{ A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE } BACK TO THE BOOKS 18 THE TRUTH OF HEALING IS EVIDENT 24 A PIPELINE TO SUCCESS 28 ONE GRAD’S UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTE TO BECOMING A MYSTERY WRITER 14 FALL 2022 wrotesheMurder,
3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
Illustrator: Eric Dyck
Distribution: Amy Taylor
College staff contributors: Kristy Clark, Leeanne Conrad, Tanner Fletcher, James Harrison, Melissa Johnson, Greg Kruyssen, Lawrence Krysak, Kristina Madarasz, Ron Ostepchuk, Shawn Salberg, Stephanie Savage
Lisa Kozleski Editor
As always – thanks for reading!
Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’s community magazine, celebrating the successes and stories of students, employees, alumni, partners and friends. The magazine aims to educate, engage and delight its readers through compelling stories and images about Lethbridge College people, places and experiences.
I have been thinking a lot about the friends we make at college lately, especially since I had the chance to spend time with one of my college besties this spring. Sara and I met at our school’s equivalent of New Student Orientation, unknowingly creating a lifelong friendship before classes even started. We were in the same small group and we hit it off from the start. We endured Geology 101 (“Rocks for Jocks”) and a few other classes together that first year, became housemates in second year, shared the ups and downs of life as young adults, and pretty much served as the unofficial president of each other’s fan club throughout our college years.
Editor: Lisa Kozleski
Located on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Lethbridge College is committed to honouring the land from a place of knowing. We honour the Siksikaitsitapi as both the traditional and current Land Keepers of this area, and we welcome all First Nations, Métis, Inuit and non-Indigenous peoples who call Blackfoot territory their home.
Photographers: Jamin Heller, Rob Olson
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Cover photo: Rob Olson
Readers who would like to receive an e-version of the magazine, comment on a story, change their address or remove their name from our mailing list should email the editor at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca
Art director/designer: Dana Woodward
here’s one detail in particular that stood out to me in my colleague Tina Karst’s terrific cover story in this issue about grad Christina Romeril’s unconventional path from a career in finance to fiction writing. And that’s the fact her life-long best friend, Cheryl Seaborn, was by her side during Christina’s college years cheering her on, and she has been there ever since. You can hear the confidence and pride in Cheryl’s voice when she speaks of Christina’s success today. I love that so much.
Writers: Jamin Heller, Tina Karst, Paul Kingsmith, Tom Russell, Dawn Sugimoto, Jeff Zimmer
I went to visit Sara in May right after she had to move her mom into hospice. There’s not a lot you can do to help a friend during such a difficult time, but somehow it felt better being there (and cooking, because food always helps when you don’t know what else to do). I loved how easy it was to slip back into our comfortable conversations, how our friendship was as familiar and comforting as that well-worn college T-shirt from first year that we both still have in our closets.
{ VOL. 16 | ISSUE 1 | FALL 2022 }
Editor’s message
After graduation, we continued to stay connected even as our lives took us to different cities and, eventually, different countries. At first with letters and phone calls, then with email and instant messages, and most recently with Zoom and a glass of wine, we shared and share the little details of our worlds. We laugh at the funny stories about our various animals, we exuberantly celebrate each other’s personal and professional successes, and we quietly and kindly share the grief of each other’s heartache and losses.
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I’d love to hear about your best friends from college – I think there is probably a great story there! Who was the person who understood exactly how it felt to fail that big assignment or win that amazing honour? Who knew all the not-so-great boyfriends or girlfriends before you met the right one? Who is still there for you today, even if the ups-and-downs are quite different than they were during your college days? Drop me a note at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca – and give that friend a call while you’re at it. I am pretty sure they’d be thrilled to hear from you.
In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all alumni and available on campus. Alumni looking to connect with the college or update their contact information can email alumni@lethbridgecollege.ca or go to lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni.
Wider Horizons
When I think of students coming to campus this fall, one of the things that brings me so much joy is the idea that some of them will find their own version of Sara and Cheryl at New Student Orientation (or sitting next to them in a class or waiting in line in the Food Court). They don’t know it yet, but that lifelong best friend is out there already, and their paths will soon cross and keep them walking together for the days and decades to come.
Andouille sausage sandwich
The Black Water family’s pursuit of knowledge while maintaining a cultural lifestyle proves beneficial. question word
Southern Alberta’s coulees and river systems function both as habitat and a corridor for mule deer to move through, and they are always welcome visitors for students and staff.
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‘The truth of healing is evident’ Honorary degree recipient Betty Ann Little Wolf inspires grads at spring Convocation.
SEEN ON CAMPUS
Two fawns cool off under the trees near the front entrance to the college this summer, enjoying the grasses, trees and tantalizing twigs of woody shrubs that can be found throughout campus.
Photo by Rob Olson
This recipe from alumni chef Duane Emard is the perfect savoury meal for a crisp autumn evening.
Families in focus
2 President in action 4 News and notes 32 From our kitchens 34 Where are they now? 40 The big
44 The last
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Sept. 6 will be a day of new beginnings at Lethbridge College. That’s the day when more than 1,500 students will attend New Student Orientation as well as the first day of work for the college’s new President and CEO, Dr. Brad Donaldson. Dr. Donaldson, who most recently worked as Vice President – Academic at SAIT in Calgary, says he is looking forward to continuing to build the college’s reputation as a leader in postsecondary education in Alberta.
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President in action
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Dr. Donaldson had a lengthy career in manufacturing before moving to post-secondary 17 years ago. He was born in England, lived in Singapore and the United Kingdom, and then emigrated to southern Ontario with his parents and sister. Dr. Donaldson, his wife Gail, and their two daughters came to Alberta in 2005. He is a dog lover, with two dogs of his own and two grand-dogs. As avid travellers, he and Gail have visited every continent except Antarctica.
Photo by Rob Olson
Donaldson takes over as Lethbridge College President and CEO from Dr. Paula Burns, who resigned earlier this year to become President and CEO of Langara College in Vancouver.
Donaldson named new CollegeLethbridgePresident
News and notes
News and notes
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Donaldson holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Calgary, a Master of Engineering degree focusing on workplace design and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Chemical Engineering, both from the University of Toronto. Donaldson takes over as Lethbridge College President and CEO from Dr. Paula Burns, who resigned earlier this year to become President and CEO of Langara College in Vancouver.
The Lethbridge College Faculty Association/ Lethbridge College Students’ Association Teaching Excellence Awards resumed after a two-year break, and 170 students stepped up to nominate 83 faculty members. The awards committee recognized two Rookie of the Year recipients for new instructors for 2020-21 and 2021-22, and one Teaching Excellence Award recipient. All three recipients are also graduates of Lethbridge College.
James Reimer (Business Administration –Accounting 1990), chair of Lethbridge College’s School of Business, is the 2021-22 Teaching Excellence Award winner
“One of the critical things that Lethbridge College has done a great job at over the years is aspiring to be a leader in post-secondary education,” says Donaldson. “The college is a supporter of the communities it serves, including the geographic southern Alberta region, local Indigenous communities, and the business and hiring communities. What’s important for me is to be able to leverage what has been done well in the past, while identifying opportunities to unleash innovation in the organization.”
awardsexcellencewithrecognizedInstructorsteaching
CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO:
Be sure to check out the Winter issue of Wider Horizons for an in-depth feature with the new president.
IN AUGUST, LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE’S BOARD OF GOVERNORS NAMED DR. BRAD DONALDSON THE NINTH PRESIDENT AND CEO IN THE COLLEGE’S HISTORY. HE WILL BEGIN HIS NEW ROLE ON SEPT. 6.
Gord Ryall (Law Enforcement 1990), Justice Studies instructor, is the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year
Story by Paul Kingsmith | Photo by Rob Olson
Want to keep up on all of your Lethbridge College news between issues of Wider Horizons ? Check out our news and events webpage (lethbridgecollege.ca/news) for the latest stories and all of the college news you need. And don’t forget, you can read past issues of Wider Horizons at widerhorizons.ca.
Donaldson has more than 17 years of post-secondary experience, most recently as Vice President – Academic (VPA) at SAIT in Calgary. He has also been VPA at Red Deer College and Dean of the School of Manufacturing and Automation at SAIT, and he has held many engineering and senior leadership roles in the global manufacturing sector.
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Eric Mitchell (Automotive Service Technician Automotive2010),Services preemployment instructor, has been selected as the 202122 Rookie of the Year
“Brad has a passion for post-secondary education and a desire to build upon the great work that has taken place at Lethbridge College over the past many years,” says Michael Marcotte, Lethbridge College Board of Governors Chair. “At the same time, it is an exciting opportunity for our college to embrace new ways of thinking and carve out an even stronger reputation as a leader in our community. Brad is a thoughtful leader who will ensure Lethbridge College continues to provide meaningful education, research and employment opportunities in southern Alberta and beyond. We are excited to have him in this role.”
Joining Lethbridge College is the next step in Donaldson’s long journey as a leader in Alberta’s post-secondary environment. In moving from Calgary to Lethbridge, he will look to build upon Lethbridge College’s reputation as a leader in post-secondary education in the province and its many achievements in student success and community support, enabling the institution’s ongoing contribution to future prosperity.
News and notes
Disc golf fundraiser supports CBAS scholarships
College recognized for financial responsibility
For the ninth year in a row, Lethbridge College has received top marks from Alberta’s Auditor General for its financial reporting. The college received all green lights – the top designation possible – in the 2021 Auditor General’s annual Report on Post-secondary Institutions released earlier this year. The Auditor General’s report measures the accuracy, timeliness and outstanding recommendations of each institution’s financial statements. Yellow lights are issued for areas where improvement is required, and red lights are for areas in need of significant improvement. Green lights represent that no significant weaknesses are present. The college is one of only four post-secondary institutions in the province – and the only college – to receive only green lights over the past nine years.
There were plenty of smiles (and dollars raised) at the Chain-Shaker, ScholarshipMaker fundraiser in May as employees gathered at the campus disc golf course for a round. In all, the event raised just over $6,800 to support student awards for the Centre for Business, Arts and Sciences. There were 96 donors in total –58 of them new donors – and 89 per cent of the gifts came from Alberta, though donations from B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario were also received.
Community comes together for first on-campus powwow
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The college’s new digital sign on Scenic Drive is fully operational and it looks fantastic! At 12 years in, the old sign had reached the end of its useful life. The parts needed to keep it running haven’t been available for the past three years, yet somehow Darcy Beattie, the college’s electrical supervisor in Facilities, was able to keep it running until the new one was installed. The new digital sign promotes all things Lethbridge College from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and while the size of the screen has doubled, it’s more energy efficient and costs about the same to operate. And, as an extra college connection – one of the college’s Electrician Apprenticeship students, Darren Bartel, was on site with PixelBoom Media to help with the install.
Building on the excitement of Spring 2022 Convocation, Lethbridge College hosted the Stone Pipe Celebration – a full contest powwow – in late May. The two-day celebration featured a variety of events, including intertribal contest singing and drumming, round dance singing, competition dancing and tiny tot dancing. A special Indigenous Honour Ceremony, recognizing the college’s Indigenous graduates, was part of the powwow, and included an honouring from the college’s Grandparents (Kaahsinooniiks), congratulatory remarks from Lethbridge College representatives and an Honour Song and Dance.
