P 7 Alumni Features
Stories of resilience, passion and purpose—celebrating 11 alumni pursuing their dreams in unique ways.
P 24 Stephanie Cadieux
Meet Canada’s first chief accessibility officer and discover how her journey shaped a career of advocacy and leadership.
PRESIDENTS
of
PUBLISHERS MESSAGE Randall Heidt
of
Kind
BIANCO
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher: Randall Heidt
Editor: Ted Murphy
Production Team: Nancy Armitage, Production Manager, Helen Hughes and Jasmine Bassi, Production Coordinators
Writers: Stephen Smysnuik, Nancy Armitage, Randall Heidt, Alan Davis, Steve Lewarne
Design by KPU Marketing: Joanne Saunders, Sarah Bolwell
Photography: Lisa King, Daryl Oh
Have comments or ideas about KPU Alumni Magazine? Contact nancy.armitage@kpu.ca.
Want to communicate with your Alumni Affairs office? Contact alumni@kpu.ca.
Meet the many faces of KPU and learn about what these alumni have been up to since graduating from their programs.
Vancouver Island philanthropist reduces barriers for KPU students
Health philanthropists invest in nursing needs
MEET THE KPU ALUMNI AFFAIRS TEAM ABOUT THE KPU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
MESSAGE FROM THE KPU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CHAIR
“So, I guess this is your last September Senate meeting as president.”
And so begins the long wind-down, with many people ticking off the months, weeks and days until the end of my term (officially Aug. 31, 2025). That will mean 13 years as president and vice chancellor at KPU, and what a wonderful time it has been.
KPU has changed so much: it has grown and diversified and established its identity as the only (and thus the best) polytechnic university in Canada. I will continue to advance the work until the day I step down, but I find myself also taking a few moments now and then to reflect on what has happened.
I will start with the alumni and the tremendous evolution of the KPU Alumni Association under the leadership of Nancy Armitage and her team. What great progress we have made to help our 74,000 alumni stay connected with KPU, and to reflect all that is best about the institution.
In my early years, I was here to witness the awarding of Distinguished Alumni Awards to some giants in their field: Stephanie Cadieux (’94, marketing management), Baltej Dhillon (’88 criminology), Maryanne Mathias (’03 fashion and technology) and Tanya Dick (’03, nursing) to mention just a few, and we have been celebrating all sorts of alumni successes along the way.
One of the most important roles of the KPUAA is to ensure that nominations to the board of governors are successful, and right now we have Amanda Smith Weston (’14, anthropology) and Gabby Gill (’15, accounting) providing superb service and leadership. We have seen alumni serve as board chair, Shane King (financial management ’92) and Kristen Ash (’03, entrepreneurial leadership), and there are many dedicated employees at KPU who are drawn from the alumni ranks.
I am also proud that the all-important KPU Retirees Association was established during my time and the KPU Foundation has continued to support our students in so many ways. I am very grateful to have had three senior leaders who made all this come to pass: Jeff Norris, Marlyn Graziano and Randall Heidt.
Our convocations are said by many to be some of the best held anywhere, and we have seen thousands of
graduates cross the stage and be welcomed to the alumni family, officiated by three chancellors: Arvinder Bubber, George Melville and currently Kim Baird.
This is going to be a very long article if I list all the important new strategic, academic and student service initiatives introduced over the last 12 or so years; some that I directly helped, some where I just stayed out of the way. All has been accomplished by an outstanding team of vice presidents and senior administrators, with the current membership of President’s Circle being the best team I have ever worked with, anywhere.
Here are a few program and service highlights that began during my time, and which excel in so many ways: Brewing and Brewery Operations; Traditional Chinese Medicine; Entertainment Arts; new degrees in Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture; expansion of Trades training; expansion of Nursing and Health Care Attendant seats; Physics for Modern Technology; Product Design and Technical Apparel; the new Employment and Career Studies program; all sort of arts majors and minors; Mental Health Services; the Accessibility Plan, and a host of related services.
The major progress we have made in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous people has been a major achievement, with many to thank at KPU and among the Indigenous communities. We have the xéʔelɬ Pathway to guide our journey, we have Elder Lekeyten, new leadership and staff, and more resources and support for faculty and students. And that all intersects so well with our new Sustainability Hub.
I cannot imagine people talking about my time here without referencing the huge growth in international student numbers, which brings many benefits for all students, and some challenges. Recent federal policies have thrown a lot of uncertainty our way and that of the sector, but we have the resources and wherewithal to thrive and survive the current upheaval. We certainly have the most wonderful KPU International division to lead the way.
The alphabet soup at KPU expanded recently in two major ways: “OPro” is now part of the KPU lexicon and reflects the amazing work in academic integrity, continuing and professional studies, curriculum and program development, policy development, and artificial
intelligence, and the Teaching and Learning Common is central to innovation in our core mandate. Research is also under the Office of the Provost and has gathered a lot of momentum over the last few years and is now central to KPU’s mission.
The other acronym is “OEIC”: the Office of Equity and Inclusive Communities, which is the latest major initiative and provides leadership and coherence to the work in social justice that KPU is noted for and which has been fostered in all departments. It has evolved from the work of the Task Force on AntiRacism, and from President’s Diversity and Equity Committee (PDEC), which I established at the behest of students early on in my tenure.
PDEC now operates as UDEC (the University’s Diversity and Equity Committee) in OEIC. Looking back in a few years, all this may be what I will take most satisfaction in. I hope I will continue to be invited each year to its many events.
Lastly, there are all those underlying divisions that sustain the university, and which keep the campuses compliant, safe, clean, sustainable, maintaining our digital networks and services, and looking after our employees in so many ways. The most visible aspects are, of course, our campuses and the new facilities for brewing, the Spruce Atrium, the Wilson School of Design building and the campus at Civic Plaza.
All these are major projects which require all the corporate divisions working together with a host of contractors. And they can only happen with a lot of engagement with governments and donors for the resources needed. With the emerging Community Trust, further developments of all sorts that benefit KPU will be facilitated and help secure its future.
I know. It is exhausting, and there is so much more I could list: the people who recruit students, those who see the students through from admission to graduation, those who teach them and support them in their studies, those who maintain our profile to the public and organize the hundreds of small and large events, and those who market KPU (and design this magazine).
In the end then, it is all about the people: the students, alumni, members of the faculty, staff and administration; members of the board, the foundation, the unions, the associations, the host First Nations, the Metis Nation BC, urban Indigenous organizations, the boards of trade and chambers of commerce, elected members of all levels of government, and so many other members of the communities we serve whom we are proud to call our friends.
Alan Davis President and Vice Chancellor
I am thrilled to share with you a few of the exciting milestones that will come to fruition for KPU this year, as well as an historic milestone that we achieved in 2024, thanks to all of you.
KPU will welcome our first intake of students into our Bachelor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) degree program in September 2025.
The new degree is the first of its kind to be offered at a public postsecondary in Canada and will train students to become registered Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. The degree also opens up opportunities in other fields of natural healing, such as acupuncture and naturopathy.
The degree is an extension of our existing diploma in TCM – Acupuncture, which KPU launched in 2016. The new degree is equivalent to similar programs at four universities in China, Australia and New Zealand and will allow graduates to pursue master’s programs at these internationally recognized post-secondary institutions.
The creation of KPU’s first child care and early childhood care and education facility will start to take shape in 2025. The design and development phase of the project, as well as the city zoning approvals, concluded just before the Fall semester 2024, which means the team has now moved onto preparing and submitting an application for a building permit. If all continues to go well, construction of the 61-space child care facility will be underway this year at the Surrey Newton campus.
The number of KPU alumni crossed the 75,000 threshold during convocation ceremonies in 2025. That means if you are reading this as a KPU alum, you are now part of more than 75,000 people worldwide who have called KPU home.
To put that into perspective, KPU alumni could fill BC Place to its 54,500 seat capacity as well as Rogers Arena and its 18,500 seat capacity for NHL games and still have 2,000 alum to spare. Wow, talk about extended family. Thanks so much for reading this message and for all that you do to represent KPU around the world. We are so grateful to call all 75,000 of you family.
Randall Heidt KPU Vice President External Affairs
In this issue, 11 diverse alumni share their stories of self-discovery, overcoming hardship and carving out their own paths. Read about the unique roads they’ve travellednavigating times of uncertainty and finding a home at KPU that set them on the path to careers in pursuit of true purpose.
