Skookum Archive
Sussels leave a legacy honouring parents who risked everything for
Walter Sussel doesn’t actually remember leaving Germany, but the story of his journey as recounted by others is seared into his brain. A little boy. Four years old. Holding the hand of his two-year-old sister. Being told by a trusted adult to walk along a forested path. That his uncle was waiting for him on…Women in Policing topic of UFV alumni panel discussion Nov
Forty years ago it was rare to see a woman in a police uniform. And when you did, chances are she was in a skirt and kept her gun in her purse. Now women comprise 20 percent of all police officers in Canada. Women in policing have faced challenges along the way, and many have…UFV Top 40 alumni: Evan Wiens — Exhibiting altruism through
Dentist, husband, father, volunteer, globetrotter, Distinguished Young Alumni. And now, UFV Top 40 Alumni. It’s little wonder Dr. Evan Wiens is always smiling. UFV’s 2013 Distinguished Young Alumni award winner — reserved for a high achiever under the age of 35 — has been making an impact at every stage of his education and career.…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Mary Anne Waterhouse — Film producer
Mary Anne Waterhouse is a two-time Gemini award-winning producer, with a resume that includes over 50 film and television productions. Her most recent film projects include Lawrence & Holloman, and That Burning Feeling, and The Steps. She is head of production for the Blue Ice Group in Toronto and in that capacity just finished production…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Tracey Vanderaegen Jones — Nurse educator
An unsuccessful start to nursing school at a large urban university may have been a blessing in disguise for Tracey. Tracey, winner of the 2010 Distinguished Alumni award and one of the UFV Top 40 alumni, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse. After high school, she went directly to…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Andy Thompson — Would-be engineer found
Playwright, producer, filmmaker, actor, and director Andy Thompson was almost an engineer. Andy, the artistic director of The Virtual Stage, a leader in the Vancouver theatre scene, and one of UFV’s Top 40 alumni, started as a science student with an academic scholarship heading towards an engineering degree. “My mother said I should take some…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Adam Simpson — Humanitarian brings project
Adam Simpson is a project management advisor for development and peacebuilding initiatives. He has worked extensively in conflict and post-conflict zones including the Congo, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, and currently oversees the Europe and Middle East regional portfolios of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). Adam is also experienced in strategic program…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Terry-Lynn Stone — A way with
“University changed my life!” That’s how Terry-Lynn Stone summarizes the effect that her time at UFV (then UCFV) had on her. She was a stay-at-home mother with four children with 20-year-old credentials when family circumstances influenced her to seek a return to the workforce. She planned to start with childcare courses, and came home in…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Myrtle-Anne Rempel — Artist found inspiration
“Studying art opened my world!” So says Myrtle-Anne Rempel, a successful businesswoman and artist who took Fine Arts courses in the early days of Fraser Valley College and one of UFV’s Top 40 alumni. She earned her diploma, but enjoyed her studies so much that she took more courses than was required and spent four…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Bonnie Reilly Schmidt — RCMP veteran
Bonnie Reilly Schmidt graduated from UFV with a BA (with a double major in history and English) in 2004. She came to UFV as a mature student after a career with the RCMP. She went on to complete an MA and PhD in history at Simon Fraser. Throughout her graduate studies, she received various fellowships…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Jackie Rea — From upgrading to
Jaclyn Rea has truly climbed the educational ladder of success. She started out at what was then Fraser Valley College as an upgrading student hoping to build a better life for herself and her son. Upon completing her Grade 12 equivalency, she enrolled in the Office Careers program, which led to a position as an…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Barry Penner — Youthful politician rose
Barry Penner entered politics at the relatively young age of 29 when he surprised observers by successfully challenging a sitting Member of the Legislature for his party's nomination. He went on to be elected for the first time at age 30 and was a seasoned veteran by his mid-40s. Barry’s first full-time career was as…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Darren Penner — thirst for knowledge
Darren Penner has always been the inquisitive sort. This inclination serves him well in his career as a lawyer, and it was fostered during his time studying history at UFV. “I really started looking into what makes things work when I was seven years old, but once I got to UFV I further developed a…UFV Top 40: Chris Woods — Mix of realism and