New digital sign is live on Scenic Drive
Dr. Simon Schaerz, an instructor in our Exercise Science program, and Exercise Science grad Morgan Boyes presented their research at the American College of Sports Medicine annual conference in San Diego in June. Their research project explored the effectiveness of immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality in developing fitness-related outcomes in children and youth.
Congratulations to the following Lethbridge College community members for making a difference in their life, work and community. Here are some highlights of their successes:
Dawn Sugimoto (Communication Arts 1988), now the college’s Communications manager, received a bronze award for Leadership Excellence in April in this year’s Colleges and Institutes Canada Awards of Excellence.
IN MEMORIAM
Olympians on campus to speak with Leadership class Students in Dawn Keith’s Leadership class had the opportunity to visit with three Olympians in March. On hand were: Michael Smith, an Olympic decathlete who represented Canada at three Olympic Games; Florian Linder, a former instructor at Lethbridge College and a technical coach for bobsleigh who represented Canada at the 2006 Torino Olympics; Jill Linder, an American bobsleigh driver who made her debut in the sport at 16 years old and won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002; and Paige Crozon, a member of Team Canada’s women’s 3-on-three basketball team, who is currently lead assistant coach of the University of Lethbridge women’s basketball team. Keith reports the entire student group and guests were fully engaged in the storytelling. “What stood out for me most was how authentic each was in sharing not only their history as a young athlete, but how they persevered in the face of politics, fear and adversity in a very human way,” she says. “It was very evident the core values held by each athlete fostered resiliency, personal growth and the willingness to make a difference.”
Digital Communications and Media student Nicholas Rabl was the recipient of this year’s Troy Reeb Internship. This is the 17th year of the internship, sponsored by graduate Troy Reeb (Communication Arts 1988, Distinguished Alumni 2003, honorary degree 2019), who is currently executive vice president, Broadcast Networks at Corus Entertainment.
Elaine Harrison , a teacher and supporter of the college’s community arts and recreation programs from the late 1960s through the 1990s, died March 24 at the age of 91.
Wider Horizons learned of the passing of two former employees who made a difference in their lives and work. The college community extends its condolences to their families, friends and former colleagues.
First International Turban Day event held in April
Dave Heins, an instructor in the Welder Apprentice program, was named to the Skills Canada Alberta Sturdy 30 in recognition of his dedication to and passion for the trades, and for being a champion of the Skills competition for the past several years. The Sturdy 30 list is in celebration of Skills Canada Alberta’s 30-year long relationship with Alberta teachers and instructors.
John Calpas , who served as Lethbridge College’s Agricultural Program Administrator from 1988 to 1998, passed away May 5 at the age of 89.
The college’s first International Turban Day was a great success in April, bringing employees and students together to learn about the cultural significance of the turban. Gurpreet Singh, research scientist with the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, was joined by several students and alumni in Centre Core over the lunch hour and offered to tie turbans. In doing so, they were also able to share the cultural significance of the turban and answer common questions about its purposes –both symbolic and practical. A delicious vegetarian Indian meal, from Rivaaz Indian Pizza and Cuisine, was also served from the Kiosk. Turban Day on April 13 was created in 2004 in response to a rise in negativity toward anyone wearing a turban in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. April 13 is also Vaisakhi Day, a major Sikh celebration.
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Dr. Sophie Kernéis-Golsteyn, senior research scientist and instructor in biology and microbiology, spoke on “Canadian phytobiotics to serve the health and agriculture industries: A solution to fight antibiotic resistance” at Okanagan College’s Research Innovation Partnership Expo (RIPE) in May.
CAMPUS KUDOS
TOP TEN
NEW WIND CONSTRUCTION TRAINING
FROM THE DEN
Wider Horizons turned to the people who know the ins and outs of campus best – Lethbridge College employees – to get their picks of the top news stories from the past four months. Here’s what they had to say.
News and notes
Dr. Terry Kowalchuk, Dean of the Centre for Technology, Environment and Design
OPTIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
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More than 90 General Arts and Science students gathered in the river valley this spring to clean up trash and document every single piece of litter they recovered. Their involvement in the Helen Schuler Nature Centre’s Coulee Cleanup was part of a class assignment called the Stewardship Project. While the students’ work made a positive impact on the environment, it also allowed them to gain valuable insight into the types of garbage ending up in the coulees – a lot of disposable masks and paper and plastic products. Students say this data collection helped them better understand the problem of litter in the coulees. They also noted a sense of accomplishment after their day of volunteering, with many reporting a visible difference in the cleanliness of their assigned coulee zone.
A new partnership with one of Canada’s leading renewable energy construction companies continues to affirm Lethbridge College’s reputation as a leader in wind energy training. Borea Construction and the college have collaborated to offer three two-week training sessions for new Borea employees in the college’s Wind Turbine Technician lab. Centralizing the training at Lethbridge College allows for increased hands-on opportunities for new employees and prepares them to contribute immediately on a Borea jobsite, building wind turbines.
In May, the college’s Alumni Engagement team hosted its first “You Are Remarkable” event, which recognized college employees who have completed PhD, master’s and bachelor’s programs over the past two years. This gave recipients a chance to cross a stage and celebrate their accomplishments during a time when many of their official ceremonies were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also shone a light on the everincreasing expertise of the college’s workforce, in the classroom, in the business services area and in research.
The college celebrated the four recipients of this year’s Honouring Excellence awards at a celebration in May. This year’s recipients include Distinguished Alumni Chris Delisle (Electrician Apprenticeship 2008); Career Virtuoso Kathryn Iwaasa (Nursing 1994); Community Leader Tara Grindle (Communication Arts 1996) and Rising Star Alexandra Carnio (Business Administration 2012).
ALUMNI RECOGNIZED WITH HONOURING EXCELLENCE ACCOLADES
EMPLOYEES EDUCATIONALCELEBRATEACHIEVEMENTS
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“STUDENTS WERE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN UNIQUE PROGRAM-BASED PROJECTS THAT HELPED THEM SEE POSSIBLE CAREERS IN THEIR FUTURE.”
High school students in southern Alberta got the chance to explore potential career pathways this spring thanks to a new initiative at Lethbridge College. Exploratory programming allowed students in Grades 10 and 11 to visit campus for a day and explore their program of choice. College instructors were on hand to deliver the programs, which helped participants become more familiar with their chosen field of study. Students also got a feel for what they can expect from collegelevel
EXPLORATORY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
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“Wecourses.arereally trying to create a pathway from high school to careers by giving students a chance to experience post-secondary in an interactive, fun and informative way,” says Dr. Terry Kowalchuk, Dean of the Centre for Technology, Environment and Design.
BIOLOGY STUDENTS TAKE PART IN COULEE CLEANUP
A new projectresearchwilltest
“This tournament was an opportunity for local youth to get together and share their enthusiasm for gaming in a fun and challenging environment,” says Tyler Heaton, Virtual and Augmented Reality instructor and event organizer. “Whether it’s basketball, volleyball, soccer or Super Smash Bros, we are all Kodiaks.”
As a biracial person, Mountain Horse says she immediately identified with Christmas’s desire to bring more diversity into productions.
What began as a pandemic-friendly activity to engage with students, employees and community members has quickly become one of the most popular pursuits on campus. Thanks to Udisc, an app used to record scores by disc golfers, the Lethbridge College Students’ Association can see that in the four months between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021, more than 2,000 rounds had been played on the college course.
three different potato bedding formations – a traditional fall bedding, a spring bedding after having winter cover crop and a spring bedding with no winter cover crop – to see how each affects the yield, soil nutrient levels and nitrous oxide emissions. Dr. Rezvan Karimi, research scientist in the Mueller Irrigation Group, is heading the three-year, $446,500 project which is funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research.
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DISC GOLF COURSE A POPULAR ADDITION TO CAMPUS
109 You can read all of these stories and more at lethbridgecollege.ca/news. And thanks to our college colleagues who helped shape this list! 8 9
VIRTUAL REALITY RESEARCH GETS $900,000 FEDERAL BOOST
Second-year Multimedia Production (MMP) student Hayden Mountain Horse is using her incredible artistic skills to bring conceptual characters to life. Mountain Horse has been working with Bej’a Christmas, founder and CEO of Anemoia Studios - a production house and talent agency based in Oakland, Calif. Its focus is to promote people of colour and other marginalized communities in the entertainment industry.
Lethbridge College has received nearly a million dollars in new federal funding to level up its virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) research. The two-year, $900,000 grant enables the college’s Spatial Technologies Applied Research and Training (START) centre to hire new staff and increase its industrydriven research capacity. A total of 74 projects across Canada received funding, with Lethbridge College being one of only three institutions to receive the maximum $450,000 per year funding amount for a single-college project.
Some of the best-known videogame characters clashed on screen in May as Lethbridge College opened its doors for a high school esports tournament.
Southern Alberta students battled it out at the Super Smash Bros tourney aptly named “Kodiaks Spring Smash.”
STUDENT DESIGNS UNDERREPRESENTED COMIC CHARACTERS FOR PRACTICUM
COLLEGE INVITES HIGH SCHOOL GAMERS TO ESPORTS TOURNAMENT
POTATO PROJECTRESEARCHFOCUSED ON SUSTAINABILITY
The teams in our Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship have been moving forward with their research projects. Here’s a glimpse of some of their creative and collaborative projects, or read detailed descriptions of their work at lethbridgecollege.ca/news.
A growing research partnership with Southern Irrigation is set to provide valuable insight that could help producers maximize their crop production. The college and Southern Irrigation are studying the opportunities created by subsurface drip fertigation (SDF), a method that applies water and fertilizer directly to the rootzones of plants through a series of pipes. The research project is ramping up, as this past summer, Lethbridge College and Southern Irrigation installed 15 acres of subsurface drip piping on 21 individually controlled zones at the college’s irrigation research farm. The project is significant to this multi-year collaboration as it has graduated to a field-scale study after starting as a small-scale research project in three custom boxes inside the college’s on-campus innovation space. Lethbridge College’s research is led by Dr. Willemijn Appels, who was recently promoted to senior research chair in Irrigation Science in the college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Rezvan Karimi Dehkordi, research associate on the Irrigation Science team. This work follows up on an earlier project Dr. Dehkordi undertook on a commercial farm near Lomond, Alta., in 2019 and 2020. The first phase of the partnership is funded in part by a $105,500 grant from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP) and will study SDF on two crops.
Lethbridge College’s partnership with Sunterra was front and centre in a recent Greenhouse Canada feature. Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR) and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the collaboration encompasses both strawberry and tomato trials and spans two locations: precommercial research studies at the Brooks Research facility as well as commercial validation at Sunterra’s operation in Acme. According to Megan Shapka, the college’s director for Applied Research Operations, the annual demand for strawberries in Alberta is about 14-million kilograms. Right now, most of that supply comes from Mexico and California but Sunterra
is hoping to produce upwards of 200,000 kg per year with its new facilities. Sunterra is the third greenhouse in North America to implement the lift gutter system for strawberries which can accommodate 10 rows per eight-metre bay. They’ve also been testing a Japanese variety, known for its sweetness and texture, while working with researchers from the college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship to optimize production. Additionally, the strawberry varieties used by Sunterra were developed for cultivation from seed. That’s a departure from traditional strawberry propagation where runners from the mother plant are collected and rooted. Shapka says this method reduces the risk of disease transfer from mother plants.