While their passions range from prison reform to local sports advocacy to trauma-informed interior design, what unites these KPU alumni is their unwavering drive to reach their goals. Learn how, with the support of a vibrant KPU community, they’ve been empowered to take bold steps toward their dreams.
Join us as we celebrate their achievements and highlight the inspiring ways they’re making their imprint on the world today.
DILSHARN MOKHA BBA ACCOUNTING 2019
It’s fair to say that Dilsharn Mokha’s life was forever changed by education. Today, she’s determined to help others with their education, too.
A graduate of KPU’s Bachelor Of Business Administration in Accounting, Mokha serves on the KPU Foundation’s board of directors and as the president of the KPU Accounting Alumni Chapter. These roles keep her connected to the university, which she admits helped her through the most difficult time in her life.
“I’m very passionate about education because it’s the reason I’m sitting here today,” she says. Mokha arrived in Canada, all by herself, when she was only 17 years old. Her family stayed behind in their small village in Punjab as the country was gripped by social unrest.
“My parents felt it was safer for me to be here than to study away from home in India,” she says.
The decision to send Mokha to Canada was an unusually progressive one for her parents. In that culture, it’s considered wasteful to spend money on a daughter’s education.
“There’s a mentality that isn’t worth it because she’s going to get married and leave the family,” she explains.
The family was undeterred.
“Education changed my life. It gave me the confidence to believe that I can do anything I set my mind to.”
– DILSHARN MOKHA
“I’m just so fortunate that my parents are educated, and they were aware enough that you know you should go and chase your dreams and you should go and get an education,” she says.
But when she arrived, she almost immediately battled homesickness, gripped with depression and trauma of leaving the people she loved most back home.
She enrolled in KPU’s computer business systems diploma and worked part-time at a McDonald’s. Her education kept her motivated, but she wasn’t entirely sure which direction she should take. Those first months were lonely and scary. But she was determined.
One day, she noticed two well-dressed young men in the KPU hallways, attending an event. Curious, she struck up a conversation with them, who told her they were studying to become CPAs. She was struck by their ambition and their sense of purpose. Accounting? Huh! It sparked something within her.
“They had everything figured out. And I was like, wow, I need to do some research on this,” she says with a laugh.
Shortly after, she switched into BBA Accounting. There, she found a sense of place and purpose. Not only did she have a direction academically, but personally as well. She leaned into the community to help alleviate the depression and homesickness. She says the small classroom sizes and face-time with professors helped focus her academically, while the university’s mental health resources became a salve.
Then, a crisis hit. Back in India, her mother needed open-heart surgery and Mokha was stuck in Canada. “Jennifer, my counsellor, helped me get through the hardest time of my life,” she says.
Despite the personal tumult, she thrived academically. She was chosen twice to represent KPU in Achieve,
a national accounting competition held at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryserson), which pitted students from Canadian universities –some very prestigious schools as well – in a battle of wits and financial know-how. KPU won first place in that second year, a personal triumph for Mokha following the personal struggles.
“It was a huge boost to my confidence,” she says. “I felt like I could do anything.”
Mokha landed a job at KPMG after graduation, before transitioning to her current role at PenderFund Capital Management, a boutique mutual fund company. She focuses on compliance and regulatory reporting, areas she says are of increasing importance in the finance sector.
“It’s different from your typical accounting job. I get to do a lot of things my friends have never even heard of,” she says.
She’s currently looking into master’s programs, and would like to transition into teaching down the road.
But the very thought of this kind of future seemed impossible a decade ago. Today, she marvels at what she’s achieved in that time. From a small village in Punjab, to owning her own home in Surrey, all thanks to the education and support from KPU.
This is why she remains committed to the university, as a way to support the education of others, given how much of an impact her own education had on her personal growth. For Mokha, it’s about ensuring that others — especially young women — have the same opportunities she had.
“I could never have imagined this 10 or 11 years ago,” she says. “Education changed my life. It gave me the confidence to believe that I can do anything I set my mind to.” Angle-double-right
HOWARD TSUMURA
CERTIFICATE IN
JOURNALISM
1983
It was the writing that got him.
Howard Tsumura wasn’t totally sure what he wanted to do with his life, but once he discovered journalism, he bonded immediately with his ability to tell people’s stories through the written word.
Tsumura has spent four decades as a sports journalist, including nearly 30 years at The Province, covering community, high school and university sports. While his colleagues and friends chased deep investigations or the latest news hit, Tsumura gravitated towards the stories that connected deeply with local athletes, coaches and communities.
And it was in his earliest days, interviewing young athletes for what would be their first time in the spotlight, that Tsumura remembers best.
“That’s what drew me to it,” he says. “It wasn’t about the big leagues. It was about these communities and the athletes who don’t often get the attention they deserve.”
Tsumura got his start at KPU – then known as Kwantlen College – in the one-year journalism program, back when the campus was a single building on Westminster Highway.
“It was one of the most fun years of my life,” Tsumura says.
He recalls the primitive tools of the trade back then – electric typewriters, hot wax machines and X-Acto knives for laying out the student newspaper. The camaraderie was also a highlight, but what really sold him was the confidence the faculty instilled in him about his ability to write.
One instructor in particular, Charlie Giordano, gave him the direction and confidence that he needed.
“Charlie treated us like we were already working journalists,” Tsumura says. “We weren’t just students. He made it feel real, and that made all the difference.”
After graduating from Kwantlen in 1983, Tsumura’s career began in small community newspapers, where he honed his skills covering high school sports. He realized quickly that local sports weren’t a stepping stone, but an end game.
Tsumura started at The Province in 1990, and during his tenure he covered everything from high school football to the Vancouver Grizzlies, the latter as the newspaper's travelling beat reporter over their entire six-season run in the NBA.
But even then, in what many would consider a dream job as a sports writer, Tsumura's heart remained with high school and university sports.
“I didn’t get into journalism to chase the next big thing,” he says. “I got into it to tell stories that matter.”
The 2000s brought massive change to the news business in a very short amount of time. Newspapers, including The Province, faced severe cutbacks as digital media began to dominate.
“I was the last fully dedicated high school and university sports reporter at a national daily across Canada,” Tsumura says. “The writing was on the wall.”
In 2017, after 27 years with The Province, Tsumura took
a buyout amid widespread downsizing, a bittersweet departure, but one that opened up a whole new avenue to pursue his interest in local sports.
By this point, Tsumura had built a loyal following in that community, which he parlayed into Varsity Letters, a website focusing on underrepresented high school and university sports.
“I created such a community of people who were genuinely thankful for having this forum for high school and university sports,” he says. “It’s an underserved area of the media, and it was amazing to get the love back from the community.”
While he’s stepped back considerably from full-time reporting, he continues to cover high school basketball and football. His semi-retirement has allowed him more time to pursue another lifelong passion — music.
Tsumura, a record collector bordering on obsessive, has spent years amassing an impressive collection of vinyl, with genres ranging from rock to classical and jazz. At one point, he even owned a record store in Surrey, which he ran while working simultaneously as a journalist.
“I was a lousy owner because I couldn’t sell the best stuff,” he says with a laugh.
Even as the media industry continues to shapeshift and mutate in ways that are almost unrecognizable to the one Tsumura started out in – including with the rise of AI – he says he still has hope for the new generation coming up. There’s a technological savvy that’s unparalleled with other generations, which makes for some powerful storytelling opportunities. They just need to learn how to properly craft a story, he says.
“In today’s world, it’s easy to find kids who can shoot video clips and take pictures, but ask them to write something, and they struggle. If they could pair that skill with everything else they’re doing, they’d set themselves apart.”
He adds, “Nothing can replace the nuance that comes from a human perspective. And that’s what makes storytelling so powerful — it’s personal, it’s unique.” Angle-double-right
IEDA DEL BIANCO
DIPLOMA IN
IedaDel Bianco was seeking reinvention.
She’d had a successful career in finance back home in Brazil, working for the three biggest banks in the country – Citibank, Santander and Bank of Tokyo. By 2017, she felt it was time for a change, so she packed up her two kids and moved to Canada, seeking a fresh start.
