Top 10 After 10 animates Bishop’s

Bishop’s Alumni Association hosted two Top 10 After 10 events on Friday, March 24 where they welcomed current BU students to network with distinguished alumni. The Top 10 After 10 awards are given every other year to ten accomplished alumni who graduated a minimum of ten years ago and maximum of twenty years ago. Friday’s event included a speed networking cafe in the morning, followed by a luncheon where the alumni were formally awarded. The Top 10 After 10 were Daniel Wallace (‘02), Loretta Robinson (‘07/’12), Dr. Dorcas Ettang (‘05), David Pawluczuk (‘09/’13), Dan Klinck (‘07), Jocelyn Molyneux (‘08), Dr. Cat MacKeigan (‘05), Stuart Mercier (‘04), Omar Allam (‘03), and Katie Price (‘07). The cohort worked in fields of law, education, academia, entrepreneurship, real estate, healthcare, and global business, trade, and investment.

The networking cafe took place in the Centennial lobby. Students rotated as small groups between tables which had two alumni each. They spent 15 minutes at each table to gather advice and learn about the alumni’s journey from the BU bubble. The number of students who showed up exceeded expectations, but was highly welcomed. Alumni relations coordinator Sterling MacWhinney believed that word of mouth from the previous 2021 Top 10 After 10 events may have doubled the amount of students who participated in the networking session this year.

MacWhinney found that the 2023 Top 10 cohort was unique because “they didn’t all follow what they studied into their career. They found their passion, and sometimes their passion is lying in another field that they hadn’t even considered when they were studying.” He believed this revealed the merits of a liberal arts education where you could find passion outside your major or honours. For example, Robinson spoke of her surprise to only have taught in a classroom for three years before becoming a Naskapi education consultant. She transitioned to this career after seeing how language education policies reduced the ways her students related English, French, Naskapi, and the Innu language to one another.

The alumni talked about worklife balance, such as Wallace, who spoke of his gratitude to come home to a partner who could refreshingly say, “Who cares?” about a frustrating law case; and Dr. Ettang, who used to travel extensively for work surrounding peace and security, but switched to academia partially because of having kids. One conversation at Molyneux and Dr. MacKeigan’s table was about the additional barriers faced by women and non-binary professionals – having to wear makeup to be taken seriously and asserting their right to be respected in professional spaces.

After the speed networking cafe, the Top 10 After 10 and the students moved to the Gait for a luncheon. There were assigned seating charts for students, professors and other alumni. The luncheon was a further opportunity to trail into discussions that fast-paced networking cafe didn’t allow.

Michelle Garrison, a second- the intention to bring awareness to epilepsy, not as a problem or for shame but to support those who need it, to support spouses, friends, parents, and families who experience this. To build support and continue research to one day, find a cure for epilepsy. My name is Tom and I have epilepsy. year sports studies student expressed that, “From being a lawyer, entrepreneur or registered nurse, all these alumni are extremely successful and provided us students with a lot of great advice and guidance for our future endeavors.” Virginie Levesque, a third year biology and sports studies student reflected that, “I can say with certainty that I have learnt something from every single alumni I interacted with that day. I left the event inspired and looking forward to reaching back out to the alumni.” MacWhinney encouraged Bishop’s students who are curious about the next Top 10 events in 2025, or those who find themselves outside the invitation list to simply reach out to him or anyone in the alumni development office.

Fanny Essel, Arts & Culture Editor » thecampus.artsculture@gmail.com