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE OF GREENHOUSE STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION
College partnership grows irrigation research
Lethbridge College’s irrigation science team is in the midst of a large-scale irrigation and fertigation trial at the Research Farm, part of an ongoing partnership with Southern Irrigation. The trial builds on earlier work that explored how using subsurface drip fertilization, a method that applies water and fertilizer directly to the rootzones of plants, affects uptake of nutrients, leading to increased crop yields.
ININNOVATIONnotesACTION
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News and
harvest technology and aquaponics.
COLLEGE, SVG VENTURES/THRIVE SUPPORT START-UP AG PROGRAMS
over 6,000 startups from more than 100 countries, the THRIVE platform invests, accelerates and creates access for entrepreneurs to scale globally to solve the biggest challenges facing the food and agriculture industries. By partnering with the college, THRIVE can connect agricultural-based entrepreneurs with the expertise in the college’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE). Lethbridge College’s agriculture research is facilitated through the Integrated Agriculture Technology Centre, which includes the college’s Research Farm, greenhouse operations on the Lethbridge College campus and in Brooks, and research teams focused on irrigation, post-
THRIVE will strive to partner with the college on opportunities for connectivity with start-ups that require testing and validation or follow-up through applied research projects.
Lethbridge College once again raised the Progressive Pride Flag and entered a float in the city’s Pride Parade in June as a show of support for the community’s 2SLGBTQIA+ population. In addition to celebrating Pride month, Lethbridge College has a dedicated Pride Lounge where members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies can meet and socialize. A student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) ambassador is based in the Pride Lounge throughout the academic year. Employees are offered 2SLGBTQIA+ awareness and ally training, and there are several genderneutral washrooms located across campus.
A new agreement signed by Lethbridge College and SVG Ventures|THRIVE (THRIVE) will bring together entrepreneurs, industry experts and researchers to support Alberta’s agriculture sector. As a result of the new memorandum of understanding, the college and SVG Ventures and its agri-food innovation and investment platform, THRIVE Canada, will work together to accelerate the development and adoption of innovative solutions to support growth in southern Alberta’s agriculture and food sectors. THRIVE is comprised of top agriculture, food and technology corporations, universities and investors. With a community of
college celebrates Pride month
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The event is Canada Soccer’s toplevel club futsal championship, bringing together top teams from Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta and Nunavut.
Four Kodiaks join Team Yukon for Futsal Canadian Championship
“Our teammates were amazing. Right from the airport we just talked and hit it off right off the bat. Everyone on the team was raving about the viral goal Jaden scored against Ambrose,” says Okpala with a laugh.
Okpala was showcased on Canada Soccer’s official Instagram feed, right next to Canadian soccer legends like Alphonso Davies and Christine Sinclair.
Okpala had the crowd buzzing in the team’s first game, scoring an impressive hat trick in an 8-3 loss to defending champion Toronto Idolo – a performance that quickly made him a crowd favourite.
The four Kodiaks standouts were first noticed by Team Yukon after impressive performances during their Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference futsal season. With the Yukon team in need of players to fill out their roster, the coaching staff reached out to Kodiaks head coach Sean Carey, who helped facilitate the connection.
Story by Jamin Heller
News and notes
Despite having to pay their own way to the competition, the group knew it
Four members of the Lethbridge College Kodiaks men’s futsal team had an athletic experience of a lifetime this last summer.
The Kodiaks contingent had no trouble fitting in, making key contributions on the court while helping the underdog Team Yukon raise its national ranking with a fourth-place finish at the event.
was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up. They booked flights and met up with their Yukon teammates in Quebec.
Dan Okpala, Chris Anton, Ben Cull and Jaden Veluw showcased their talents on a national stage after being recruited to join Team Yukon at the 2022 Futsal Canadian Championships in Gatineau, Que., last April.
Despite the heartbreaking final game, Okpala says it was a trip he’ll never“Thatforget.tournament is one of the top football competitions in Canada and one of the highest levels of soccer I’ve got to play,” says Okpala. “They treated all the players exceptionally well. We were the underdogs, so everyone loved us there. It was an amazing experience.”
Team Yukon would rebound with a 4-2 win over Pioneers FC (Man.) in their second game, with Anton and Cull each tallying markers in the victory. That performance earned them a spot in the bronze medal game, where they suffered a tough 1-nil defeat to Callies FC (Alberta) after conceding a late goal.
“I felt like a celebrity the whole weekend,” beams Okpala. “I would get back to the hotel and check my phone and have hundreds of notifications.”
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“I was going outside after the first game and they had a bunch of people wanting to take pictures with me,” says Okpala, still in amazement. “The crowd would even boo when I subbed off and would cheer so loud when we scored.”
were named winners of the Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships, recognizing studentathletes who excel in leadership, community involvement and academics – the “unsung heroes” of Kodiaks Athletics. Read more about these and other award winners at gokodiaks.ca.
Oct. 15* Red Deer 2 p.m./4 p.m.
All-CanadianearnStudent-athletesCCAAAcademicHonours
Nov. 12 Concordia 1 p.m./3 p.m.
Sept. 17 Olds Noon/2 p.m.
Dec. 2 Briercrest 6 p.m./8 p.m.
CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING
Sept.SOCCER11
Five Kodiaks earned Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Academic All-Canadian Honours for excellence in collegiate athletics and academics this year. Congratulations to Courtney Deemter (first year, Nursing, Calgary) women’s basketball; Megan Morrison (first year, General Studies, Medicine Hat), women’s soccer; Jaden Veluw (fifth year, Nursing, Lethbridge), men’s soccer; Benjamin Knight (fourth year, Open Studies, Manchester, England), men’s soccer; and Jamie Brown (fourth year, Exercise Science, Fort Macleod), women’s volleyball. These five student-athletes are among 230 from across Canada to have received the honour this year by epitomizing a commitment to academic success and athletic achievement.
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Oct. 8 SAIT Noon/2 p.m.
Come cheer on our studentathletes at these 2022-23 home and championship games this fall! For details, go to gokodiaks.ca.
Jan. 27 Ambrose 6 p.m./8 p.m.
The Lethbridge College Kodiaks celebrated a successful return to play season with the annual KODI Awards in April. The event returned to an in-person format for the first time since 2019, giving Kodiaks teams, staff and college officials a chance to come together and celebrate the athletic and academic achievements of Kodiaks student-athletes. Awards were selected by members of the Kodiaks Athletics administration team and factored in the results of a public vote that had nearly 500 participants, setting a new KODIs record. The men’s indoor track team was named the Val and Flora Matteotti Kodiaks Team of the Year, capping a year that saw them earn a team bronze medal at ACAC Championships. Two soccer and futsal stars were also recognized with major awards, as Olivia DePasquale and Jaden Veluw were named Tim Tollestrup Leadership Student-Athletes of the Year. Ken McMurray earned the Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks Coach of the Year award in his first full season as head coach of the women’s basketball program. Cross country and indoor track athlete Justin Fisher and basketball athlete Montana Berezay
Jan. 13 Keyano 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Excellence celebrated at annual KODI Awards
@ Lethbridge College
Oct. 29 ACAC inRunningCross-CountryChampionshipsEdmonton
Dec. 3 Briercrest 1 p.m./3 p.m.
Kings 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Oct. 16* Augustana Noon
Oct. 28 to 30* ACAC Men’s and Women’s Championship
Jan. 7 SAIT 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Nov.VOLLEYBALL11
Jan. 14 Lakeland 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Feb. 3 Medicine Hat 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Oct.BASKETBALL21Olds 6 p.m./8 p.m. Oct. 22 Olds 1 p.m./3 p.m. Nov. 4 Northwestern 6 p.m./8 p.m. Nov. 5 NAIT 6 p.m./8 p.m. Nov. 25 Red Deer 6 p.m./8 p.m. Nov. 26 Red Deer 1 p.m./3 p.m.
Medicine Hat 1 p.m./3 p.m.
WE ARE ALL KODIAKS
Jan. 12 SAIT 6 p.m./8 p.m. Jan. 20 St. Mary’s 6 p.m./8 p.m. Jan. 28 Ambrose 6 p.m./8 p.m. Feb. 4 Medicine Hat 6 p.m./8 p.m. Feb. 10 Augustana 6 p.m./8 p.m.
Oct. 1 Ambrose 2 p.m./4 p.m.
*played at Comet Stadium in Raymond
GRAD FINDS SUCCESS MOVING FROM FINANCE TO FICTION
14 | FALL 2022
SUCCESSTHISSTORY is mysteryno
Story by Tina Karst | Photos by Rob Olson
Looking back, Romeril is quick to agree the sacrifices were worth it. She graduated in 2002 and spent the next 16 years working as a banker in Lethbridge – first as an operations assistant, then as a personal banker and finally as a commercial banker. About 10 years after graduation, Romeril found herself
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back at the college to take a non-credit creative writing course. “It was one evening a week, and it was really good,” she says. “It gave me a lot to think about, and I dabbled for a while, but I was pretty busy, so I shelved it.”
WITH WRITERS IS THAT YOU ALMOST NEED TO FORCE YOURSELF TO WRITE EVEN THOUGH YOU ENJOY DOING IT.”
n 1999 – on the heels of a divorce – Romeril and her four children moved from Ontario to Lethbridge to start a new chapter. She had always intended on going back to school and the timing seemed right, so once her family was settled, she enrolled in the Business Administration diploma program full-time.
When Romeril moved into her own space and enrolled at Lethbridge College, Seaborn became her cheering section. “I’d give her pep talks and remind her that all the hard work would change her life,” she says. “And when I enrolled in the Nursing program a few years later, Chris was there backing me up every step of the way.”
Fortunately, Romeril had the support of a life-long best friend to help her through the tough moments. Cheryl Seaborn (Nursing 2007) made the move from Ontario to Lethbridge a few years ahead of Romeril, and she was thrilled when they were reunited. “We all lived together for the first few months,” recalls Seaborn. “My husband and I, we had the smallest house ever and we already had five children. We welcomed Christina and her four kids, and it was mayhem and chaos most of the time, but our friendship survived!”
Finances were tight, though Romeril says loans and grants helped with expenses during the first year, and she used her Louise McKinney Scholarship to pay her tuition for the second year. “It was not easy going back to school with four little kids at home,” she says. “They were in daycare, and I didn’t have a car, so I walked to and from campus each day and couldn’t stay late to work on assignments. I remember some nights I would do laundry and just cry because I was so tired.”
ON MOST DAYS, YOU CAN FIND CHRISTINA (MACLEAN) ROMERIL IN HER COZY BACKYARD “SHE SHED,” TYPING AWAY ON WHAT WILL BECOME HER SECOND PUBLISHED MYSTERY NOVEL. HER RECENT SUCCESS AS AN AUTHOR HAS BEEN YEARS IN THE MAKING, AND ROMERIL SAYS IT ALL STARTED AT LETHBRIDGE
“THECOLLEGE.FUNNYTHING
CHRISTINA ROMERIL (Business Administration 2002)
I
In 2018, Romeril left her banking job for a part-time position at the Stirling Library. Even though it wasn’t a busy schedule, she admits she couldn’t find the motivation to write. “The funny thing with writers,” Romeril says, “is that you almost need to force yourself to write even though you enjoy doing it.” As it turns out, the nudge she needed would come in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of the Stirling Library. “I spent the first two weeks of my
“Mine is likely not a typical story,” Romeril admits. “Rarely do you write your very first book and not only get an agent, but get it published.”