“I changed from a well-established career to starting over,” she recalls.
With two young children, the adventure to start something new was a bold move but it was a necessary step for her personal growth.
“I’m not someone who gets comfortable,” she says.
The risk paid off. Today, she’s director of operations at Van Belle Nursery in Abbotsford, where she oversees all production at the facility, including costs and overhead, as well as all teams. She guides their development, ensuring the next generation of leaders within the company is prepared for the challenges ahead.
But the path to her current position was anything but simple. For one, Del Bianco admits she knew very little about horticulture beyond some limited experience at her family farm back home.
I didn’t know much about plants,” she admits with a laugh. “[But] I think KPU really prepares people to transition into the professional world.”
She says her KPU education was pivotal in preparing her for her new career by providing both the academic knowledge and the hands-on experience that was crucial for the industry.
“You have the balance between the theoretical and the hands-on,” she says. “They really give you a toolkit to succeed in your field.”
But just as important, she found a support system from faculty and career advisors that helped Del Bianco navigate a challenging time settling into a new country with two young children. It was, at times, overwhelming.
“At one point, I was juggling two jobs while going to school and taking care of my kids,” she says.
Faculty and staff helped her map out her career path, offering critical advice on how to best manage her time and resources effectively.
And it worked. While enrolled in the KPU horticulture program, Del Bianco landed a job at Canopy Growth, Canada’s largest cannabis company that was at the forefront of the newly legalized sector. She admits it was a crazy time, rife with rapid change in a highly regulated sector. But as someone who worked in finance previously, which is highly regulated in Brazil, she felt comfortable navigating the complex rules that seemed to evolve in real time.
“It was intense, but I liked it. That’s why I stayed for three years,” she says.
She says many of the challenges came from working with cannabis professionals who were transitioning from the illicit market to the legal sector, many of whom weren’t accustomed to operating within a strictly regulated framework.
“You can’t just do whatever you want when you want,” she says. “It’s about behaviour and how you affect the big picture.”
The experience was a trial by fire in how to manage people in complex situations, which would eventually serve her well. As the cannabis industry remained volatile, Del Bianco sought a role with more stability within the agricultural industry.
In 2020, she joined Van Belle, a wholesale nursery which supplies shrubs, perennials and annuals to major
“It’s not just about working with plants, it’s about mastering processes, precision and working with people.
–
IEDA DEL BIANCO
retailers across Canada and the United States and to other floriculture producers in the U.S. She very quickly worked her way up to director of operations. Here, her experience in finance and cannabis has equipped her with the skills for the job.
These days, however, her focus is on fostering leadership in others.
“Who are the next managers? Who is the next person to sit in my position?” she asks.
She says her leadership is influenced by her own experiences of reinvention and learning. She’s always assessing whether she’s being challenged enough, personally and professionally, and the mindset extends to her team. She’ll urge them to ask themselves, “Am I growing as a person?”
Still, even with leadership training in mind, her background in finance remains a crucial asset in the role, which requires her to manage budgets, assess financial risks and ensure regulatory compliance. There’s a natural overlap, she says, between the skills she honed in finance and the operational expertise required in her current role. All of which, of course, is now tied together with an appreciation for horticulture that she gained at KPU.
“It’s not just about working with plants, it’s about mastering processes, precision and working with people,” she says. Angle-double-right
JADE CRABBE BACHELOR OF INTERIOR DESIGN 2020
Through her trauma-informed design, Jade Crabbe sees herself as a voice for the marginalized.
Crabbe is the owner and design director of GreenJade Interiors, which focuses on commercial and residential interior renovations and fuses traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern design principles. By incorporating trauma-informed design into her practice, the work is not only aesthetically sound, but also resonant with meaning for her clients.
Her work is deeply informed by her First Nations heritage, a niche that she recognizes as both vital and underrepresented, and which GreenJade serves nonexclusively.
“I’m very passionate about representing people who usually don’t have a voice,” Crabbe says. “My passion is advocacy for people with quieter voices.”
Crabbe’s passion for design was sparked at an early age and nurtured by her grandmother, who recognized her potential when she was just 10 years old. Crabbe’s grandmother declared that she would be “the next Douglas Cardinal,” a renowned Indigenous architect, while watching her play with Lego. Though young Jade had no idea who Cardinal was at the time, the seed had been planted.
Originally from an Indigenous community in Dawson, Yukon, Crabbe was raised outside of Kamloops in a family dealing with addiction issues. Those same issues would follow her throughout her teen years. By 15, Crabbe had dropped out of school and was pregnant with her first child.
“I was sleeping on park benches, drinking outside on the sidewalk. I had no hope for the future, let alone the dream of becoming an architect,” she says.
But her dream continued to flower. Eventually, her then-boyfriend (and now husband), who had chosen a sober life, asked her point-blank: “Are you going to stay in this life, or are you going to try something new?”
She realizes now how pivotal that question ended up being. It jarred something loose inside her and soon after she enrolled in KPU’s bachelor of interior design and moved to the Lower Mainland for her fresh start.
“I looked at a few schools,” she said, “but KPU blew my socks off. It was so connected to the community, thoughtful and hugely rewarding. It was the beginning of the second half of my life.”
She says the community at KPU was tight-knit and offered the kind of support she needed at the time. The faculty was especially important in developing her skill and recognizing her potential. It was also during this time that Crabbe left Canada for the first time on a KPU-sponsored exchange program to France and Switzerland.
“It radically changed everything I thought I knew about social relations, religion, politics and design,” she says.
Crabbe graduated from KPU in 2021 and founded GreenJade shortly after. She remains connected to the school, serving as a design critic and a member of the Interior Design Program Advisory Committee. She also regularly employs graduates from the program at GreenJade.
“I’m always looking to hire other creatives and other alumni,” she says. “My first choice are the alumni who grew up at KPU because they have an extraordinary conceptual thought process. I know they have pristine attention to detail, and I probably speak for all students, they have an out of this world resilience.”
She says what sets GreenJade Interiors apart is her unique approach to trauma-informed design.
Drawing on her understanding of the psychological effects of trauma —particularly among survivors and descendants of residential schools — Crabbe weaves respect, transparency and control into every aspect of her design process.
The discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools in 2021, particularly in her hometown of Kamloops, weighed heavily on Crabbe as she launched her business. Although she had been working on trauma-informed design before the discovery, it solidified her commitment to advocating for Indigenous communities through her work.
“I’m not a counsellor or a psychologist, but I do understand what it feels like as someone who has suffered these effects. My goal is always to ensure my clients feel in control,” she says.
She works hard to ensure that her designs reflect the cultural values and stories of the people she serves.
“It’s quite rich with my ability to use the skills that KPU taught me about psychology and placemaking,” she says, “and my understanding of trauma-informed design serves me well in building relationships with my clients.”
GreenJade is headquartered in Richmond, but her long-term goal is to return to her home territory in the Yukon, where she hopes to give back to the community that supported her education.
“It’s only right that I use the skills I’ve learned to help my community,” she says. Angle-double-right
KEV KOKOKSA
KevKokoksa’s not quite sure how to describe what he does anymore.
Working at the intersection of academia, clinical practice and prison reform, Kokoska is charting a unique course that blends mental health with social justice, focusing particularly on incarcerated men. Is he a therapist? Is he a researcher? Is he a renegade set on reorienting how we treat men’s mental health inside and outside of prison?
Maybe it’s all of it. Currently working on his PhD in interdisciplinary studies, Kokoska is investigating mental health, trauma and resilience among incarcerated men. He’s working to find what he calls “health in hard places,” testing whether skills that help inmates can also benefit the broader population.
“Prisons are one of the hardest places to find health,” he explains. “If you can test something
there and it works, it might translate back to the community.”
The prison system affected Kokoska early on, with the presence of a family member who was in and out of prison throughout his childhood. He says these early experiences gave him an education in empathy, which planted a seed that eventually grew into a passion for working with incarcerated men.
“Growing up, I had to navigate the ‘good guys versus bad guys’ narrative,” Kokoska says. “I knew my family member as a person, not just what they did. That shaped my understanding that people are worth more than their worst actions.”
Kokoska earned his undergraduate degree at KPU, to which he credits much of his early success. The small class sizes and the professors in particular were valuable for pursuing his particular career path.
