Wider Horizons Spring 2021

{ A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE }

DIGGING DEEP AND RISING UP

LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND ALUMNI OFFER INSIGHTS INTO HOW THEY HAVE ADAPTED AND EVENTUALLY EMBRACED NEW CHALLENGES IN THEIR LIVES

10 BRINGING DREAMS TO LIFE 20 PANDEMIC SILVER LININGS 26 CULTIVATING RESILIENCE

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Editor’s message

I had never had the chance to be a { VOL. 14 | ISSUE 3 | SPRING 2021 }

Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’s community magazine, celebrating the successes and stories of students, employees, alumni, partners and friends. The magazine aims to educate, engage and delight its readers through compelling stories and images about Lethbridge College people, places and experiences.

In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all alumni and available on campus. Alumni looking to connect with the college or update their contact information can email alumni@lethbridgecollege.ca or go to lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni.

Readers who would like to receive an e-version of the magazine, send a letter, comment on a story, change their address or remove their name from our mailing list should email the editor at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca Publisher: Dr. Paula Burns Editor-in-chief: Sandra Dufresne Editor: Lisa Kozleski Art director/designer: Dana Woodward Cover photo: Rob Olson Photographers: Jamin Heller, Rob Olson Illustrators: Eric Dyck Writers: Jeremy Franchuk, Jamin Heller, Paul Kingsmith, Dawn Sugimoto Proofreaders: Sylvia Adam, Jessica Smith, Linda Sprinkle, Jennifer Yanish College staff contributors: Kristy Clark, Leeanne Conrad, James Harrison, Greg Kruyssen, Lawrence Krysak, Kristina Madarasz, Ron Ostepchuk, Stephanie Savage, Kasha Thurston, Sydney Wakaruk

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Located on the traditional lands of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Lethbridge College is committed to honouring the land from a place of knowing. We honour the Siksikaitsitapi as both the traditional and current Land Keepers of this area, and we welcome all First Nations, Métis, Inuit and non-Indigenous peoples who call Blackfoot territory their home.

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part of creating a new brand message until Lethbridge College went through the process in 2018 and launched its “Be Ready: What Happens Next Matters Most” campaign.

It was fascinating to see the creativity and collaboration of the Marketing team and colleagues, who created messages that would resonate with everyone from future and current students and employees to alumni, retired colleagues, Kodiaks players and fans, research and industry partners, donors and more. It felt like a good fit from the start, raking in industry awards while finding its way into everything from speeches to socks.

But little could the team have envisioned how well the new brand would work in a pandemic. What happens next (in a pandemic) matters most? Yes, it does! Be ready (for wearing a mask, for doing things differently, for a crash course in science and statistics)? You betcha!

And the brand story – the words that helped inspire the new brand – also hit home powerfully this past year. “Lethbridge College is more than bricks and mortar.” These days, our community can be found on a laptop or a small cohort lab, and our celebrations take place outdoors or on a livestream video available to anyone in the world.

“Look around... we know something about digging deep and rising up.” Have you seen our students lately? Their fieldtrips in Environmental Sciences became solo outings. They have created one-of-a-kind practicum experiences. And they are getting hands-on, work-integrated learning experiences, all while juggling jobs, barking dogs, occasional internet woes and worries about their health and the well-being of their loved ones.

“We know success is not by chance, but that it takes perseverance, determination and grit.” It sure does. And we are thrilled to showcase some of those stories of resilience in this issue of Wider Horizons, from students, employees and alumni who have endured a host of challenges and come out the other side with wisdom worth sharing.

“We are a community committed to one another. We know that what happens next matters most.” Yes, we are, and yes, it does – and we hope that what happens this fall is a safe return to campus for most of our students and staff.

“We’re ready.” If anything, this last year has taught us that we are capable of so much when we work together, that we can effect change and create community in countless ways.

Here’s to all the ways you’ve risen up and shown your own resilience this past year. And we’d love to hear how you’ve managed to be ready for what happens next during the pandemic, so just drop us a note at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. As always, thanks for reading.

Lisa Kozleski Editor

P.S. If you’re looking to see the “lies” from our student story on p. 32, SPOILER ALERT: Lina Castro did NOT jump into Henderson Lake for the Polar Plunge. Nichole Ham did NOT create an elaborate drawing of a crime scene for an assignment. And Amber Vanderkroft did NOT dress up and play a senior citizen for classmates to practise their skills – because of online learning and COVID restrictions. Thanks for playing!

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SEEN ON CAMPUS Agriculture Sciences students came back to campus for a fun week of labs and hands-on learning experiences in March.

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President in action News and notes

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From our kitchens Where are they now?

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Makers, doers and thinkers The last word

A fresh feast: Chef Devon Apperloo (Cook Apprentice 2018) shares recipes that showcase the best fresh produce possible.

2021 Distinguished Alumni For more than 25 years, Brian Wichers (Business Administration 1987) has been feeding Lethbridge – in more ways than one.