“Being an author in today’s world means you’re not only a writer, you’re also an entrepreneur,” says Romeril. “In addition to English skills, you need marketing, management, computer and accounting skills. I use every bit of the education I got at Lethbridge College in my new career.”
Romeril’s pitch caught the attention of a literary agent in Virginia who, after reviewing a tailored one-page query, offered her representation. After some editing, rewrites and more editing, the book hit the publishing houses in June 2021. By September, Romeril had signed on with Crooked Lane Books to get her novel published. A Christmas Candy Killing, a cozy mystery that follows identical twin sisters as they hunt for a killer in their fictional Rocky Mountain town, is set to be released on Oct. 11. Readers will be able to find it in hardcover and e-book formats. The audio rights have also been sold.
unemployment on the couch watching the news,” says Romeril. “But then it occurred to me that I shouldn’t be wasting this opportunity. The next day, I went to my office and hauled out the project I’d started years before.”
Romeril may be humble about her road to success, but her friend says it comes as no surprise. “Chris is a very goal-
CHRISTINA ROMERIL (Business Administration 2002)
Christina Romeril wrote her first book (and is working on her second) in the writing cottage built in her backyard in 2018 and says “there is something, I can’t explain what, that sparks my creativity in that space like no other.”
When she emerged three months later, Romeril had a semipolished draft of her first novel in hand. It was a major hurdle cleared. The next challenge? Finding a literary agent. “I’d come across something called #PitMad on Twitter,” she says. “A few times a year, authors can pitch their novels using only the 280 characters that Twitter allows. Agents will follow the hashtag and if they like what they see, they get in contact.”
Now, Romeril is writing the second novel in her cozy mystery series, having recently secured a contract for the sequel. And while she doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, she says two things are certain: she will keep writing and she will always be grateful for her college experience.
oriented person and when she sets her mind to something, she will certainly achieve it,” says Seaborn. “Of all the years we’ve known each other, I have never doubted her for a moment.”
16 | FALL 2022
“BEING AN AUTHOR IN TODAY’S WORLD MEANS YOU’RE NOT ONLY A WRITER, YOU’RE ALSO AN ENTREPRENEUR... I USE EVERY BIT OF THE EDUCATION I GOT AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE IN MY NEW CAREER.”
“Eight. I can have everything ready by then. I watched one of my true-crime shows recently.” With a furtive glance toward the others, she led Alex back into the conference room and lowered her voice.
Alex looked at the fine male specimens and had to agree.Janewas
The specialty bookshop was devoted almost entirely to mystery novels as well as the handmade, poisonthemed chocolates. Hanna, also the store’s co-owner, was primarily in charge of the time-consuming process of making the hand-dipped and molded chocolates.
A CANDYCHRISTMASKILLING
Only Jane stayed behind, and Alex wondered if she was about to be chastised for not paying attention; that had happened often enough in school when she was growing up in Michigan. Barely of average height, Jane had an imposing presence that could just as easily corral a roomful of grown men as a class of elementary school children and commandeer them into singing Christmas carols or completing a despised service project. Her short, gray hair was sensibly styled, and closing in on eighty, she still had a penetrating gaze that could see a lie a mile away. It was these qualities that had made her such an excellent fourth-grade teacher for more than thirty-five years.
excerpt from:
“What a wonderful way to end the year. It seems fortuitous that we finished with The Wizard of Evesham. Though I must admit, I am a tiny bit disappointed I missed the horticultural meeting tonight. Of course, book club certainly has its compensations.” Jane’s gaze traveled to the other room, where two hunky members of the club, Zach and Everett, were chatting as they munched on chocolates.
“It was a reenactment of a cold case. I’m certain the killer is living in our village.” She raised her palm to Alex. “Now I realize I’ve said this before, but I am really quite certain this time. I’m not unaware of the reputation I’ve developed due to a few errors in judgment. Upon mentioning my theory to Netta Griffin, she had the impertinence to laugh for several minutes. I want you to know, the photograph alone didn’t form the base of my conclusion this time. In fact, the picture they showed on television was quite useless. It was more than a little out of focus and at least seventeen years old, but something in the details of the story and the character of the killer reminded me of someone here in the village.” Her body tensed, and she grasped Alex’s arm with small but strong fingers. “The individual is suspected of four murders, the last over ten years ago. I want you to watch the episode and tell me what you think.”
Copyright © 2022 by Christina Romeril. All rights reserved. Published with permission from Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
By Christina Romeril (Business Administration 2002)
Jane laid her hand on Alex’s arm. “It has also been such a blessing having you visit me every month. Your friendship has meant a great deal to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you. Before you came along, the most exciting part of my day was counting the liver spots on my hands. You’ve helped bring meaning back into a washed-up old teacher’s life that had become quite dull.”
“I don’t buy that for a second, but thank you for the sentiment. I’m the one who should be grateful. If you hadn’t taken me under your wing and been such an avid supporter when we first opened, Murder and Mayhem might not still be around. I love our visits as well.”
“Of course. I’ll get Hanna to open the store. What time would you like me there?”
a driving force in the community, spearheading many of the events in the village. She was also president of both the horticultural and historical societies in Harriston. Jane gazed fondly at her surroundings. “You know, dear, I hate to sound sentimental, but I’m very grateful you moved to our little village and opened Murder and Mayhem.”
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Jane pulled her closer. “Speaking of which, would you be able to come over tomorrow morning for some tea and a little visit?”
A KILLER CHOCOLATE MYSTERY
18 | FALL 2022
HOW TWO LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE FAMILIES, WITH A COMBINATION OF MATURE LEARNERS AND RECENT HIGH SCHOOL GRADS, ARE INSPIRING AND SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEYS. BACKTO THEBOOKS
Story by Tina Karst | Photos by Rob Olson
She, too, has big plans for the future, and she is eager to get started at Lethbridge College.
H
Lana Handsaeme (left) and her daughter, Alley, both earned Agriculture Sciences diplomas at Lethbridge College - two years apart.
eading back to the classroom several years after high school is not the most common route to a post-secondary education, but it’s becoming more popular – at least at Lethbridge College. Data shows the number of mature learners at the college has grown from about 20 per cent in 2013 to between 22 and 23 per cent in recent years. Some of the most sought-after programs for students 30 years of age and older include Educational Assistant; English as a Second Language; Early Childhood Education; and Police Cadet Training.
Lana Handsaeme and her daughter, Alley, didn’t share the same campus hallways as the Gil family will, but they do have one major college experience in common: they both earned Agriculture Sciences diplomas – and just two years apart. Handsaeme says she was inspired by her daughter and all the knowledge she gained at Lethbridge College, so she followed in her footsteps and enrolled. Two years later, Lana and Alley Handsaeme are putting their diplomas to use on their fifthgeneration family farm north of Lethbridge, implementing new ideas and techniques for future growth.
THE PERCENTAGE OF FEMALE MATURE STUDENTS AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE
IN 2019-20 AND 2020-21.60%23% 19
While mature learners return to school for various personal reasons, many share the common thread of familyForinspiration.JohnGil,an international student from Colombia, the goal was a fresh start and a better life for himself, his wife and two children. He knew moving to Canada to study English as a Second Language – and later, Environmental Assessment and Restoration – would lead to greater opportunities down the road. Now, as he works toward his Bachelor of Ecosystem Management degree, his teenage daughter, Daniela, is beginning her Business Administration diploma program.
THE AVERAGE PERCENTAGE OF MATURE STUDENTS (THOSE WHO ARE 30 AND OLDER) AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE IN RECENT YEARS.
The road to a certificate, diploma or degree for mature learners is often a challenging one but supports are available. From one-on-one meetings with a recruiter or advisor, to campus tours or schedule adjustments, the Student Affairs team, as well as the greater college community, is ready to help. They’ll all say the same thing: that most important step is reaching out and hearing about the options, because you might be surprised to learn, you’re ready.
FROM COLOMBIA TO CANADA – A FAMILY OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FINDS A HOME AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE. 20 | FALL 2022
JOHN AND DANIELA GIL
He began his studies at Selkirk College in Castlegar, BC. After completing one semester, he made his way to Lethbridge College where he continued to study ESL as well as English for Academic Purposes. By the fall of 2018, Gil was enrolled in the college’s Environmental Assessment and Restoration program.
Opting to complete his program over four years, Gil has had the unique experience of studying, working and living on campus longer than most. He’s spent time as a research assistant in the college’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence learning from John Derksen, chair of the Aquaculture Centre, and Dr. Nick Savidov, a senior research scientist. Most recently, Gil has been working with the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mueller Irrigation Group under the supervision of Dr. Willemijn Appels.
It wasn’t always easy. Gil says he had to overcome many financial, academic and mental health challenges along the way. “I struggled to improve my English skills,” he says. “And I ran into paperwork issues when registering for the program because I had finished high school so long ago.”
The decision to come to post-secondary as an adult with a family – and to come to a new country – was not an easy one. “It’s really scary to be a mature learner,” Gil says, “especially as an international student. I had to adapt to a new environment, at first without my family here. People are kind and I found some friends, but it’s a process.”
“I’m so grateful for the growth and enrichment the college has provided me,” says Gil. “The infrastructure, organization
For Gil, the sense of belonging and hope for the future is the result of taking a leap five years ago. “I moved to Canada to try to improve the quality of life for myself and my family,” he says. “Choosing Lethbridge College has been one of the most important decisions of my life.”
“I WANT TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS AND FIND SURPRISES ALONG THE WAY, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER NEW STUDENT.”
A 2022 graduate of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute, Daniela says she is both excited and nervous to start this new chapter. Despite living in residence for the past two years, she admits she hasn’t explored much of the college. “I limit myself to Centre Core and one other study area,” she says. “I want to discover new things and find surprises along the way, just like every other new student.”
She’s also eager to take on more responsibilities and make new friends. And naturally, Daniela craves her own college experience, separate from her father’s. Because of that, Gil says he will give her space. He jokes though, that avoiding members of his family at school might become increasingly difficult, as Santiago is interested in the Geomatics Engineering Technology program and he could enrol as early as next fall.
DANIELA GIL
J
ohn Gil wanted a fresh start and a better life for his family. So, in August 2017, he left his home in Bogota, Colombia, to come to Canada to study English as a Second Language (ESL) with plans for his family to join him later.
Gil says soil science and the impact of weather on agriculture in Alberta is work he hopes to continue doing well into the future.
The option to live on campus – including room for his family - was also a key consideration for Gil. After spending three years apart, Gil was reunited with his wife, Zoa, and children, Daniela and Santiago, in December 2020, and all four now live on campus in a family unit in the Cullen Residences.
