8 minute read
Class Acts
Alex Anthopoulos ’94 & Ashley Cukier ’04 (Pre-U ’05)
Alex Anthopoulos ’94: At the Top of his Game
BY DANA KOBERNICK, Communications Manager
Alex Anthopoulos ’94
Alex Anthopoulos ’94 has never been one to opt for the path of least resistance. Throughout his career, he has invariably chosen to travel the riskier, less certain road. This path has led him to cities in both Canada and the US, where he has served in a variety of roles for several major league baseball teams. Ultimately, it led him to the very pinnacle of the sport, winning the 2021 World Series as general manager of the Atlanta Braves.
In 1998, after having studied economics at McMaster University, Alex had committed to working at his father’s heating and ventilation company, when a tragic event altered his plans. “I never really considered whether this job was something I liked,” he says. “I felt a sense of obligation to my dad, but he passed away not long after I joined him, and this was the unfortunate catalyst for reassessing my professional goals.”
Though working in an established business would have been the safer option, in 2000, at the age of 23, Alex chose to pursue his love of baseball. He contacted various clubs and secured an internship in community affairs with the Florida Marlins. The excitement of having landed this coveted position was shortlived, however, when the offer was revoked due to visa complications. Not one to be easily deterred, Alex reached out to his hometown Montreal Expos, while also applying to Fidelity Investments in Toronto in case his dream job didn’t materialize.
Alex Anthopoulos
Just at the time that he received an offer from Fidelity, the Expos called with an opportunity for an unpaid internship. True to himself, Alex chose passion over security and picked the Expos, working on media relations during the week and players’ fan mail on weekends. He also leveraged his time with the team to learn more about scouting, the area that interested him most. To help pay the bills, Alex worked part-time for RBC, which led to an offer of a full-time position in commercial banking. The Expos were reluctant to let him go. At the end of the baseball season in 2000, he turned down RBC and headed to Florida for spring training. He was finally given a paid position as scouting coordinator only a year and a half later.
From there, Alex’s career in baseball skyrocketed. Following the 2003 season, the Expos promoted him to assistant director of scouting. With rumblings that the team might be moving from Montreal to Washington, he seized an opportunity to join the Toronto Blue Jays as scouting coordinator, even though it meant turning down a promotion and accepting a cut in salary. He served in that position for two years and, in 2005, was offered the position of assistant general manager, a role he filled for four years before being promoted again to general manager. At the end of 2015, Alex and his family moved to the West Coast, where he served as vice president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Three years later he was named general manager of the Atlanta Braves. Alex has been the Braves’ GM for the past four years, and he was at the helm when they won the World Series last fall for the first time in 26 years.
“In the moment, I felt really proud,” he said. “But I was more excited for the city and thrilled that this event brought joy to the community.” Alex admits that there were times when he wavered in his convictions, and that many detractors along the way tried to discourage him from a pursuit that they saw as unrealistic. But he persevered, and stands by the belief that passion fuels success and happiness. Still, he is quick to add that success cannot only be measured in terms of one’s professional accomplishments, and maintains that his family life with his wife and children is actually his greatest achievement.
Alex was a sports fan during his LCC days as well, participating in rugby, basketball and football. Throughout his high school years, he also took part in the music program where he played the bass. “LCC was the best educational experience I had,” he says. “The quality of the teaching, the connections, and the many options beyond the classroom, all made me feel like I was positioned for success. It was a great environment where it was cool to be smart and where every student was challenged to raise their game. To today’s graduates starting on their journey, I suggest they maintain their humility, integrity and passion. Those are the pillars for success.”
Ashley Cukier ’04 (Pre-U ’05): Expressing Herself
BY NANCY ESSEBAG-CHRISTIE, Communications & Digital Marketing Specialist
Life after LCC has been a journey of self-discovery for Ashley Cukier ’04 (Pre-U ’05), one that has led her to explore new countries, cultures, and disciplines, all shaping her successful career as a speech language pathologist.
Immediately after graduating from LCC’s Pre-University program, Ashley spent the summer in Italy, teaching English to children in the mornings and learning how to sculpt in the Tuscan hills in the afternoons. It was a memorable experience leading up to her university years.
Ashley’s first semester at Boston’s Brandeis University was spent on exchange in Paris. She returned to the US and began preparing for her next big adventure: a semester in Australia.
“I took a variety of courses in sciences and arts. It was great living on my own, travelling to different countries, meeting new people, and being exposed to unfamiliar perspectives and cultures. My experiences abroad helped me come out of my shell,” she says.
Ashley’s LCC science classes were excellent preparation for her BSc in Health: Science, Society, and Policy (HSSP) from Brandeis. During her time in Boston, she tutored, mentored and volunteered as a big sister in the community. In her final year, she worked in a lab, which sparked a new interest in cognitive and language development.
Post-graduation, she did research, took some courses and realized that improving communication and working with children were areas that she was passionate about. She devoted the next two years to studying speech language pathology at Syracuse University and, since 2012, has been working in this field in Montreal.
Today, Ashley works with toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children with a wide variety of speech and language needs, including expressive and receptive language difficulties, speech sound difficulties, pragmatic language difficulties and stuttering.
Ashley has also supported students at LCC’s Learning Enrichment and Development (LEAD) Centre since 2015. “It’s amazing to see how much the school has changed over the years. LCC helped me develop a strong foundation, and I wanted to give back to the community that shaped me,” she says.
As well as seeing clients and mentoring interns, Ashley volunteers for a friendly phone program that checks in on the elderly. She continues to follow the school’s motto, Non Nobis Solum, two decades after graduating.
Balancing priorities, in both her work and personal life, is a skill that she says she acquired at LCC. To stay grounded, Ashley works out daily, meditates, journals and makes a point to “start each day with an active and clear mind.” An athlete at heart, Ashley joined as many sports teams as she could at LCC, so it is not surprising that she continues to run, ski, play hockey and soccer, and has recently taken up alpine touring.
Her participation in sports at LCC, whether team or individual, taught her about hard work and the value of time management, problem-solving, communication and teamwork. She developed close friendships which she has maintained for more than 15 years. Ashley was a pioneer, coming to the school when she entered grade 3 in 1995, the first year that girls were admitted.
Her time at LCC taught her to think creatively, be confident, and set goals. As she reflects on her school years, Ashley is quick to acknowledge the exceptional teachers who showed her lots of persistence, patience, kindness and dedication.
Ashley’s piece of advice for students is to not be afraid to explore. “Remember that you are not born with all the knowledge and skills. You acquire them through effort and time. Be present, create habits, continue to learn, trust yourself and you will find something you are passionate about!”