The last word: Check out the Endeavour lab, which has been transformed thanks in part to a gift from Corus Entertainment.

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President in action

Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns takes a minute to check email in her office after stopping by with her new addition, Belle, one day this spring. Dr. Burns used the visit to introduce Belle to members of her team and show her a bit of campus (the pup seemed especially enthralled with the dried leaves blowing on the sidewalk in front of Centre Core).

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Belle, who weighed in at a pound-and-a-half when she came home with Dr. Burns, is a Yorkie. “Getting a puppy has been lots of fun – and yes, a bit of work, too – and I am enjoying getting to know her personality,” says Dr. Burns. “She’s full of life and energy and very loving.” Throughout the winter semester, employees could catch a glimpse of Belle online, especially during the virtual “Coffee with Paula” meetings held to help keep the college community connected while working remotely.

Photo by Rob Olson

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News and notes

News and notes College names first valedictorian: “The class of 2021 should be very proud of our resilience.”

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Want to keep up on all of your Lethbridge College news between issues of Wider Horizons? Check out our news and events webpage (lethbridgecollege.ca/news) for the latest stories and all of the college news you need. And don’t forget, you can read past issues of Wider Horizons at widerhorizons.ca.

LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE’S 64TH CONVOCATION WILL INCLUDE A FIRST: THE NAMING OF A VALEDICTORIAN. COLLEGE LEADERS SELECTED BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION STUDENT ASHLEY PIERSON, A GRADUATE OF CARDSTON HIGH SCHOOL, TO FILL THE ROLE AT THIS YEAR’S CONVOCATION CEREMONIES MAY 27 AND 28 ON CAMPUS. Pierson, who holds a 4.0 grade point average and will graduate with Honours with Great Distinction, has been active at the college and in the community throughout her college years. She has worked as a peer tutor in the Learning Café and is a student representative on the Lethbridge College Students’ Association. Outside of school, she can be found singing in the Ventus Women’s Choir and volunteering in the community.

Business instructor Dr. Cheryl Meheden was impressed with Pierson the first time she met her, at the Alberta Deans of Business Case competition in 2019 where Dr. Meheden was the faculty advisor. “She was a first year, which was a bit unusual, but she ended up emerging as the informal leader of the group,” recalls Dr. Meheden. “Her communication skills were amazing. She would listen before she talked and was always very attentive to people and heard what they had to say. There is a depth and a breadth about her, and it all culminates in this extraordinary human being who we call Ashley!”

Pierson says Dr. Meheden ended up being a key mentor for her at the college.

“She saw my potential far before I saw it myself,” Pierson explains. “She coached me and passed on a portion of her vast knowledge at the Alberta Deans of Business Competition. She embodies the bold and courageous businesswoman that I aspire to become. I am thankful for her undeniable support and guidance.”

Incorporating a valedictorian into the convocation experience is something that college leaders have been looking to do for many years. This year, as the college switches from holding one convocation ceremony the day after finals end to a true graduation ceremony after all final marks are submitted, is the ideal time to also introduce the new student honour.

“The valedictorian represents the graduating class, and the honour is based on a combination of academic achievement and service to the college and fellow students,” explains Marko Hilgersom, Registrar. “Our previous convocation ceremonies had many celebratory speeches from college leaders, and the valedictorian will now inject that student voice into the ceremony, while showcasing the brilliant students we have at Lethbridge College. I cannot think of a better student representative than Ashley, as our first valedictorian, and I look forward to hearing her voice as part of Spring Convocation 2021.”

“I AM TRULY HONOURED TO BE CHOSEN AS THE FIRST VALEDICTORIAN FOR LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE. MY FELLOW STUDENTS GREATLY DESERVE RECOGNITION, AS WELL, FOR PERSEVERING AND GRADUATING WHILE FACING A PANDEMIC. THE CLASS OF 2021 SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF OUR RESILIENCE.” Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photo by Rob Olson

Donors improve the student experience in all areas From equipment to financial aid to work-integrated learning opportunities to training materials, donors make a difference in the lives of Lethbridge College students every day. The college celebrated the generosity of its donors in March, highlighting the many ways they directly affect the lives of students.

While many recent initiatives were launched and supported in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the generosity of the southern Alberta community was apparent well before the pandemic and continues to support the day-to-day lives of students.

In 2020-21, the college disbursed more than $650,000 in student awards to more than 460 students, helping to relieve the financial challenge of attaining a post-secondary education. In addition to providing financial support, the college was also able to help ensure students were connected by using donor funds to supply more than 100 students with gifts or loans of laptops, while 35 students received internet subsidies. Tangible donations, such as hard hats to Wind Turbine Technician students or industrial safety clothing for Powerline Technician students, also helped to reduce their program expenses and prepared them to enter industry. And practicum experiences and work-integrated learning opportunities give students the hands-on training they need to be ready to contribute to their employers.

To learn more about donor-related projects at Lethbridge College, or to get involved, visit lethbridgecollege.ca/give.