Gil says he wanted to build on his background in electronic engineering and at the same time, focus on environmental sciences. The college’s reputation in that academic area was a big draw, as was the community itself. “Lethbridge is a big city, but not too big,” he laughs. “There are a lot of opportunities and resources here.”
At the time, Dr. Terry Kowalchuk, Dean of the Centre for Technology, Environment and Design, was chair of the college’s School of Environmental Sciences. Gil says he met with Kowalchuk to share his concerns and his plans for the future. “He believed in me and my goals,” Gil says. “Dr. Kowalchuk and members of the ESL team, including then-director Scott Lehbauer, helped me overcome my obstacles and ensured I was ready to move forward with my education.”
Now, Gil has set his sights on a Bachelor of Applied Science in Ecosystem Management – a journey that will place him in the same hallways as his teenage daughter, Daniela. She’ll start in the Business Administration program this fall with the goal of becoming the creative director of her own clothing line. “Fashion school is so expensive,” she says. “But I want to start here because learning the foundation of business is important.”
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and professionalism of faculty and staff have inspired me to go further with my studies. I want to use my knowledge to help protect the wellbeing of the environment here in Canada.”
LANA AND ALLEY HANDSAEME
A GENERATIONNEWDUOMOTHER-DAUGHTERPLANTSSEEDSFORGROWTHONAFIFTH-FAMILYFARM. 22 | FALL 2022
“I’m so happy for her,” says Alley Handsaeme. “She showed interest in my college education, so I was glad to see her take the opportunity for herself. Now she bounces ideas around with my dad and has the confidence to get more technically involved in operations. We have a small family farm, so her extra knowledge is really beneficial.”
Handsaeme completed her two-year diploma program, in-person, this past May.
As she works to implement precision farming techniques at home, Handsaeme also spends time at Vanee Farm Centre where it’s her job to help other area producers do the same. Her days are busy but rewarding. “You know, mature students hesitate to go back to school, but I would encourage them to do it,” she says. “Age is just a number, and you can never learnHandsaemeenough.” received her diploma, along with her fellow School of Agriculture graduates, at Spring 2022 Convocation in May. Her husband, daughters and parents were all in attendance as she crossed the stage.
After beginning the Agriculture Sciences program online, Handsaeme was able to return to campus for her final semester in January 2022. As a mature student, she recalls being nervous to learn alongside others who were about half her age. That uneasiness faded quickly though. “I was calling them ‘my kids’ because they were the same age as my daughter,” Handsaeme says. “They were very receptive to me, and we did a lot of great work. We learned from each other, and it worked out really well.”
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A self-described “city kid,” Handsaeme says her hands-on education began when she moved to her husband’s family farm north of Lethbridge. “I sort of did things the opposite way,” she says. “I got married and had kids really early. I helped out on the farm for years but once the girls were older and more self-sufficient, I decided I wanted to expand my knowledge.”
Lethbridge College offers both an Agriculture Sciences diploma program as well as a Bachelor of Agriculture Science. For more information, visit lethbridgecollege.ca.
Handsaeme says she was motivated by her daughter, Alley Handsaeme, who graduated from the Agriculture Sciences program in the spring of 2020. “Seeing her working in the field and all the knowledge she gained, she kind of became my idol.” Two weeks before the start of the fall 2020 semester, as combining on the farm was just getting underway, Lana Handsaeme visited the Lethbridge College website and enrolled. Classes had moved online because of the pandemic so she planned to work on her diploma while continuing to help with the farm. “I registered myself and didn’t think twice about it,” she says. “And I didn’t tell my family until the week school was starting, so it was a surprise to everyone!”
agriculture,” she says. “So, between the two of us, we can help ensure our fifth-generation farm continues on.”
While the prospect of going back to school as a mature learner is often exciting, it can also be stressful and overwhelming. That’s why the Lethbridge College Student Affairs team is ready to help alleviate those anxieties and offers support designed specifically for mature students. Details about those supports can be found on widerhorizons.ca. And to explore LC programs, book a campus tour or connect with an advisor, visit lethbridgecollege.ca/future-students.
“MY DAUGHTER’S FOCUS IS ON AGRONOMY, AND MY INTEREST IS IN PRECISION AGRICULTURE,” SHE SAYS. “SO, BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, WE CAN HELP ENSURE OUR FIFTHGENERATION FARM CONTINUES ON.”
Lana Handsaeme also views her post-secondary education as an important part of succession planning. “My daughter’s focus is on agronomy, and my interest is in precision
Precision agriculture relies on a wide range of equipment and technology to gather data that can be used to improve yields and reduce costs. Handsaeme admits it’s something their farming operation has been lacking, not because they weren’t interested in it but because they didn’t know how to get started. That’s all in the past now.
iting her daughter as her inspiration, mature student Lana Handsaeme recently graduated from Lethbridge College’s Agriculture Sciences program with a major in agronomy.
C
LANA HANDSAEME
SUPPORTS FOR MATURE LEARNERS AT LC
24 | FALL 2022
CLASS OF ’22 GRADS AT
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT INSPIRES CONVOCATIONSPRING
Betty Ann Little Wolf received an Honorary Baccalaureate Degree as part of the college’s Spring 2022 Convocation ceremonies.
‘AS THE TRUTH OF HISTORY UNFOLDS, THE TRUTH OF HEALING IS EVIDENT’
I started running again. But my father did not give up on me. What he did was to make arrangements with a farmer friend in Granum who would room and board me, and I would attend the high school in Granum. His wife was a retired schoolteacher and she would be tutoring me. We all agreed to that, but then secretly I was thinking “I’m not going to like this because it’s a white home, and I’m going to run.” But that didn’t happen because of the support that she gave me.
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When I got home after being away for 24 years, I didn’t think I could survive on the reserve because of having lived in a city and worked for this oil company.
My English name is Betty Ann Little Wolf, formerly Crowshoe. My native name was gifted to me at birth by my great aunt, and it’s Anatsi’piiksaakii – Pretty Bird.
And so I started running away from school. My parents brought me back, and when they did, they were told by the principal that I was not ready for Grade 9 but was equivalent to Grade 3. And so I rebelled
Story by Betty Ann Little Wolf | photos by Rob Olson
I eventually started working for an oil company. There I found myself. I found my voice – something that was taken from me when I was very young. I worked there for 17 years and then another blow, another hurt. My first husband, who was non-native, was killed in an accident. So, I left the city to go home for a month.
OKI.
You see, I did not have that. At 6-years-old, my life was sadly and rudely interrupted by the federal boarding schools for native children. For many years, I suffered in silence by all that hurt. After spending 10 years I aged out of the boarding school. I received a paper saying that I had completed Grade 8 and now I was going on to Grade 9. I was accepted into the provincial school in Pincher Creek but when I went, we found out I could not learn. And I started experiencing racial prejudice there.
Sometimes, as survivors of trauma, we forget about the root of our survival. My roots of survival were my ancestors’ beliefs, and all you young people who are furthering your education.
against my parents again, this time for putting me in a provincial school (before that I was rebelling because they put me in boarding school.)
BETTY ANN LITTLE WOLF
So eventually I found another job, and at that time Maurice and I had been married and we were blessed with a little baby and her name is Hadiga. I found a job at the school in Fort Macleod, and that job was something that I really enjoyed because I got to work with young people. I never had a childhood. I never had the life that these young people had. And so that’s where my healing really started – with the young people.
My story is my story. You hear many stories of survivors, but thinking back on my story, my survival had a lot to do with the young people and our elders. I had one mentor after my mother passed away – she was such a beautiful lady. Anything I wanted to know, anything I wanted to ask, I was not afraid to ask her.
I would like to conclude by adding that you students had a big part in my receiving this honour. From my heart, I wish you all the successes in life.
“AND I’D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU ALL WITH SOMETHING THAT I DIDN’T HAVE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND THAT WAS HEARING THE WORDS I LOVE YOU. I’D LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH “I LOVE YOU ALL.”
And that’s what I wish for our young people to do – to find somebody who they truly trust and understand. I grew so much in those years. I give this honour to her, for where I learned to forgive was through this lady. I learned that it was beyond my dad’s control to take me to the school. All of the hurts I went through were beyond their control. She would tell me: “you survived. There’s a reason why you survived, and that is so that you can carry this message to the next young person who is suffering.” I learned that as the truth of history unfolds, the truth of healing is evident.
Little Wolf is a Knowledge Keeper and Spiritual Elder in the Blackfoot community who has been a member of Lethbridge College’s Indigenous Services Cultural Support Program since January 2019. As a dedicated Blackfoot Grandmother (Kaa’ahsinnoon) to the college community, Little Wolf provides students and employees with traditional knowledge, guidance and support. She is also a member of the Buffalo Women’s Society – a sacred society in Siksikaitsitapi where members respect all, and practise their customs, traditions, beliefs and spiritual values. She believes Blackfoot culture is key in fostering a connection to identity. Little Wolf sits on the National Elders Council of Canada within the Assembly of First Nations and is one of 18 Knowledge Keepers for the National Council of Elders and Knowledge Keepers for the Turtle Lodge Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Education and Wellness.
Blackfoot Kaahsinnoonik (Grandparent), Lethbridge College
26 | FALL 2022
Betty Ann Little Wolf is Lethbridge College’s 21st honorary degree recipient. She received an Honorary Baccalaureate Degree as part of the college’s Spring 2022 Convocation ceremonies.
But eventually I reconnected with some old friends and one of them was Maurice. I didn’t return to the oil company. I decided to stay home. I was starting to find my roots. My identity started coming back through our belief systems.
As elders, we always say: “you are not far from thought and prayer.” For me, love was severed at a very young age. Well, I thought it was severed but it wasn’t. It comes back. And I’d like to leave you all with something that I didn’t have for many, many years, and that was hearing the words I love you. I’d like to leave you with “I love you all.”
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Former Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns congratulates Betty Ann Little Wolf after she received her honorary degree at the spring Convocation ceremony.
S
Mandin’s success at Skills Canada nationals in late May means he is the best Plumbing apprentice in the country and officially part of Team Canada. Mandin will attend a WorldSkills plumbing competition from Oct. 29 to Nov. 6 in Lehr, Germany. He says he is looking forward to the trip and will continue to train and prepare for the upcoming competition using the shop space at the college. Mandin adds that Skills Canada officials “told us to continue our training throughout the summer, and to ‘be ready’!”
TRADES APPRENTICES WIN ONE GOLD, TWO BRONZES AT NATIONAL COMPETITION
Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rob Olson
28 | FALL 2022
econd-year Lethbridge College Plumbing apprentice Joshua Mandin needed a little convincing from his uncle, a Carpentry instructor, to try competing for the first time in the Skills Canada Alberta competition in Edmonton in May.“My uncle said it was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss and an experience I’d carry all my life,” Mandin says. So, he signed up – and ended up winning gold medals at both the provincial and national competitions.
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Second-year Lethbridge College Plumbing apprentice Joshua Mandin won gold medals at both the provincial and national Skills Canada competitions this year.
“We’re so proud of all of the students who represented Lethbridge College at the Skills competitions, and we were thrilled to see Josh, Tyson and Danny do so well,” says Sheldon Anderson, Dean of the Centre for Trades. “We also appreciate the instructors who served as coaches this year, including Jeremy Bridge (plumbing), Eric Mitchell (automotives) and Walter Michel (heavy equipment). They gave so much time outside of class to help their students be as prepared as they could be.”