“I got to know my professors. I’m still friends with several of my former instructors. That kind of mentorship doesn’t happen everywhere,” he says.
After earning a master’s degree in counselling psychology, Kokoska was eventually drawn to prison work. Initially, he thought it would be as simple as offering pro bono services to prisons, but he quickly learned that gaining access to prisoners isn’t easy.
“Prisons are ironically hard to get into as an outsider looking to offer services,” he says.
Based in Vancouver, Kokoska now spends part of his time near the U.S.-Mexico border as part of his PhD research with UBC, in partnership with the University of New Mexico. He also plans to travel internationally, learning from different systems, particularly in Europe, and bringing those lessons back to Canada.
But it’s really in the U.S., experiencing that country’s prison system first-hand, that has helped him develop his approach to mental health in men – in and outside of prison.
“The U.S. prison system is a machine,” he says. “It’s mostly not good, but they’ve tried a lot of things. It’s useful for us in Canada to see what’s worked and what hasn’t.”
For Kokoska, the work isn’t just about rehabilitating people for re-entry into society, it’s about helping them find peace within themselves, which he believes is a precursor to functional behaviour.
“You have to come to peace with yourself first before you
“A lot of what we’re dealing with is trauma. But there’s also accountability, helping people acknowledge the harm they’ve done.”
– KEV KOKOKSA
can get a good job or ‘get on the straight and narrow,’” he says. “A lot of people skip that step, but it’s crucial.”
Kokoska’s focus on trauma and resilience is especially relevant given the complex histories of many incarcerated men.
“A lot of what we’re dealing with is trauma,” he explains. “But there’s also accountability, helping people acknowledge the harm they’ve done. Some people resist that for years.”
Kokoska is the recipient of this year’s KPU’s Distinguished Alumni Award for his efforts and research with prison populations. But his work actually goes beyond the walls of prisons, aiming to integrate the skills inmates learn into public mental health.
He’s particularly interested in a new genre of men’s mental health that lies somewhere between what he calls the “aggressive masculinity” of figures like Andrew Tate and the “softer vulnerability” of Brene Brown. It’s about helping men find functional paths, regardless of whether they remain incarcerated or rejoin society.
The challenge, however, is in making these therapeutic concepts resonate with inmates. Kokoska often references Brown’s work on vulnerability but says it doesn’t always land the same way in prison.
“They don’t like it,” he says with a laugh. “But I share it with them anyway, and we break it down together to see if there’s anything useful in it. The environment is so different; what works outside doesn’t always work inside.” Angle-double-right
MELINDA BIGE BA SOCIOLOGY 2014
Teaching was never on the career bingo card for Melinda Bige. She had other aspirations. Though she grew up in Surrey, Bige is a proud member of the Lutsel K’e community, an urban Indigenous person raised on the land of Katzie, Kwantlen, Semaihmoo, and Tsawwassen. She spent 20 years engaged in advocacy, much of it for the issues Indigenous people face, and that seemed to be the logical step to take her career. But as it happens in the world of academia – one she initially started at KPU during her undergrad – one thing leads to another and voila, you find yourself associate dean in the Faculty of Arts.
“[Teaching is] what happens when you follow your passion. You just peel back the layers, and you end up somewhere unexpected,” she says.
Bige is also the first Indigenous person to teach Indigenous studies at KPU. The school appealed to Bige from her early days as a student, impressed with the weight of responsibility the university held to its name. As a student, Bige spent much of her time learning about her identity.
At that time, KPU didn’t have an Indigenous studies department, but did have many Indigenous themed topics, which resonated with her roots, activism and advocacy. Here, she found she could make the kind of change she wants to see in academia by decolonizing education. This philosophy reflects a broader vision for education at KPU, one rooted in decolonial and Indigenous approaches.
“My goal is to guide students, faculty and the university as a whole toward a more inclusive, thoughtful and decolonial future,” she says. “It’s about creating opportunities for everyone to learn and grow in ways that reflect who they are, where they come from and the world they live in.
“We’re not following a monolithic approach to education, the kind most people are used to,” Bige says. “What we’re doing is decolonial. To quote Leanne Simpson, you learn with your whole body.”
KPU’s commitment to this educational model is not just theoretical, she says. The university has embedded decolonial and Indigenous principles into its core.
“KPU’s work in decolonization is guided by the community. When we can reach all the goals laid out in the *Pathways* document, we’ll know we’ve done the work. But we’re not there yet.”
For Bige, this process is about more than ticking boxes. It’s about fostering real, meaningful connections between the university and Indigenous communities, creating a learning environment that is inclusive and dynamic. It’s an organic relationship.
“I really just like learning and I like to learn with people,” she says. “That’s how I ended up teaching. (It) wasn’t because I wanted to be a teacher. That’s sort of how I approach the classroom. The students that I’m
fortunate enough to be privileged to teach, I take them with me, and they never feel like there’s a hierarchy.”
Her leadership at KPU reflects her personal dedication to these principles, a passion that is grounded in the belief that education must engage the whole person. Her work at KPU, and elsewhere, helped to earn her the Indigenous Distinguished Alum Award from University of Victoria, where she received her master of arts in Indigenous governance.
“It’s not just about facts and figures,” Bige says. “It’s about life, about allowing students to experience and live their education.”
She says that KPU is a great place to start an educational career, because the students have greater focus from the instructors compared to other post-secondary institutions. The opportunities for mentorship are great for students as well – something Bige benefited from during her time there. She names Lisa Monchalin in particular as someone who had a big impact, mentoring Bige and supporting the development of Indigenous studies at the school.
At the same time, Bige sees the current generation of students remarkable and inspiring in a few different ways, which helps invigorate her efforts, and those of her colleagues.
“I really adore them for their deep, critical interaction with the world around them. And there is no other generation that I’ve ever seen that is that critical and engaged and also has a high expectation for understanding social justice,” she says.
Bige’s journey to leadership in education may have been unplanned, but it is one that she now embraces fully. While she’s not currently teaching due to her administrative responsibilities, she remains closely tied to the classroom. When she returns, she hopes to bring her vision for decolonizing education to fruition.
“My hope for the classroom is to continue encouraging students to see themselves through different lenses, and to engage with the world from multiple perspectives,” she says.
“Students deserve the opportunity to make up their minds about the world around them, not just from facts but from lived experience.” Angle-double-right
MELODY PAN
B.SC. NURSING
2008
Every career has its rough patches. Some take longer to get rolling than others. Other times, what seems so obvious takes time to materialize.
Melody Pan understands this as well as anyone. She knew she was on the right path when she decided to become a nurse. But still, she was worried that the journey might not pay off in the end. The problem?
“My English was really bad,” she remembers. “I was so afraid every day that I would fail my clinicals and be fired.”
Pan arrived in Canada originally to be closer to her sister, who was studying nursing at KPU. Back in China, Pan had been working as a pharmacist, but had reservations about continuing the profession when she made the move.
Shortly after landing in Canada, Pan’s father was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. She flew back home to take care of him, when she was struck with unexpected inspiration.
“He was a nephrologist, a doctor who served so many people, but I couldn’t do anything to help him,” she says.
“I saw my sister handle everything — making his bed, helping him with personal care — while I stood there, useless. That was when I decided to become a nurse.”
So, despite persistent fears around her language barrier, she enrolled at Douglas College with a diploma in nursing. In 2005, she transitioned into KPU’s nursing program to pursue the bachelor of science in nursing.
“I was struggling every single day,” she says. “I worried constantly that I would fail or be fired from my clinical placements because of my poor English.”
But Pan’s years at KPU were transformative in a few different ways. Shortly after starting at KPU while balancing a full-time job, she discovered she was pregnant. KPU became more than just a school for her – it became a sanctuary.
“KPU was amazing,” she says. “They tailored the program for full-time working nurses like me. I could attend classes in my spare time and still keep up with my job.”
She temporarily paused her studies for maternity leave. During her time away from school, she was offered a pilot project in critical care at Burnaby’s ICU, a crucial opportunity that kept her connected to the field. When she returned to her studies, she had more resolve than ever before.
“KPU gave me my confidence back. I think employers should hire KPU graduates because they’re not just knowledgeable, they’re practical, and they can think critically.”
