Sonya Sangster came to the University of the Fraser Valley because she wanted to fly. And she did, in more ways than one. Sangster’s UFV education gave her the wings she needed to fly airplanes and to be a leader in helping women in the international development field. The Bachelor of Business Administration in Aviation…

He might not match your vision of a university student, unless your default is a high-level, mid-career RCMP leader in his 50s. That’s the stage of life Gary Bass was at when he first attended the University of the Fraser Valley. Bass, the 2016 winner of the UFV Distinguished Alumni award, was part of the…

When Dr. Mike Hildebrand says he’s working in his lab at Carleton University, he’s speaking literally. The lab is named after him and it’s symbolic of his long journey and the path he has taken from UFV and the Fraser Valley farm where he grew up, to the chronic pain research he now leads. This…

Patti MacAhonic’s life has taken some unexpected turns. Married young and widowed young, she was inspired into activism by injustices she encountered after her husband’s death following a severe workplace injury. MacAhonic (BA Ad Ed ’02), the 2014 winner of the Distinguished Alumni Award at the University of the Fraser Valley, is currently executive director…

Stu Chahal might have found his professional calling in computer systems, but his passion extends to people — especially those who need it most. As the 2013 recipient of the University of the Fraser Valley Distinguished Alumni award, Chahal is just now looking back on his rapid ascent since graduating with a Bachelor in Computer…

Typically, awards recognize a major strength of the individual receiving them. But George Hemeon (BA ’04) the latest Distinguished Alumni award winner, was lauded for multiple strengths. Hemeon was honoured for both his career achievements and his artistic talents. He has accomplished a lot in the past decade. The former landscaper earned his Bachelor of…

The University of the Fraser Valley now has thousands of alumni living and working locally and around the world. Once again, it’s time recognize alumni of distinction by nominating them for a Distinguished Alumni award. New this year is a category for young alumni. “As we are still a fairly young university, many of our…

Shirzad Ahmed knows what it’s like to be a refugee — stateless and far away from family and friends. At the age of 18 he was a political exile from Kurdistan, an area of northeast Iraq that suffered great oppression under the regime of Saddam Hussein and continues to be mired in poverty today. He…

Shirzad Ahmed knows what it’s like to be a refugee — stateless and far away from family and friends. At the age of 18 he was a political exile from Kurdistan, an area of northeast Iraq that suffered great oppression under the regime of Saddam Hussein and continues to be mired in poverty today. He…