SHELDON ANDERSON, Dean of the Centre for Trades
Readers can learn more at www.poly-b.com, and they should contact a plumber if they have poly-b in their house and would like to talk about having it replaced
Mandin wasn’t the only Lethbridge College competitor to bring home hardware from the national competition.
“Jeremy pulled me aside one day and said ‘hey, do you want to compete in Skills?” Mandin recalls. “I was like, oh, I don’t know, I’ll have to think about it. Then my uncle convinced me. I’ve only been on the tools for 2.5 years. It was a massive learning curve and there are still days where I know I have a lot to learn, but I’m glad that it went as well as it did.”
Every now and then I’ll get a call from somebody I know who is looking at buying a home, and they ask if there’s anything plumbing-wise that they should look for. I always tell them if their house was built or renovated in the 1990s and has that lovely, spongedpaint job on the walls or a dusty rose carpet, you’ll probably find that bad, grey-coloured water line called Poly-b too! And, just like that unbearable carpet and paint, it needs to be replaced ASAP!
Poly-b is no longer manufactured because it is prone to failures, resulting in burst pipes and lots of insurance claims due to water damage and flooding. It has been replaced by a better plastic called PEX which stands for crosslinked (X) polyethylene (PE).
TRICKS FROM THE TOOLBOX“WE’RE
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The reason I’ve been getting so many calls recently is because insurance companies are beginning to deny homeowners insurance if the house has any poly-b used for the water lines. It is highly recommended to replace all poly-b lines because of their tendency to fail.
I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately about a type of plastic water line piping that was commonly used as an alternative to copper water lines in the 1990s. The pipe is manufactured from a material called polybutylene, and our plumber jargon refers to it as “poly-b.”
Mandin, a talented musician who plays piano and alto saxophone and sings, is a lifelong Lethbridge resident who graduated from Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. He is working at Artex Plumbing and Gasfitting in Coalhurst as he completes
Wider Horizons asked Plumbing instructor Jeremy Bridge if he had any plumbing tips or advice for readers. Here’s what he had to say.
Automotive Systems student Tyson Rasmussen and Heavy Vehicle Technology apprentice Danny Peeters both won bronze medals in their categories at nationals after qualifying at the provincial level. Peeters also won a gold medal in the national competition last year.
With Plumbing instructor Jeremy Bridge
Although many different manufacturers sold poly-b it all looks similar – grey flexible plastic tubing. PEX, on the other hand, comes in a variety of colours but NEVER grey. Grey is bad.
his apprenticeship, and he credits his uncle as well as Bridge for encouraging him to give the competition a try.
SO PROUD OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO REPRESENTED LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE AT THE SKILLS COMPETITIONS, AND WE WERE THRILLED TO SEE JOSH, TYSON AND DANNY DO SO WELL.”
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Mandin is the third Lethbridge College student to win gold at Skills Canada. In addition to his win this year and Peeters’ win in 2021, Nathaniel deWilde won in the Heavy Equipment Technician category in 2015.
and technology careers among Canadian youth. The Skills Canada National Competition is the only national, multi-trade and technology competition for students and apprentices in theThecountry.WorldSkills
Bridge admires Mandin’s commitment to preparing for the competitions, noting that he was working nearly 12-hour days before coming in for three more hours of practice three nights a week.“Iam very proud of how hard Josh has worked to prepare for both the provincial and national Skills competitions,” says Bridge. “It is so great to see his dedication be rewarded with medals at both competitions. I have had many of the competition committee members, judges, coaches and participants tell me that they admire his skills and pleasant personality as well. He has been a great ambassador for Lethbridge College and for our Plumbing Apprenticeship program!”
Plumbing instructor Jeremy Bridge (right) coached Mandin in preparation for the competition.
Lethbridge College offers a wealth of high-quality trades programming to all learners, regardless of their level of experience in the industry. Programs include: Agricultural Equipment Technician, Automotive Services Technician, Baker, Carpenter, Cook, Electrician, Heavy Equipment Technician, Parts Technician, Plumber, Welder and Wind Turbine Technician. To learn more, go to lethbridgecollege.ca/trades.
Skills Canada was founded in 1989 as a national, not for profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour groups and governments to promote skilled trades
Competition, which takes place every two years, is considered the largest and most influential skills competition in the world and represents the best of international excellence in skilled trades and technologies. Competitors represent the best of their peers and come together to participate in simulated real work challenges, while being judged against international quality standards.
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SANDWICHSAUSAGEANDOUILLE Duane Emard
{ Chef
From our kitchens
“Like most, I started out in fast food and from there have spent time in restaurants in Lethbridge, High River and Calgary,” says Chef Emard. “Coming to the college to work with students was a bit of an adjustment from working in various restaurants, as each semester we start with a fresh batch of new, eager-to-learn future cooks and chefs. It’s always great to see their enthusiasm semester to semester, and that keeps us on our toes as well.”
4. Cook about one minute, as you want that crunch from your vegetables when you eat the sandwich.
2. Place the sausage into a small roasting pan and cover, roasting in the oven until the internal temperature of the sausage is 77C/170F. This could take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on the size of the sausage.
6. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 c. tomato sauce
For the sausage:
For the garlic butter:
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
2. Cut the sub bun in half through the top of the bun, only cutting about 80 percent of the way through. Open the bread up and brush it liberally with the garlic butter.
Salt and pepper to taste.
METHOD
3 tbsp minced garlic
1/3 c. julienned red onions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
1/2 c. julienned red peppers
1 tbsp chopped parsley
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1/2 c. julienned green peppers
Chef Emard is pleased to share this savoury sandwich recipe with readers of Wider Horizons – one that is the perfect choice for a crisp autumn evening. To enjoy the cooking of Chef Emard’s students, make a reservation at the Garden Court Restaurant by calling 403-320-3230. Bon appétit!
3. In a small pan, sauté the sausage coins until the outside browns. Add one tablespoon of the garlic butter, and then add the peppers and onions.
Story by Lisa Kozleski | photos by Rob Olson
Chef Duane Emard (Cook Apprentice 1999, Communication Arts 1993) vividly remembers how his grandma loved to go to all of the food counters and restaurants in Lethbridge when he was a young boy and teen. “I would always go with her, and I always enjoyed the energy around food service,” he recalls with a smile.
That love affair with food would turn into a career for Chef Emard. After first coming to the college for the Communication Arts program, he returned a few years later to start the apprenticeship program. He worked on the cooking side of the business for more than 35 years, but recently made the move to teaching, starting as a production assistant in the college’s Culinary program in August 2020.
1. Melt the butter on low heat. Mix in the garlic and parsley. Add salt to taste.
5. Remove from heat and stuff the sausage, onion and peppers into the sub buns. Add mozzarella on top, and finish in the oven until the mozzarella is melted.
4 andouille sausage links 4 hoagie or sub buns
2. Remove from heat and set aside to use later.
For the sandwich:
1 c. butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Set aside and let cool. Once cooled, cut into 1/8” slices on a bias (diagonal) into rounds or coins.
Where are they now?
Sash Striga’s first audition was for the hit television show Letterkenny – which was then in its sixth season – and she got the role of Aly. She just wrapped up filming the 11th season earlier this year.
Where are they now? DoersMakers,and Thinkers
SASHFEATURING:STRIGA Communication Arts –Broadcast Journalism 2015
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Celebrating the Lethbridge College alumni who are building community and making their mark in memorable ways.
And even though her practicum didn’t lead directly to her current career, Striga says she is still grateful for all she learned at Lethbridge College. “The ways they taught in the program prepared me so much for the industry I’m in right now,” she says. “There are so many similarities. There’s rejection, learning to work with all kinds of people and a high level of skills that are required for both. It was really beneficial for me.”
The catch – it wasn’t broadcast journalism.
SHARING THE SUCCESSES OF OUR ALUMNI
Striga, instructor Pete Gingras recalls, “had a clear passion to perform on the stage, in front of the camera, and behind the microphone. While I know she worked hard at it, I’m confident it came to her naturally. It’s exciting to see talented people from our program take their talents to amazing heights.”
She also appreciates the time she had at Lethbridge College and its part in her path to her career today. Some of her most vivid memories include eating the cooking of fellow students in the Food Court, hanging out and studying in Centre Core, and going with her best friend Demi Knight (Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism 2015) to sit in the coulees under the High-Level Bridge and watch the wind blow and seasons change, an “experience and energy that feels most like Lethbridge to me,” she recalls. She also tried to make it to every Kodiaks game. “I loved the Kodiaks! I really wanted to be the mascot – I wanted to be it so badly, but it never happened,” she said with a laugh. “Lethbridge has a really special place in my heart – I try to go back as much as I can, and I look to celebrate Lethbridge in any way possible.”
and kindest people – the cast and the crew. It’s true Canadian kindness – no ego. That’s the thing that really blew me away.”
“My experience was not typical at all,” she explains. “Most people start with a smaller role, but for me it just was full-on. It was my very first audition, first job, first booking, first time on the set, and from there it’s just been ears pinned back, go-gogo. There was a LOT of learning on the job.”
Her instructors remember her well – and they aren’t surprised at her success.
It was during her broadcast journalism practicum with the CJOC 94.1 radio station in 2015 that Sash Striga figured out exactly what she wanted to do with her life.
It was at that point that Striga realized she missed performing. Born and raised in Calgary, she got her start in theatre at a young age, holding a long-time role with The Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede. “I thought I needed a more realistic job, and so I came to the college,” she says. “But during my practicum, I realized how much I missed the arts, and that if I didn’t take the time to really try it once, I’d kick myself for the rest of my life.”
“I was working with Pat Siedlecki, who is just awesome, and every time he said to go find a story, I would come back with an entertainment story – every single time,” says Striga. “It’d be about a play or a musical or a singing competition, but it was always something artsy. No matter what day I was given a story to do, I found a way to do it about the arts.”
Makers, Doers and Thinkers Featuring
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She’s learned from and loved it all – but feels extra affection for the Letterkenny team. “It’s the best set I’ve ever been on,” she says. “Everyone is so supportive, and they are the funniest
Striga has gone on to principal roles on the screen in Star Trek: Short Treks, What We Do in The Shadows, American Gods and The Boys. On stage, she has performed primarily in shows in Ontario, including Jack and the Beanstalk: The Panto, Rocky the Musical, The World Goes ‘Round, Legally Blonde The Musical, and Mamma Mia
So after graduation, she packed her bags and moved to Toronto and enrolled at Randolph College, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Her first audition after graduation was for the hit television show Letterkenny – which was then in its sixth season – and she got the role of Aly. She just wrapped up filming the 11th season earlier this year.
Story by Lisa Kozleski | photos submitted
Instructor George Gallant agrees, noting that Striga “came to us with a lot of stage experience already, so her on-camera performance was really strong when she graduated. I had a feeling journalism wasn’t going to be her passion as we would spend time discussing musical theatre, not the news of the day. I’m glad to see she was able to take parts of her education, follow her passion and find a place in the spotlight where she can really shine.”
IN THEIR CAREERS AND THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.