Pan completed her degree in 2008, and even after graduating, she would return to use the Richmond campus library while completing her master of nursing degree at Trinity Western University. “It was like a second home,” she says.
Pan has served on the HMCS Discovery as a navy reservist since 2019, and also works as a clinical nurse educator at Richmond Home and Community Care. In this role, she educates and mentors new nurses while supporting complex patients who often require specialized care. Her job is a marriage of her passion for education and her desire to work directly with patients, particularly in the home care space.
“We emphasize preventative measures and a self-care model for patients,” she explains. “If my nurses struggle with teaching complex cases, I step in to provide extra support.”
The irony of Pan’s transition – from a quiet student afraid of her language skills to an educator mentoring students – is not lost on her.
“It’s funny to me now,” she laughs. “Back in school, I never talked. People who knew me back then are shocked to see me teaching now.”
She’s driven by her personal connection to the patients she serves, particularly in palliative care. Shortly after her father passed away, her mother was also diagnosed with cancer, and witnessing the compassionate care her mother received instilled in her a passion for community healthcare.
“That’s why I work in home care now, serving palliative patients just like my mother was,” she says.
Last July, Pan was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which is given to individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to one of its provinces. She credits KPU for contributing to this distinction and says that her story is a testament to the kind of education KPU offers, one where an immigrant with limited English can have a successful, meaningful career.
She likens her education at KPU to an airplane setting off for flight.
“KPU was the solid platform – the airport – that allowed me to take off,” she says. “I don’t know how long I’ll be on the runway, but I know I’m going to soar.” Angle-double-right
Reggie Mann needed a second chance.
When she was 13, her father passed away, an event that had a profound effect on the trajectory of her life. In the years following, she partied her way through high school and avoided her classes.
“I always wanted to be a therapist, but I struggled academically,” Mann admits. “I thought there was no way I could achieve that dream.”
Eventually, she found that second chance through KPU’s Pathways to Education Program, which she says was a “lifeline for kids like me,” and opened doors that she had thought were closed forever.
“We all deserve a second chance. And I’m here to help others find theirs.
– REGGIE MANN
“I went through trauma at 13,” she says. “I was already rebellious. I needed to be able to make those mistakes in life, and that shouldn’t mean just like, ‘Well, that’s the choice you made, and that’s it.’
“To win that scholarship was such a boost for me that I needed at that time. I was 21 and I needed that confident boost that, okay, you can do this. You’re smart enough, you belong here, you know now, here we are.”
She enrolled in the public relations diploma program, and gathered important skills in marketing and communications, while also forging a community on campus that gave her confidence and a sense of purpose. Many of the people she met while at KPU led to lasting friendships and were important in the professional networks she’d forge later on.
“The smaller class sizes meant I built strong connections with professors and classmates. That support made all the difference,” she says.
After earning the diploma, she finished off her degree in human resources, and worked in that field for years, but her dream to become a counsellor never went away.
“I’ve seen firsthand the difference that a good counsellor can make,” she shares. “There’s a significant need for mental health services in the South Asian community, and I want to help break down those barriers.”
Today, she’s just finished her master’s in counselling and is starting a new role as a counsellor at Moving Forward Family Services. Her vision is to enhance mental health accessibility in her community, especially among the South Asian population.
While her route to becoming a therapist has been anything but conventional, her journey proves an important truth about any career – that a diversity of experiences can lead to fulfilling, even unexpected, careers.
Looking back, she realizes now how valuable the skills she picked up through the PR program are for her work as a counsellor.
“The skills I gained are transferable,” she says. “Whether it’s project coordination or crafting a media release, my PR background helps me navigate the professional landscape.”
Mann’s commitment to her community extends beyond her career. She’s the primary contact for the Hardip Mann Endowed Entrance Award scholarship at KPU, which was created in honour of her father. Each year, five underprivileged students, who typically focus their time on sports, are given $1,000 each to help them pursue their education goals, and the family plans to expand this initiative into a foundation, further solidifying her father’s legacy.
“It’s very personal for me. We want to support kids like I once was — those who may feel lost or unsure of their path. It’s about ensuring that financial barriers don’t prevent talented kids from reaching their potential,” she says.
“We all deserve a second chance. And I’m here to help others find theirs.” Angle-double-right
STEPHANIE CADIEUX DIPLOMA IN MARKETING 1994
The accident changed everything. At 18 years old, Stephanie Cadieux sustained a spinal injury in a car crash and was left with paralysis affecting most of her body, and requiring the use of a wheelchair for mobility.
For almost everyone else this has happened to, it has set off a profound impact on the trajectory of their lives. But for Cadieux, it set her off on a journey of advocacy and leadership that is unparalleled in Canadian society.
Today, Cadieux serves as Canada’s first-ever chief accessibility officer, after serving the public for 13 years as a member of the legislative assembly – and championing accessibility at every turn.
“Initially, [advocacy] wasn’t a passion,” Cadieux says. “It was a necessity – learning how to advocate for myself, to be able to navigate and have the life I wanted.”
Shortly after the accident, Cadieux enrolled in the diploma in marketing program at KPU, where the small class sizes and close-knit community offered her a learning experience that was both personal and practical.
“KPU really made me feel like I mattered,” she says. “It’s a very supportive environment, and students come out ready for the job market.”
After graduating, Cadieux started working for the B.C. Paraplegic Association, working her way up to director of marketing and development. Along the way, she also served as manager of accessibility for 2010 Legacies Now Society, and as president of the Realwheels Society, ambassador for the Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation, among other roles advocating for and shaping policy around accessibility.
Each role forged a deeper understanding of the importance for accessibility beyond her own needs, and fueled the engine of her career.
In 2009, Cadieux launched her career in politics, elected as MLA for the BC Liberal Party in the Surrey-Panorama riding, making history as the first woman with a visible disability to serve in the legislature and provincial cabinet.
“Representation matters,” Cadieux says. “Maybe there’s a little girl watching who sees that it can be her. That’s important, and I’m proud to have done that.”
As MLA, Cadieux advocated for issues beyond disability, serving at various times as minister of children and family development, minister of social development, minister of labour, citizens’ services and open government, and minister of community, sport and cultural development.
However, accessibility was always at the forefront of her efforts. Her time in provincial politics also offered her a deeper understanding of the complexities of governance. Her presence in the legislature sparked tangible change and, at times, highlighted the importance of inclusive design in public spaces. The legislative building, for example, wasn’t accessible when she started out as MLA.
“Before I left, we had an accessible public entrance,” she says.
But her biggest role was still ahead of her. In 2019, the federal government passed the Accessible Canada Act, which was aimed at creating a barrier-free Canada and introduced new government posts, including the role of chief accessibility officer. Cadieux knew it was her calling. She applied and in 2022 received a four-year appointment, with the possibility of extensions.
“To be the first anything is pretty cool,” she admits. “But it’s more than just the title. It’s about the doors that have opened for others.”
In this role, she serves as both an independent advisor to the minister of diversity, inclusion and people with disabilities, while also providing guidance on all aspects of the act’s implementation. This involves regular consultation with the disability community, stakeholders in regulated sectors and international partners.
One of the most crucial aspects of the job, she says, involves shaping the national conversation about accessibility, noting that the work goes beyond advocating for and building ramps and power doors. There are disabilities that many of us don’t see as easily, such as hearing loss, blindness, dyslexia or autism, and the barriers faced by individuals with different disabilities are not all the same. This poses challenges when as a country we look to remove those barriers.
“I play a role as a kind of ‘chief influencer’ on accessibility for the country. Accessibility reaches into things we can’t see,” she says.
“It’s a complex thing for people to understand if they haven’t experienced it themselves.”
It’s an impressive career by any measure, and she’s been nominated numerous times over the years for the impact of her work. Most notably for Cadieux, she received an honourary Doctor of Laws from KPU.
“That was unbelievably special,” she says of the award.
With a minimum of two years left as CAO, Cadieux has ambitious plans for how to increase accessibility across the country, including finding ways to work with provinces and municipalities to implement change at each level. She knows as well as anyone that governments can only do so much on their own.
“There’s still a lot of work to do, but I’m hopeful,” she says. “People are starting to understand the importance of accessibility, and that’s a huge step in the right direction.” Angle-double-right
UPINDER CHAHAL COMPUTER INFO SYSTEMS 2016CO-OP
Upinder Chahal has simple advice for all current and prospective KPU students: make the most of your time and resources while you’re there. It will come in handy later on.