From a young boy obsessed with popular culture and possessed with extreme artistic talent, to an established artist with multiple exhibitions to his name, Chris Woods has lived an artist’s dream. “I have been very lucky to be able to pursue my chosen profession, and UFV played no small part in my success,” he says.…UFV Top 40: Shawn Neumann — Digital marketing trendsetter finds
Shawn Neumann is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and tech leader who has built Domain 7 digital agency from a one-man shop in backroom of his parents’ Abbotsford home to a 40-employee company with offices in Abbotsford, Vancouver, Seattle, and Washington, DC. Shawn started his post-secondary journey at his local university college (then called UCFV), in…Bright berries see a juicy future with Raspberry magazine
Bands blast, rappers lay down beats, and poets are slamming — all in one night and all in one room. One young woman is in her element, putting herself on the line and reading for a live audience. It’s all part of a fundraising evening organized by the Raspberry collective at the Reach Gallery and…Ever-present, ever-serving Evered looks back on time at UFV
One student’s memorial gift helped first-generation learner and UFV President Mark Evered get his start. Now stepping away, he looks forward to where universities are going next Dave Evered, a Hamilton factory worker, pushed callused and grease-streaked hands into the palms of five sons. “Do better, boys,” he implored. “Get an education so you won’t…Multi-level mentoring program matches UFV and Chilliwack Secondary students
Think about about those little Russian dolls. The smallest doll is surrounded by a larger one, which is in turn enveloped by an even bigger one, which is finally held safely by the largest doll of all. A healthy community is sort of like these dolls. The youngest and most vulnerable are cared for by…Design currency — Banking on evolving business makes perfect sense
Steve Jobs owned the world. Tim McAlpine just wants its credit unions. Banking on evolving business makes perfect sense for Tim McAlpine. A UFV graphic design alumnus with clients across North America, McAlpine sports a Jobs-like look with black sweaters coating the thin build of a man who loves all things Apple. He looks at…Back to the land — building resiliency by connecting Aboriginal
We step into the forest near Bridal Falls outside of Chilliwack and the trappings of modern-day life slip away. There’s just us, the mist, the cedar, the ferns, and the birds and animals quietly observing. Our mission? Finding food and medicine in the forest to gather and harvest, along with a path towards healthier communities.…Giving peace a chance — Donors fund Peace and Conflict
When internationally known peace and conflict scholar George Lopez visited UFV in March, he stayed at a local Abbotsford hotel. There is nothing inherently remarkable in this, except that his fellow guests were not all business travelers or families on vacation. In the parking lot, men gathered to smoke. In the lobby, women gathered to…Sussels leave a legacy honouring parents who risked everything for
Walter Sussel doesn’t actually remember leaving Germany, but the story of his journey as recounted by others is seared into his brain. A little boy. Four years old. Holding the hand of his two-year-old sister. Being told by a trusted adult to walk along a forested path. That his uncle was waiting for him on…Women in Policing topic of UFV alumni panel discussion Nov
Forty years ago it was rare to see a woman in a police uniform. And when you did, chances are she was in a skirt and kept her gun in her purse. Now women comprise 20 percent of all police officers in Canada. Women in policing have faced challenges along the way, and many have…UFV Top 40 alumni: Evan Wiens — Exhibiting altruism through
Dentist, husband, father, volunteer, globetrotter, Distinguished Young Alumni. And now, UFV Top 40 Alumni. It’s little wonder Dr. Evan Wiens is always smiling. UFV’s 2013 Distinguished Young Alumni award winner — reserved for a high achiever under the age of 35 — has been making an impact at every stage of his education and career.…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Mary Anne Waterhouse — Film producer
Mary Anne Waterhouse is a two-time Gemini award-winning producer, with a resume that includes over 50 film and television productions. Her most recent film projects include Lawrence & Holloman, and That Burning Feeling, and The Steps. She is head of production for the Blue Ice Group in Toronto and in that capacity just finished production…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Tracey Vanderaegen Jones — Nurse educator
An unsuccessful start to nursing school at a large urban university may have been a blessing in disguise for Tracey. Tracey, winner of the 2010 Distinguished Alumni award and one of the UFV Top 40 alumni, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse. After high school, she went directly to…UFV Top 40 Alumni: Andy Thompson — Would-be engineer found
Playwright, producer, filmmaker, actor, and director Andy Thompson was almost an engineer. Andy, the artistic director of The Virtual Stage, a leader in the Vancouver theatre scene, and one of UFV’s Top 40 alumni, started as a science student with an academic scholarship heading towards an engineering degree. “My mother said I should take some…