Advertising and Public Relations Courtney (she/they) was a “shining graduate” featured in publications by the University of Lethbridge this spring, after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Studio in June 2022, with Great Distinction and an Honours Thesis, as well as the Gold Medal Nominee for the Faculty of Fine Arts. In Courtney’s first year at the university, they won the Young Artist Award from the Allied Arts Council in 2017, which recognized them as a young emerging artist. That spring, Courtney was also hired at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) to offer gallery tours for Arts Alive and Well in the Schools, showcasing student art from K-12. She served as the public engagement and event coordinator at SAAG from August 2019 until June 2022, and she has recently entered a new role
Digital Communications and Media Nicolas started work in June as a reporter for the Crowsnest Pass Herald in Blairmore. In his column “Nick’s Notes,” he wrote: “Originally, I am from a small place in Saskatchewan called Primate. I graduated from the nearby K-12 school in Macklin and entered the workforce shortly after graduating in 2015. I worked in the oilfield across various positions while getting my Fourth Class Power Engineering certificate. Then after spending time as a plant operator in the oilsands up in Christina Lake, I decided a career change was in order. I knew that I wanted to use my writing skills, so I applied for the Digital Communications and Media program at Lethbridge College. I spent the past two years at the college learning how to write news stories and take photography for online and print publications. Near the end of my program I further developed my skills by completing a practicum at the Lethbridge Herald.”
Digital Communications and Media Kevin is the newest member of the Parksville Qualicum Beach News editorial team in Parksville, B.C. “I love writing, meeting new people and exploring new places, so I’m very excited to be doing that in PQB, which I think is one of the most beautiful places in Canada,” said Forsyth in an April story in the Parksville Qualicum Beach News. He is covering the area arts scene, as well as Parksville city council, School District 69 and more. Kevin was born and raised in Saskatoon and moved to Vancouver Island in 2020 after graduation.
Photo by Angeline Simon
Nicolas Allen
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Where are they now?
Criminal Justice – Policing
ALUMNI
After graduating from Lethbridge College, Sean joined the Saskatoon Police Service in 2014. In his first six years there as a patrol officer, he says he faced rewarding challenges, worked with good people and experienced the satisfaction a policing career brings. SPS also provided him “room to grow” and a chance to expand and enhance hisIncareer.2021, he moved to the SPS’s Air Support Unit. As a Tactical Flight Officer with this group, he flies aboard a Cessna
2022
2014 Courtney Faulkner
2013 Sean Jenkins
WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.community,yourToupdatesCollegeWeUPDATESlovehearingfromLethbridgealumni!Youcanfindadditionalonlineatwiderhorizons.ca.submityournewstosharewithclassmatesandthecollegedropusanoteat
2020 Kevin Forsyth
“I look forward to bringing the skills I have learned to this community through my reporting. Most of all, I am looking forward to meeting the people of this community as I make it my home.”
with the Allied Arts Council Lethbridge as the education services manager of Casa Arts Centre. Courtney was awarded the Roloff Beny Photographic Award in 2019, which allowed them to travel to Mexico City to study Frida Kahlo. She also received the David Lanier Memorial Award for excellence in photography in 2018, and won the Medalta Student Residency Award in 2020, which gave them the opportunity to attend a month-long ceramics residency at Medalta in Medicine Hat.
C
Photo courtesy Estevan Police Service
2007 Brianne Rader Computer Information Technology
2012 Caitlin Bye Massage Therapy
2011 Terry Fieguth Exercise Science
His time at Lethbridge College, Sean says, was “absolutely” valuable and crucial to his policing career. He credits this to relevant course material and instructors who were role models who had worked in the policing field. Lethbridge College also fostered a career-focused approach to learning that included help with the post-graduate job application process.
Terry sent the Wider Horizons team this update: “I have been working for the Lethbridge Police Service since 2014, and in that time I have had the opportunity to work in our general patrol unit, downtown mountain bike unit, and am currently in our canine unit for the past year and a half. Last year in October I completed a fundraiser to raise money for Legacy Place to help first responders with mental health by doing 4,080 pull-ups in 24 hours. I was able to raise $20,000.”
Sean and his colleagues in Saskatoon’s Air Support Unit were featured in the November/December cover story in the U.S. publication Air Beat.
James Chang
Caitlin is running her own business called Massage and Esthetics by Caitlin in Lethbridge.
James works at Davidson and Williams, a Lethbridge law firm.
Vaughn moved to Estevan in March and had previously worked for the Alberta Sheriff’s department as a court sheriff in Lethbridge. He was on track to attend the Saskatchewan Police Academy in August, after which he planned to come back to Estevan in uniform and be out on the streets. In the article, he said: “When I was in high school, that’s when I decided that I was going to pursue policing as a career. And then once I was in that program at Lethbridge College, that solidified, and it made me decide that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
ole and Vaughn were two recently hired Estevan Police Service constables featured in a May article in the Estevan Mercury. Cole has been working in Estevan since December. In the article, he said: “Ever since I can remember I’ve wanted to be a police officer. I like being able to problem solve and be a positive influence on people. I like the idea of mentorship and policing puts me in a good position to do that. I think having that kind of a unique ability to interact with folks on some of the worst days gives you a chance to really make a difference in people’s day to day lives.” While at Lethbridge College, he served as president of the Leo Club, the volunteer organization that was part of the policing studies. He also volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters in Lethbridge for two years and was a ski patroller at Castle Mountain.
Inclusive Post Secondary Education
Cole Hoover and Vaughn Golden (Criminal Justice – Policing 2019)
182T aircraft, assisting Patrol Division by responding to crimes in progress and conducting searches for missing persons.
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Brianne has worked at Lethbridge College for the last 18 years.
Photo courtesy Dave Holland for RunCalgary
Craig Bullock Data Processing
Craig, who as part of the Information Technology Services teams at the University of Lethbridge, was featured in a May article in a staff publication. He has worked at the U of L since 1988, starting as a computer operator of large mainframe computers, moving on to manage lab and desktop support, then being appointed as the Facilities manager, and now as manager of finance and assets. As he prepares for retirement, he said he is most looking forward to more time with family, community and church, as well as more time in the mountains. Craig said he has hiked and backpacked almost every trail in Glacier National Park and plans on completing the rest.
Earl Simmons (Environmental Science 1986)
Kip was the first among more than 6,300 runners to cross the finish line at this year’s Calgary Marathon in May. He completed the 26.2–mile course in 2:34:54. “I feel at home,” Kip told CTV News in an interview after the race. “It feels good to run in-person once again. (The course) is so scenic. You get to see the town, you get to meet people, they high-five you. It’s just a good spirit.”
E
arl wrote Wider Horizons with an update, saying that the autumn after his graduation, “I was so very fortunate to land a full-time conservation officer (CO) job with the Province of Manitoba. I embarked on an incredible career of natural resource law enforcement and management that took me across the entire province, allowing me the privilege of serving Manitobans while protecting the natural resources of the province. I got to experience everything from dealing with polar bears in Churchill to doing commercial fish patrols on Lake Winnipeg to managing large forest fires to catching poachers killing elk at night with a spotlight or reuniting a lost child in a provincial park with his or her parents. Recently, I promoted to the Chief Conservation Officer for the Province of Manitoba, which is certainly an incredible honour and culmination of my 37-year career in natural resources.
General Studies student
And on the field trips these elite folks really shone. I am eternally grateful for the education I received at Lethbridge College and promote it at any given time to any individual that may be interested in a career in natural resources. I also want to acknowledge the lifelong friends that I made while attending the college that I still keep in touch with today, often as part of a network of other provincial and federal natural resource agencies. So a big thank you to all the incredible instructors and the program at Lethbridge College.”
1998
Where are they now?
I want to acknowledge the integral role that Lethbridge College played in laying the foundation of knowledge in natural resource management and enforcement that allowed me to firstly be hired as a CO and ultimately rise through the ranks to Chief CO for the Province of Manitoba. The education and mentorship I received from the college was second-to-none. What I believe really set the college apart from any other natural resource schools was the fact that all of the instructors in the program had many years of experience not only in instructing but actual field experience in the vocation, on the job they were teaching about. So this allowed for relevant, first-hand, on-the-job experiences and examples to provide to the class.
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2002 Kip Kangogo
Renewable Resource Management
Raymond wrote the Alumni office to say: “Hi. I am currently the Fish and Wildlife resource manager for the Ministry of Forests in the Omineca Region, Prince George. I completed my undergraduate degree at University of Northerm British Columbia, and my professional background is in fisheries, wildlife and habitat protection.”
“Over the years I’ve gotten some pretty interesting and exciting jobs to work on, from political campaigns to TikTok-style content marketing. But most of all, I’ve gained a strong and meaningful work family that I can depend on and enjoy being around. Artrageous is a really tight-knit culture to inte grate yourself with internally or externally. We treat our clients as partners because that’s what they are! Their success is ours.”
Tracy told the Alumni office: “Things have come full circle with me and Lethbridge College. I have returned to LC as the Chief Financial Officer and I am so happy to be here!”
Business Administration
Raymond Pillipow
To submit your news to share with your classmates and the college community, drop us a note WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.at
1991 Lana Miller
Lana wrote the Alumni office and said: “Hi! Love keeping in touch. I have lived in Whitecourt, Alta., since 1995 and worked at the Newsprint mill for 11 years in the lab. Now I work in administration for a non-profit group. I keep in touch with many friends from college and married a grad! The college holds some of my fondest memories!”
1995
1992 Tracy Holt
Josh Mackenzie (Digital Communications and Media 2018)
Environmental Science
SEPT. 17 39
Josh sent the Wider Horizons team this update: “I’ve just hit four years at Artrageous Advertising in Lethbridge where I started as a copywriter and content planner for social media marketing. Since then, I’ve moved to Vancouver, gotten married and still get to work for Artrageous, remotely, as their digital marketing manager! These days my efforts are more focused towards helping businesses scale and grow by strategizing and implementing lead-generation campaigns online.
Renewable Resource Management
2018
Culinary Arts
Mary Wall was instrumental on my graduating with honours from Therapeutic Recreation Gerontology. Mary was firm but knew how to draw out the best in her students even when we didn’t see it for ourselves. I still use the apron she made for me!
Health Care Aide,
person was and how we can make a difference in a client’s life even for the time that we are working with them that day. We were shown how to be the best health care aides that we could be by the two that were as passionate about the healthcare field as they are. They changed my life in more ways than one. They showed me I can do what I do now, and I am an amazing, caring person. They made me feel like I was worth something and celebrated all my wins with me.
Nathan Reiter
Niculina Jenica Jensen
Instructors Gill Comchi and Ashley Cesar made the biggest difference for me. During my course of being in the Health Care Aide program, they showed not only the kindness, openness and professionalism that any instructor would, they showed me who I truly was without even me knowing. They showed their love for their profession and care for each and every student, going out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed to succeed. Ashley and Gill showed us what really caring for another
Where are they now?
Chef Stephen Klassen in the Culinary Careers program. He helped me gain confidence and helped make me into the cook I am today. I could not have done it without him.
Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology
2021 Ashley Bodell
Liv Armstrong Agriculture Sciences – Agronomy Mandy Gabruch and Chris Hotton! They both have very effective ways of engaging students so that they have a better understanding of the material. They also get to know you, which is a great thing from an instructor. They both have made a huge difference in my education.