“KPU provides the same opportunities as any larger university — it just comes down to how you take advantage of them,” Chahal says.
He knows this as well as anybody. Today, Chahal is senior project manager for Fujitsu Americas Inc., a consulting firm that works with various public and private sector firms on large-scale technology initiatives. He manages multi-million-dollar projects and liaises with
various public sector departments to drive innovation and efficiency throughout the respective organizations.
His career path, however, began by leveraging the available programs, volunteer opportunities and connections KPU provided, which has helped shape a notable and rewarding career so far. And while it’s far from over, it’s clear the foundation he built at KPU continues to shape his success.
“The school provided me with the tools I needed to succeed. It gave me the flexibility to start my career early and the support to grow both academically and professionally.”
Chahal grew up in Chandigarh, the capital of both Punjab and Haryana in India. The universities in the area are renowned throughout the country, but for Chahal, studying abroad and gaining international perspective held far greater appeal.
“The quality of education in India is excellent, but there’s a sense of being just a number in a large crowd. I wanted a more global exposure, where I could grow as an individual and not just be a face in the crowd,” he says.
That desire to be more than just a number is what ultimately led him to Canada, and specifically why he chose KPU over other schools. The smaller class sizes were appealing, as was one-on-one time with instructors. There were also opportunities for industry exposure through co-op terms and work experience, which Chahal was hungry for.
In 2012, he enrolled in the bachelor of information technology program and became active in student life, beyond his studies. He worked in both the English and recreation departments as a student assistant, he assisted students with disabilities and he was involved in the Fab 40, a program that connected top students with industry executives. Each of these projects, he says, were critical to his personal and professional growth. During his time at KPU, he served on the board of governors and the Alumni Association after graduation.
“KPU offers a lot of opportunities, and it’s up to the students to make the best use of them,” he says. Chahal balanced his extra-curricular activities with his co-op terms, and added evening classes to the mix. During his second year, he joined the co-op program, which he credits as his “first stepping stone” into the industry, connecting him with Sierra Wireless, a
“I believe in giving back to the community that gave so much to me.”
– UPINDER CHAHAL
Richmond-based technology company, where he’d land his job.
Chahal spent close to seven years at Sierra Wireless, working his way through various roles in the company, from technology-focused positions to business analysis and project management.
“The co-op program really helped me gain a foothold in the industry,” he says. “Kwantlen also gave me the flexibility to pursue evening classes during co-op terms, which was crucial in those early years.”
Eventually, Chahal pursued further education and in 2020, he graduated from UBC Sauder’s MBA program, which he credits for honing his leadership skills and expanding his perspective of various industries. At Sauder, Chahal’s classmates were seasoned professionals from diverse industries – including technology, healthcare, banking, environment, retail and mining – which has provided a diverse and inclusive perspective in his professional life.
“My time at Sauder was unique and somewhat similar to KPU in terms of the close attention professors gave to students, but the environment was different,” he recalls. “It was less about learning the fundamentals, like at KPU, and more about managerial and executivelevel discussions.”
He says those fundamentals he learned at KPU are invaluable, giving him a solid foundation in both technical knowledge and practical skills that serves him well today at Fujitsu Americas. He continues to stay connected to KPU by mentoring students who are navigating a similar career path.
“I believe in giving back to the community that gave so much to me,” he says. “KPU offers so many resources, and it’s important for graduates to help create opportunities for the next generation.” Angle-double-right
Yongjie Yon wanted nothing more than to go to Oxford University.
Growing up in Singapore, he viewed the prestigious UK university as a mark of success. But after immigrating to Canada, where he completed high school in Langley, he faced a challenging academic journey, struggling with tests and exams.
Oxford University became a symbol of opportunity – a way out – but he acknowledges it felt out of reach.
“It had always seemed unattainable when I was younger,” he admits.
Instead of applying to Oxford, Yon set his sights on KPU to begin his academic career.
“This year marks 20 years since I graduated from KPU, and it’s been quite a path,” he says.
It was at KPU where his interest in aging populations was sparked by developmental psychology classes and particularly by a professor, the late Dr. Larry Anderson, who’d started the aging and YONGJIE YON
psychology program at KPU.
The interactions with Dr. Anderson proved transformative for Yon.
“He was the one who first suggested to me that aging would become an area of increasing importance,” Yon says. “I didn’t realize how right he was until I fully dove into the field.”
Today, Yon works for the World Health Organization in Copenhagen, Denmark. He’s at the forefront of global health, shaping policies for aging populations in 53 countries –work that has earned him this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award from KPU.
Despite his global career, Yon remains grounded in the values instilled during his time at KPU. It was here that his passion for research and policy development took root. He recalls small class sizes and close connections with faculty members like Anderson as key to building his confidence.
“I wasn’t always sure about my abilities,” he says, “but KPU gave me the environment to explore and develop my skills, particularly in research. That has been crucial to my work in public health.”
The intersection of aging, societal attitudes and policy began to crystallize for Yon as a field in which he could make a meaningful impact.
The concept of aging — and its intersection with social attitudes and policy — began to crystallize for Yon during his time at KPU. He realized that this issue resonated deeply with him, not just on a theoretical level, but also in its social and practical implications, particularly regarding how societies view and support older individuals. This understanding fueled his desire to make a meaningful impact in the field. One
of his first research jobs, under the guidance of Anderson, focused on ageism.
“That work really opened my eyes to the pervasive nature of ageism and how it influences everything from health care to employment policies,” he says.
After KPU, Yon earned advanced degrees from SFU and USC, and went on to work with the Canadian government, all of which contributed to the issues he grew increasingly passionate about. But he also notes his upbringing as a Buddhist with the Soka Gakkai International, which he says is foundational in how he approaches his life and work.
He believes in the inherent dignity of every individual, which comes from the “unique potential we all possess.” Buddhism, he says, teaches that each of us has the capacity to achieve our goals and make meaningful contributions.
This belief emphasizes that every life holds value, and we each have a unique mission to fulfil. “It’s not about seeking something outside yourself, but about manifesting what’s already there. That’s been a guiding principle for me.”
Yon’s work is entering a critical new phase as the WHO/Europe prepares to launch a new framework for action on aging in good health in 2025. The framework, which aims to set strategic actions through and beyond 2030, guiding policies across the 53 countries of the European Region in promoting healthy aging, reducing health inequities and improving outcomes for all individuals at every stage of life.
This expansive effort addresses critical issues such as elder abuse, prioritizing prevention, reorienting
health and care systems, creating safe and enabling environments, and reimagining aging throughout the life course.
This work, he says, is more relevant than ever.
“We’re at a pivotal moment. The decisions we make today will shape what it means to grow older in the future for all of us,” he says.
“We’re living longer but not necessarily healthier lives.
The challenge is how to create environments and systems that support people to age well, so they can live healthier and more fulfilling lives.”
Yon notes the increasing diversity and abilities within aging populations, which he says is often overlooked in the public conversation.
“There’s this spectrum of aging experiences,” he notes. “You can have an 80-year-old who’s incredibly active and healthy on one end, and on the other, you have someone in need of care. Age is not a monolithic experience, and we need to move beyond this binary of ‘old’ versus ‘young.’”
This nuanced view informs the work and helps to support countries to design policies that promote healthy aging and improve the functional ability of older individuals. By doing so, we empower older adults to pursue what they value, whether that means remaining in the workforce longer, engaging in long-cherished hobbies, continuing lifelong education or volunteering. The goal, he says, is to give older people more choices about when to retire, how to spend their later years, and how to maintain their health and autonomy for as long as possible.
“The challenge is how to create environments and systems that support people to age well, so they can live healthier and more fulfilling lives.”
– YONGJIE YON
“The way we treat older people speaks to our values as a society,” he says. “Aging is living – not a problem to solve or a disease to manage. It’s a privilege that not everyone gets to experience, yet society often treats older adults as irrelevant, frail and unproductive. That needs to change.”
He further adds that “the choices we make today shape how we age and it’s essential that we create a society where every individual, regardless of age, can thrive.”
He uses the media coverage of political leaders’ age as the prime example of the gap between societal perceptions of age and the reality of individual capabilities.
