News Exchange

Rosemary (MacDonald) `80 and Donald McLean `68 met in ’68 while members of the StFX Glee Club (Donald sang tenor and Rosemary played the piano). They married on July 11, ’70 and celebrated their 50th anniversary this past summer. Congratulations Rosemary and Donald!

July 4, 2020 St. Margaret’s Catholic Church, Arisaig Farlan Dowell ’02, Jay Widdifield ’88, CJ (Jamieson) Healy ’98, Ross Thompson ’96, Greg Boudreau ’87 StFX friends in Northern California gathered at McInnis Golf Center in San Rafael, CA to take in a round and catch up socially distanced! Greg Boudreau had the lowest score, and Ross Thompson the best outfit!

Judge Laurie Halfpenny MacQuarrie ’84, ’85 (centre) received an Honorary Degree at the 2020 Fall Convocation ceremony. Pictured with her are: Isabel Halfpenny, Blaine MacQuarrie ’87, Drew MacQuarrie ’14 and Taylor MacQuarrie ’18.

Ian McKinnon ’83 and his daughter Mairi ’21 celebrate X-Ring together at their home in Halifax.

Katelyn (Gaetz) ’15 and David MacGillivray ’13

September 26, 2020 Cap-Lumiere, New Brunswick Paul Fraser ’82, Kyle Fraser ’15 ’17, Bonnie Fraser ’15 and Rachel Mitchell ’13

Current student Sarah England was recently in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and she took this picture of her X-Ring in Bottle Cove. They hiked a little trail then came out on a peak of land. It was beautiful!

Hilary (Perry) ’15 and Alex Miller ’16 They both studied political science and were active in the Students’ Union, which is where they met. Hilary is now a lawyer with the Department of Justice, Government of Canada and Alex is a PhD student at Queen’s University Belfast.

Symbi Medical is a digital health company that’s building technology to support patients through every stage of procedure preparation. Started by three StFX students in 2018, Symbi is now a team of seven and is being used by leading endoscopy centers across North America. StFX grads involved include Cameron Sehl ’18, Jacob Buffam ’18, Max Jennings ’19, Devin McArthur ’19, Logan Brown ’19 and Isaac Kerr ’20.

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Rebecca Charnock ’18

Alumni help in student recruitment has always played a key role. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when StFX is recruiting in a virtual world, it’s even more important as school fairs and visits are put on hold and many students aren’t able to visit the campus in person.

“StFX’s best recruitment tool is the personal connections it creates, but that doesn’t always come out through the website or presentations. Alumni are evidence that StFX is a unique place that is much more than a school, and if they can demonstrate that to perspective prospective students that is a very effective recruitment tool,” says Student Success Leader Lucas Middleton ’19.

“While we try to connect with as many students as we can, it is not always possible to reach every student who would be a good fit for StFX. This is the case during a ‘normal’ year, but it is an even bigger challenge due to COVID-19. Alumni can help our recruitment efforts by spreading the word about StFX far and wide,” says Student Success Leader John McNeil ’19.

Tara Buksaitis, Registrar & Director of Enrolment Planning, says in some ways,

Susan Grant ’92 Nia MacFarlane ’18

alumni stories are more relatable. “All our student success leaders are alumni themselves, but sometimes students can view them as employees.”

Alumni too can provide valuable firsthand feedback to potential students on questions ranging from what it’s like to come to university from a larger centre, concerns about moving far from home, and careers and life after StFX.

“Our alumni demonstrate what it means to be part of the StFX family. It goes beyond four years, it goes beyond your degree,” Ms. Buksaitis says.

For alumni looking to help, the easiest way is to connect with the student success leader representing their geographic area to let them know they’re interested in supporting StFX. Additionally, alumni can share their stories both on their personal social media platforms and with the team at StFX, attend StFX events, and continue to do what they’ve always done—to look within their circle and share their stories about StFX with someone who may benefit from a similar experience. To connect with a StFX Student Success Leader:

REBECCA CHARNOCK ’18

Region: Western Canada rcharnoc@stfx.ca “StFX provided me with the opportunity to be a big fish in a little pond and get involved in so much on campus. With that, my friendships and my network grew, along with my confidence to pursue all my academic and career focused goals.”

SUSAN GRANT ’92

Region: Antigonish and Guysborough Counties, NS sagrant@stfx.ca “My time at StFX means a lot to me. Experiencing different cultures and meeting people from all over the world, helped me become the person I am today. There have been so many opportunities that have been open to me as a result of my time at StFX.”