2022
Digital Communications and Media
Gabriel De Freitas Business Administration – Marketing
2023
In the spring 2022 issue of Wider Horizons, we asked:
Which instructor made the biggest difference during your time as a student at Lethbridge College?
Practical Nurse student
Rod MacGregor. He was always passionate about teaching and knowledge and he is a true scholar. And when I was going through hard times impacting my mental health, he was the only one who noticed, just by my facial expressions walking around campus. He pulled me into his office to talk to me, that’s how empathetic he is. What he said then will always be with me: “But you know what? It builds character.” And I did come out of it stronger than ever years later. Some people just leave a quick but unforgettable mark. Whenever things are hard now, I think “it builds character!”
2019
2001 Diane Morin
Kalista LaCount
QUESTIONTHE
Mark Klassen was my biggest support in my three years at Lethbridge College. First year had a ton of new learning curves, and when I was struggling to keep my grade up in his class, he invited me into his office each week to go over what we learned to ensure I understood. Without his support, I probably would have dropped out first semester. I’m thankful for how much he helped me and encouraged me to keep going!
Paige Thornborough made a difference in my time in the program. She went above and beyond to make her classes engaging, including making her own version of “What Do You Meme?” for a review class. Her door was always open if we had a question about anything in her classes or if we needed extra help learning the Adobe suite. I can’t say enough good things about her as an instructor and as a person.
Jessica Moody Correctional Studies
Aaron Eyjolfson. Aaron got to know every student in a personal way and got us excited about what we were learning. He was even there for me when I went through an incredibly hard time. I will never be able to thank him enough.
BIG 40 | FALL 2022
• Sharie Cousins –Conservation Enforcement 1988
Western Canadian Game Warden is a unique magazine. It covers all the western provinces as well as the Yukon and Northwest Territories, and the provincial officer associations participating in soliciting, compiling and submitting stories and articles written by game wardens. The first issue came off the presses in the summer of 2009, and it featured Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer Lori Backen (Renewable Resource Management 2001) on the front cover holding up the head of an immobilized grizzly bear.
1988 Dawn Sugimoto Communication Arts
Out of the group that I started with in 1989 at Lethbridge College, only a few are still working in the field of Environmental Science. Some are game wardens, environment officers and wildlife technicians; a few, like me, even became police officers; all are now nearing retirement. It was always a pleasure to find out these colleagues were also Lethbridge College grads.
• Dana Kopp – Conservation Enforcement 2001
Coreen Roth Business Administration
• Jill Shale – Natural Resource Compliance 2011
If you appeared in the winter 2022 issue of Western Canadian Game Warden but aren’t included in this list, please email WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca and we’ll update the story. You can read a longer version of this story at www.widerhorizons.ca.
• Melissa Gauthier – Natural Resource Compliance 2021
Georgia Fooks, the legend in her trademark red glasses, met with me after I applied for the Communication Arts program. I was a teenager and had no clear idea of the industry or what I wanted. I had selected broadcast as my area of interest, and after talking with her, she encouraged me to switch to print journalism. She, Richard Burke and D’Arcy Kavanagh were incredibly encouraging. I graduated and enjoyed a 20-year career in the newspaper industry. I’m grateful to them all.
• Zoey Schaeffer – Natural Resource Compliance 2016, Conservation Enforcement 2018
Story and photo by Jeff Zimmer (Environmental Sciences 1991)
ALUMNI AT WORK – Western Canadian Game Warden
In 2021, after five years spent producing 22 issues, I decided to step down as editor. My successor is Lee Robley (Environmental Sciences 1982), a soon-to-beretiring Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officer.
I wanted to submit the name of one of my instructors who taught in the Business Administration program. Like many students, I struggled at the start trying to balance being away from home for the first time, supporting myself financially, and having the discipline to focus on my studies. One of my instructors, Charles (Buster) Burke encouraged me to keep trying and to not give up, and he was instrumental in helping me transfer to the University of Lethbridge where I obtained my Bachelor of Management degree in 1990. I don’t know whether Buster ever realized what an important role he played in my life, and how much he influenced my career path. I have never forgotten him and would not be where I am today had it not been for the support and encouragement he provided.
My last issue was the Winter 2022 issue, and we had planned a special one highlighting women game wardens. Our association reps stepped up and compiled so many great articles written by their agency’s women wardens. The result was, in my opinion, one of the best issues of Western Canadian Game Warden. At the time, I didn’t realize that so many of the women who were featured were also LC alumni – but instructor Kerry Edwards (Renewable Resource Management 1983) pointed it out to the Wider Horizons team, and they got in touch with me.
• Kimberly Lougheed-Kain – Conservation Enforcement 2001
In 2015, a good friend and fellow Lethbridge College alumni, Lindsey Leko (Renewable Resource Management 1993, Conservation Enforcement 2005), was editor of Western Canadian Game Warden magazine, and he asked me to help him out with the magazine. After a career working in city policing and as a game warden, I ended up becoming assistant editor! In 2016, Lindsey decided to step back from this responsibility and recommended me to assume his role as editor, and that fall I was responsible for my first issue.
Grads in the winter 2022 issue of Western Canadian Game Warden include:
41
1985
• Lori Backen – Renewable Resource Management 2001
• Therese Bogatko – Natural Resource Compliance 2016, Conservation Enforcement 2017
• Jessica Avery – Conservation Enforcement 2015, Natural Resource Compliance 2013
Where are they now?
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The Black Water family includes (back row, left to right): Sadie Many Fingers, Cole, Marcia, Aloyuisius, Tristan and Karsen Black Water; and in the front row, Cole and Sadie’s son Broly.
FAMILIES IN FOCUS
As their family grew, so did gentle expectations of their children to pursue education. Following their parent’s path, older son Cole (Business Administration 2015), his partner Sadie Many Fingers (Correctional Studies 2017, Justice Studies 2020), and younger son Tristan (Police Cadet Training 2022) have all graduated from the college. Cole is employed with human resources at Kainai Board of Education, Sadie is the crime prevention coordinator at Blood Tribe Police Services, and Tristan is a constable with the Blood Tribe Police.
As a young couple, Aloyuisius and Marcia recognized the importance education would have on the success of their future. After agreeing Aloyuisius would pursue his education first, Marcia supported his endeavour by giving full-time attention to their children: Cole, Tristan and Karsen. In 2004, she graduated from the General Studies program at Lethbridge College and then enrolled at the University of Lethbridge, graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education degree.
Both Aloyuisius and Marcia carry traditional teachings, and as young grandparents to grandson Broly, another path was born. In a proud moment, they recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on May 31, 2022. Lethbridge College has provided a solid foundation for the Black Water family.
A chance comment by a Human Resources administrator at Lethbridge College motivated Marcia to gain the credentials requested from potential employers.
ALOYUISIUS BLACK WATER
In a past rich with traditions, the Blackfoot people pursued feats and accomplishments in maintaining a strong presence on territory guarded fiercely. Today, those same traits are carried on by the Blackfoot in a number of ways, including a growing prominence in education. For Aloyuisius and Marcia Black Water of the Kainai, this pursuit of knowledge and attainment while maintaining a cultural lifestyle is proving to be beneficial in a contemporary environment. Their journey into and beyond postsecondary teachings from Lethbridge College has become a family affair.
Graduating in 2003, his training contributed to the Blood Tribe Land Management’s Geomatics Services department, where his initial role provided a mapping data transfer with Natural Resources Canada. Aloyuisius was promoted to manager of the Geomatic Services and served in that position until he began his term in tribal elections as a councillor from 2012 to 2016. With his term in politics behind him, Aloyuisius went on to earn a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Lethbridge in 2021.
Story by Tom Russell (Communication Arts 1987)
“I applied for jobs at the university and college, and it was an HR administrator at the college who told me I had a good interview, but if I had at least one year’s post-secondary experience, ‘I think we could hire you,’” she recalled. The opportunity for experience came from Red Crow College after a position opened when an employee took maternity leave. After that, Marcia came to work at Lethbridge College, first as an Indigenous student advisor and now as Indigenous coordinator and faculty within the college’s Centre for Business, Arts and Science.
The BLACK WATER Family
“GOING THROUGH THE COMPUTER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (CIT) PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE WHOLE COMPUTER INDUSTRY BEGAN TO TAKE OFF, I KNEW THIS WAS THE AVENUE FOR ME TO GET LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT.”
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Are you a multi-generational Lethbridge College family? If at least three members across one or more generations attended Lethbridge College, let us know by emailing WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. We’d love to profile you.
Aloyuisius Black Water, who was the first in his family to attend Lethbridge College, recognized the need to obtain credentials vital to secure steady employment. “Going through the Computer Information Technology (CIT) program, especially when the whole computer industry began to take off, I knew this was the avenue for me to get long-term employment,” he says.
One of the best parts about studying and working at Lethbridge College is the chance to experience the culinary creations by student chefs both on campus and in the community. But learning to prepare these mouth-watering meals takes time and some trial and error. Wider Horizons asked a current student, a grad and an instructor to share some of the best memories of their first year in the professional kitchen. Here’s what they had to say:
Chef Amanda Kawchuk Lethbridge College Bakery instructor (Culinary Careers 2009, Cook Apprentice 2009)
Skylar Sawers Chef at Summerhill Pyramid Winery in Kelowna (Cook Apprentice 2015)
I enjoy teaching first-year students because the topics we cover are new and exciting. Getting to teach students about what I’m passionate about is rewarding. I get to see the growth in my students over not only my course but over the whole course of their schooling. This year, my first class I instructed graduated and earned their Red Seals – and I could not be more proud of them! The growth in their skillset from beginning as a first-year student to a graduate is rewarding. “
THE LAST WORD
One memory that sticks out for me in first year was when we hit the sauce making section. We were tasked in teams to make our first Hollandaise. After my team “broke” our sauce, I remember the excitement Chef (Doug Overes) showed in being able to show us how to “repair” the broken Hollandaise. That passion for a specific teaching moment is something that recurred over my entire time in the program. And I still take it with me in my everyday career even now – showing students how mistakes can always be opportunities to learn something new!
byIllustratedEricDyck
44 | FALL 2022
It has been a great experience of learning here at Lethbridge College. The most amazing time I had was in the GMS (Garde Manger and Saucier) kitchen while doing the meat-cutting and cooking course. I enjoyed learning about different types of meats and how to handle and process them. The most amazing thing I did was cooking different types of steaks and learning about the techniques used in cooking the steaks.
Johar Yusuf Kachwala First-year Culinary Arts student
The last word
NEXT ISSUE: The last word is yours... Heavy duty! Lethbridge College’s Heavy Equipment Technician program is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and Wider Horizons would love to hear from grads who learned how to repair, maintain and overhaul industrial equipment and heavy vehicles at Lethbridge College. Send your memories by email to WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca or on social media by tagging @LethCollege and #LastWordLC, and we’ll share them in our next issue. We can’t wait to read your submissions!
THE Big QUESTION ? What made you choose Lethbridge College? In 200 words or less, let us know the story behind your decision to attend Lethbridge College, and we’ll share that memory in a future issue and online. WH Magazine@lethbridge college .ca