“Age alone shouldn’t be the marker for whether someone can or cannot do a job. It’s about capability,” Yon says.
Yon reflects on a 20-year career so far, highlighting a pivotal moment from a couple of years ago: completing an invited fellowship at Oxford. This opportunity to engage with the very issues he is passionate about felt deeply meaningful and symbolic, bringing his ambitions – the dream – full circle.
“Being invited there after all these years, and now working at WHO, truly validates the hard work I’ve put in,” he says. Angle-double-right
This year we are delighted to confer the Future Alumni Award on Zahra Khan, an exceptional student leader.
Since 2007, KPU and the KPU Alumni Association has recognized many deserving alumni through our Alumni Awards program.
Each year we honor exceptional alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Young Outstanding Alumni award and the Alumni Excellence award.
Find out more about each award at alumni.kpu.ca/Awards.
Khan has been a dedicated and active member of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) community, contributing significant volunteer hours with Voices of Muslim Women, the Pride Society, Climate Plus Challenge and KPU departments while completing her bachelor of arts with a double major in English and political science.
Khan’s motivation to volunteer stemmed from a desire to enrich the school environment and foster connections with her peers, emphasizing the importance of shared learning experiences.
Khan’s leadership skills and dedication to the KPU community have been widely recognized and her participation in a variety of events has demonstrated her poise, confidence and ability to lead.
Khan’s contributions to the KPU community have earned her high praise, making her a highly deserving recipient of the 2024 Future Alumni Award.
The KPU Alumni Association was pleased to continue expanding our benefits and privileges program through the Alumni Perks mobile app and microsite. Our perks partners, including many alum-owned and operated businesses, provide services and products to KPU alum at discounted rates:
» All Purpose Realty
» Altitude Media Co.
» Arafat Kalam Notary Public
» Best Coast Bonsai Inc.
» Black Bird Holistic
» Broadway Across Canada
» Cirque du Soleil
» Coach Hector Wong
» Conscious Works
» AG Dominion Blue Reprographics
» EJ Cellphone Repair
» Eyetician
» Fresh Prep
» Hannah T Photography
» H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
» Hum Apparel
» Ingrid Brito Life Coach
» Magic IT Solutions
» Miller & Co.
» RC Railing Experts
» S&A Accounting
» Second Life Apparel
» Thunderbolt Sign
» Vancouver Boat Parties
» Vancouver Canadians
» VanGo Vapes
» Z&R Automotive
01 Mihir Panchal Angle-double-right Post-Bac Dip, Operations and Supply Chain Management ’23
As Panchal embarks on the exciting journey of starting his own business in the supply chain industry, he carries with him not only the academic knowledge gained at KPU but also a wealth of practical insights that have been instrumental in shaping his vision. Panchal’s time at Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been nothing short of transformative, and he is eager to apply the skills and wisdom he has acquired to make a meaningful impact in the world of supply chain management.
02 Geo Akkara Post-Bac Dip, Technical Management and Services ’23
Securing the role of IT support specialist at the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) soon after graduating from KPU was a significant milestone in Akkara’s professional journey, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter in his career.
03 Riya Riya BBA, Accounting ’24
While completing her BBA in accounting Riya successfully launched her own taxation business, which has already served over 100 clients and continues to grow. Riya is proud of the progress and impact her business has had so far. In fall 2024 she started her CPA journey, furthering her education and expertise in the field of accounting. These endeavours mark significant milestones in Riya’s professional journey, and she is eager to continue learning and growing in the field of accounting.
04 Shanal Prasad BBA, Accounting ’11
After graduating with a BBA in accounting from KPU, Prasad worked in a variety of roles in industry for a few years to obtain his CMA (now CPA) designation. From there he attended law school at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops and moved to Chilliwack upon being called to the bar. Prasad is now the founder and owner of Alpine Legal Services where they serve clients all over the Lower Mainland in the areas of real estate, business, and wills and estates law. They have been able to achieve consistent yearover-year growth since inception and have now become one of the highest rated law firms on Google in the Fraser Valley. Being a lawyer and a business owner tests Prasad in unique ways every single day but he loves every part of it no matter how challenging.
05 Kate Fisher BBA, Entrepreneurial Leadership ’12
After leaving the corporate world, working in marketing for brands like Nike and Saje Wellness, Fisher started a marketing agency in 2019 and hasn’t looked back. The agency now works with brands all over the world and employs five full-time staff members.
As a recruitment marketing strategist at B.C. Public Service, Atwal helps connect hiring managers with job seekers. Her role involves managing outreach efforts for both virtual and in-person events, which allows her to connect with students and job seekers throughout the province. Through these events, Atwal has been able to provide insight into the benefits of working at B.C. Public Service and instill confidence in those interested in applying for a position. Atwal is proud to be able to attract a diverse pool of talent and provide guidance on their inclusive and equitable application process.
07 Sonya Hayer BA, Psychology ’21
Hayer holds the position of manager of governance at Prospera Credit Union. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the meeting processes for the board and its committees, ensuring a well-organized and effective governance cycle. She also manages the Governance Office, where she ensures compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, and maintains general corporate reporting standards. This role has allowed Hayer to develop her skills in policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, and governance. Hayer’s background in local government administration has provided a solid foundation for her role, enabling her to navigate complex governance landscapes and contribute effectively to organizational success.
08 Tania Rosier BA, Criminology ’10
Rosier is working for the Ministry of Attorney General as a justice interviewer and anticipates becoming a family justice counsellor in the next year. Rosier is also a crisis interventionist through her company, Guided Path Wellness, where she teaches suicide prevention and chronic pain education.
09
Kaur serves as an account manager at EC Managed IT, a valued career partner of KPU. Simultaneously, Kaur finds fulfillment as a community ambassador, proudly representing KPU and deepening her engagement with the community. Through these roles, she has discovered a passion for the intersection of IT and business, prompting her commitment to further expand her skills. Kaur’s goal is to leverage this blend to pursue new opportunities and continue serving the community with enthusiasm and dedication.
10 Simranjit Grover Dip, Business Management ’20
Grover is currently the senior operations manager with Community Builders Group. Grover manages a few supportive housing sites that include integrated health programs. This role allows him to apply the skills he learned at KPU, ensuring effective operations and providing vital support to the community. It’s fulfilling to see the positive impact their services have on people’s lives, and he is proud to contribute to such meaningful work.
11 Jessameen Dela Peña Post-Bac Dip, HR Management ’23
As an employment specialist at WorkBC Maple Ridge, Dela Peña has the privilege of paying forward the support she once received. Dela Peña specializes in assisting immigrant clients and individuals overcoming employment barriers. Leveraging her expertise in psychological assessment and labour market trends, she creates personalized action plans to enhance their job search. Whether it’s resume and cover letter writing, honing interview skills, navigating the job market or exploring different career paths, Dela Peña is dedicated to providing the support they need.
12 Kelsi Young BBA, HR Management ’13, Co-op Education
In 2018, Young had the wonderful opportunity to join KPU’s HR team as an HR business partner, and she is still there today. It’s been a full-circle moment for her, returning to KPU as a professional after having such a positive experience as a student. In Young’s role, she supports the university’s service areas and faculties by providing advice and guidance on HR best practices. Recently, she has taken on an exciting opportunity as a talent acquisition specialist. In this new role, Young assists hiring managers with their recruitment needs, helping to attract and bring top talent to KPU.
13 Chandan Rathod Post-Bac Dip, Operations and Supply Chain Management ’22
Rathod is continuously looking to further his education and looking for areas where he can improve that will help him in his future career progression. So, he will keep looking for those opportunities to learn and to grow. Rathod is planning to get the SCMP designation in the next year so he is just preparing for that. He would be looking to acquire some other educational credentials related to AI in procurement and supply chain.
14 Henry Flowers BBA, Accounting ’19
Flowers is currently a senior manager at PwC Canada where he works with clients to navigate requirements to stay onside with compliance requirements and to enhance control over prevalent risks in their operations and processes. A lot of Flowers’ focus these days is around IT and financial process risks, with a particular interest in AI risk management this year. Outside of work, Flowers stays involved with KPU as vice chair of the KPU Alumni Association board, an associate director, DEI for the ISACA Vancouver Chapter and CPA ambassador.
