateinConvocationand
directorsHayleyWoodin Hastings,Deepak Gill,HenryFlowersand Lovepreet Kaur shared amessage duringtheceremonies,on behalf of theKPUAlumni Association,welcominggraduatesto thealum community.
Hayley Woodin Hast ings
Deepak Gill
Henry Flow ers Lovepreet Kaur
Chapters
Chapters provide alum with the opportunity to remain connected with others from their cohorts Last spring the Interior Design Alumni Chapter of ?93 held their annual gathering at the Wilson School of Design building on the Richmond campus, and the Accounting Alumni Chapter held an event in the early spring In addition, we launched the new Psychology Alumni Chapter We also began laying the foundation for a possible Brewing Alumni Chapter.
Avirtual networking platform by Ten Thousand Coffees
For more on Chapters visit: alumni.kpu.ca/chapters
Night at t he Nat
Alum came together for an evening of Vancouver Canadians baseball at Nat Bailey Stadium.
KPU Com m unit y Day
Alumni Affairs spent the day with our community
Mentorship and Networking
Coop Connect: Alumni Bridging the Past and Future
Chapters
Chapters provide alumni with the opportunity to remain connected with others from their cohorts. While many of our Chapters have been on hiatus due to the impact of COVID we have begun to rebuild our chapter program Last spring the Interior Design Alumni Chapter of ?93 held their 30th reunion at the Wilson School of Design, the Accounting Alumni Chapter held an event in the early spring In addition, we launched the new Creative Writing Alumni Chapter and began laying the foundation for a Psychology Alumni Chapter
Mentorship and Networking
Twentyfivealum whoparticipated in the co-op program duringtheir studiescame back to campustomentor current co-op students.
Theevent provided studentswithinvaluable insightsand theopportunityto learnfrom thosewhocamebefore
ALUMNIBENEFITS ANDPRIVILEGES
The KPU Alumni Association was pleased to continue expanding our alumni benefits and privileges program on the Alumni Perks app and microsite Our perks partners, including many alumni owned and operated businesses, provide services and products to KPU Alumni at discounted rates:
- AGDominion Blue Reprographics
- All PurposeRealty
- AltitudeMediaCo
- Arafat Kalam NotaryPublic
- Best Coast Bonsai Inc
- Black Bird Holistic
- BroadwayAcrossCanada
- Cirquedu Soleil
- Coach Hector Wong
- ConsciousWorks
- Credit CounsellingSociety
- EJ CellphoneRepair
- Eyetician
- Fresh Prep
- H RMacMillan SpaceCentre
- Hannah TPhotography
- Hum Apparel
- Ingrid Brito Lifecoaching
- LumaVitaCounselling
- Luxia Counselling
- MagicITSolutions
- Miller &Co
- NieceyGlam Studio
- PartopiaDigital
- RCRailingExperts
- S&AAccounting
- Second LifeApparel
- Thunderbolt Sign
- Tourifique
- Vancouver Boat Parties
- Vancouver Canadians
- VanGo Vapes
- Z&RAutomotive
We continue to collaborate with our affinity partners, who provide discounted servicesto alumni while also generating revenue for the Alumni Association Our Affinity partnersinclude:
- ArtonaGroup
- Bell Mobility
- Convocation Flowers
- CanucksSport and Entertainment
- TDHomeInsurance
- TDLifeInsurance
- TDSmall BusinessInsurance
DOWNLOAD THEAPP TODAY!
For more information on alumni benefits, privileges and services, contact the Alumni Affairs office at alumni@kpu ca
Alumni Magazine
Thisyear themagazinewasdedicated to featuring11alumni storiesof note
Stay Connected : Communications That Inspires
At KPUAlumni Affairs,webelieveinthepower of connection? and we?realwaysfindingnew waysto keep our alum informed,engaged,and inspired Eachmonth,wereachover 45,000alum through our newsletter,sharingstories,opportunities,and updatesfrom acrosstheKPUalum community We alsosend aspecial welcomenewsletter several timesayear tonewlymintedgrads,helpingthem stayconnected fromdayone. TheConvocationnewsletter, introducedin2023, issent twiceayear toall graduatingstudents.It?s packed withhelpful informationtomaketheir big dayevenmorememorable? andtointroduce themtothebenefitsof joiningtheKPUalum family
Want to explore more?All our programs,events, and initiativesarejust aclickawayat alumni kpu ca