Co-op Education
Since graduating from KPU, Bansal has been working with the IT operations team at one of the largest employers in B.C., focusing on asset management, planning and vendor relations. Bansal’s journey has been shaped by the strong foundation he built at KPU, particularly through the co-op program and leadership experiences. In addition, his role as a peer mentor and involvement in volunteer activities have equipped him with the interpersonal and organizational skills necessary to excel in his career.
16 Snow Nguyen BBA, Marketing Management ’23, Co-op Education
During her co-op experience, Nguyen explored various industries, but she was determined to find a career that aligned with her personal interests. That journey led Nguyen to Fine Choice Foods Ltd., where she now works as a marketing coordinator for a CPG company. This year has been especially exciting, from traveling to Houston for a major food tradeshow to collaborating on retail and product launches with companies like Costco, Sam’s Club and Albertsons/Safeway. Although she is still new to the industry, having graduated just 2 years ago, it’s been an incredible journey of learning, and she’s grateful for the support co-op provided along the way.
17 Andrew Blair BBA, HR Management ’16, Co-op Education
Blair recently graduated with a master’s degree in human resource management from Cornell University in the U.S. Blair is on his second company as the head of HR. Blair’s first company was publicly traded and his current company is private equity owned. He recently moved back to Canada and is looking to get more involved with the community now that he is back.
18 Angelica Carpio BTECH, Information Technology ’21, Co-op Education
Carpio is a QA engineer with PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited (PwC). She tests and debugs products throughout the product development process to ensure they meet quality requirements before launch. She creates automation scripts which can be executed repeatedly, enhancing test coverage, eliminating errors and saving the efforts of testing teams.
19 Josh Roesler Dip, General Business Studies ’21
Roesler is currently working at a rebar fabrication company as a senior HR generalist. In his role, he oversees the human resources department for its B.C. location, while assisting the other location in Alberta. This involves participating in strategy meetings with board members, developing the organization, managing all labour relations, handling workforce planning and talent management, developing and implementing systems with HR best practices, and handling many other HR facets within the company.
After graduating from KPU, Juren was hired directly by Royal Caribbean cruise line. The first few years were an incredible experience, traveling the world while building his IT career. Juren quickly earned respect within the company and moved up to the role of IT manager in just five years. For the next seven years, he worked as an IT manager, eventually managing the IT operations on its largest and newest ships. Juren led a team of 12, overseeing multimillion-dollar systems. Today, he has taken on even greater responsibility as the IT fleet manager, where he is in charge of 62 ships and over 400 shipboard employees.
In his seven years working at KPU, Stevenson has taken on a number of projects that demonstrated his knowledge of the five campuses, which brought more transparency for IT’s incident and request logging. Stevenson’s manager vouched for his work ethic and ability to easily communicate with both IT staff and non-IT staff. In September of 2021, Stevenson earned a promotion to System Support Tech Supervisor and has rung in his fourth year now in this role.
KPU FOUNDATION
A significant donation from a Vancouver Island philanthropist will help students enrolling in trades, technology and health programs at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
The Pieter de Reuver Foundation’s gift will provide $240,000 in scholarships and bursaries to students over the next three years.
“We are just so grateful at KPU to welcome one of Vancouver Island’s most generous philanthropists to our family to help students,” says Randall Heidt, CEO of the KPU Foundation. “I have had the privilege to work with Pieter for a number of years to help hundreds of students and I am thrilled that he now wants to help students from all over B.C. He’s just a great person, who loves to help students reach their life goals.”
The funds will annually support 24 $2,500 Pieter de Reuver Foundation bursaries and eight $2,500 Pieter de Reuver Foundation scholarships.
“I’m very happy to extend the reach of our foundation to the mainland with KPU and help more students achieve their goals,” says de Reuver, president of the Pieter de Reuver Foundation. “Good education is very important to me.”
The 32 new annual awards will support students in trades and technology and health programs with preference given to students who are from Vancouver Island, self-identify as having Indigenous ancestry, have been in foster care or in care of the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development, or designated as a person with disabilities.
KPU FOUNDATION
Longtime philanthropists Steve and Karen McDonald have generously donated $500,000 to establish the Steve and Karen McDonald Endowed Nursing Award, supporting KPU's Faculty of Health.
Residents of the South Surrey/White Rock area, the McDonalds are deeply committed to giving back to their community. Understanding the financial challenges that nursing students face, they created this award to ease the burden for those pursuing careers in healthcare.
This award will support two students throughout their four years of study, providing a combination of tuition credit and direct financial support to help with related expenses. The McDonalds' generosity reflects their dedication to shaping the future of healthcare by supporting the next generation of nurses.
The KPU Office of Alumni Affairs is thrilled to be expanding to offer KPU alumni more opportunities to engage with KPU.
Director, Alumni Affairs and Executive Director KPU Alumni Association
The KPU Alumni Association (KPUAA) became a registered society in 2008. Founders and directors are KPU alumni who volunteer and support the growth of KPU by envisioning engagement opportunities for our alumni. The board follows a governance model and is responsible for providing the strategic vision to achieve its mission and mandate of engaging a population of over 75,000 KPU alumni.
Alumni chapters are a way to stay connected with your special group of former classmates, meet new people and be involved with KPU in a way that is meaningful to you. Chapters can organize events and activities that promote the interests of your particular group of alum. The KPU Alumni Association is pleased to provide seed funding, and the KPU Alumni Affairs office is there to provide support for new alum chapters. If this interests you, be sure to check out the Chapter Handbook at alumni.kpu.ca/chapters or contact the Alumni Affairs office at alumni@kpu.ca or call 604.599.3137
Absent: Lovepreet Kaur
Welcome to the eighth issue of the KPU Alumni Magazine. We are very excited to be able to offer inspiring stories about KPU alumni and how they are contributing to our communities. Also, in these pages are several compelling stories of philanthropy, as well as details on how our alumni can stay connected and take advantage of benefits and privileges available to them, simply for being KPU alumni.
The KPU Alumni Association (KPUAA) plays a key role in ensuring our alumni remain engaged with KPU. One important way we achieve this is through our annual Distinguished Alumni Awards. In these pages, you will find the stories of our most recent award winners, including our two Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, Yongjie Yon and Kevin Kokoska.
If you know of an exceptional KPU alum, I encourage you to nominate them for one of our three awards. More details about these can be found at alumni.kpu.ca/awards.
We also continue to build on our special offerings for KPU alumni through our Alumni Perks program. The growing benefits and privileges our alumni enjoy are ever more accessible through a mobile app and microsite called KPU Alumni Perks and we continue to grow our offerings each year. More details can be found on page 32.
Because the KPUAA’s mandate is focused on enhancing alumni engagement, with the support of the office of the Vice President External and the Alumni Affairs office, we launched a robust survey of our alumni to learn more about how they would like to be engaged. Armed with this information, coupled with the recent additions to the alumni affairs team, we are in a great position to build on exciting new programming, including chapters and events. So stayed posted for some exciting new initiatives.
As always, the KPUAA recognizes the importance of supporting students, our future alumni. To this end, we are very pleased to contribute substantially to the KPU Giving Tuesday initiative through which we build on our endowment, now exceeding $60,000. In addition, we continue to fulfill our annual pledge of $5,000 toward building our endowment, which offers annual monetary awards and bursaries in support of KPU students in need.
If you have any questions about the many benefits of being KPU alumni, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Alumni Affairs team and if you want to share your story for the next issue of the magazine, I encourage you to connect with us at alumni@kpu.ca.
JACQUELINE TARANTINO (BA CRIM ’15) Chair, KPU Alumni Association
KPU Connects is a community built with you in mind! Find your perfect mentor or mentee and start connecting with other members to accelerate your personal and professional development.
LEARN MORE alumni.kpu.ca/TenKCoffees
2022-23307-7027_HomeGeneric The TD Insurance Meloche Monnex program is underwritten by <SECURITY NATIONAL> <PRIMMUM>
Keep in touch with what’s happening at KPU and with our active alumni community.
alumni.kpu.ca
KPUalumni
KPU Alumni
Interested in KPU programs and courses? Contact the Future Students’ Office: 604.599.3030 study@kpu.ca
Kwantlen Polytechnic University 12666 72 Avenue Surrey, BC V3W 2M8
40723093