Ford of Canada donates new vehicles to Lethbridge College

Students in Lethbridge College’s automotive programs have received a boost from Ford of Canada and Dunlop Ford. The college received two new Ford vehicles, which will provide students with the opportunity to get hands-on training with some of the latest technology available in vehicles. The vehicles had previously been flood damaged, and minor repairs, as required, along with a thorough cleaning were completed by Dunlop Ford prior to making the donation. The partnership also provides the college with access to the Ford ACE Program, a web-based training program that can help students obtain valuable knowledge of Ford/Lincoln vehicle systems and that is a subset of the same courses taken by current Ford dealership technicians.

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News and notes

INNOVATION IN ACTION The teams in our Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Integrated Agriculture Technology Centre have continued moving their research programs along even with the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Southern Alberta canola producers stand to benefit from a joint research project by Lethbridge College and Farming Smarter. The project will study the effects of strip tillage and precision planting on canola crops. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) partly funds this three-year, Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant with $75,000 per year. The research aims to increase crop emergence and seed yield in canola under western Canadian climate conditions by using improved crop production practices.

INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP TAPS COLLEGE RESEARCHERS FOR AGRICULTURE DATA:

LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE AWARDED SIGNIFICANT GRANT TO SUPPORT EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:

When Calgary companies Jadler Industries and Random Acronym were looking to test out new technology for monitoring soil moisture in agriculture, there was only one place to go: Lethbridge College. “Lethbridge College has built a reputation with the agriculture industry in southern Alberta for getting research out into the real world,” says Jadler Industries President Brad Smith. “When you tell clients that you’re working with the college, they know exactly what that means.”

The Government of Canada awarded Lethbridge College a two-year, $400,000 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Institutional Capacity-Building Grant in March, which will help the college identify and overcome systemic barriers that impede the career advancement, recruitment and retention of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. The college is one of just 12 Canadian post-secondary institutions out of 60 applicants chosen to share close to $4.8 million in funding as part of the 2020 EDI Institutional Capacity-Building grant.

The expert scientists in Lethbridge College’s Aquaculture Centre of Excellence have launched a new series of courses that will provide training in the area to everyone from high school students to interested amateurs to experienced greenhouse technicians. While the college has offered aquaponics courses in the past as part of its academic programming, microcredentials allow flexible learning that can be accessed at any time and completed at the user’s own pace.

To read detailed descriptions of their recent work, check out www.lethbridgecollege.ca/news; but for a glimpse of their creative and collaborative projects, here are some headlines.

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COLLEGE, FARMING SMARTER STUDY WAYS TO BOOST CANOLA YIELDS:

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AQUAPONICS MICROCREDENTIAL COURSES NOW OFFERED:

STUDY FINDS FERTILE GROUND FOR SUBSURFACE IRRIGATION RESEARCH:

A Lethbridge College research project is breaking new ground in the study of subsurface drip fertigation. The two-year study is led by Dr. Rezvan Karimi Dehkordi, research associate on the Mueller Applied Research in Irrigation Science team, and is funded by a grant from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership. It explores how using SDF, a method that applies water and fertilizer directly to the rootzones of plants, affects the uptake of nutrients in crop yields.

RANKINGS OUT: LC IS ONE OF CANADA’S FASTEST-GROWING RESEARCH COLLEGES:

Lethbridge College has been recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing research colleges while earning its highest ever placement in the annual ranking of Canada’s top 50 research colleges. The college placed 26th on the top 50 list released by Research Infosource and ranked third in research income growth.

RESEARCHERS OFFER SOLUTION TO A LOOMING ANTIBIOTICS CRISIS:

Lethbridge College researchers are doing their part to address the looming antibiotic crisis by working to discover and develop new antibiotics by testing plants native to Alberta for antibiotic molecules. The work of microbiology senior research scientist Dr. Sophie Kernéis and lab technician Leanne DuMontier received a boost as their lab was recently federally certified to handle Level 2 pathogens – the bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that cause disease.

Previously, the lab was only able to work on non-pathogens.

EMPLOYEE EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS CELEBRATED Lethbridge College celebrated 10 exceptional colleagues with Employee Excellence awards in March. They are: SANDRA DUFRESNE

Excellence Award for Leadership and Creating Community

MELANIE HAMILTON

Excellence Award for Leadership and Creating Community HARMONI JONES

Excellence Award for Leadership and Creating Community LORETTA KROKER

Excellence Award for Leadership and Creating Community KEVIN WIBER

Excellence Award for Leadership and Creating Community INA BACZUK AND

CONSTANCE SHERIFF

Excellence Award for Service and Innovation SANDRA PRICE

Excellence Award for Service and Innovation ANDY BENOIT

College launches Niitsitapi strategy In reaffirming its commitment to making Indigenous education a priority, Lethbridge College has launched its newly developed institutional Niitsitapi Strategy. The strategy is an important milestone in Lethbridge College’s commitment to truth and reconciliation, which will allow the college to create a space of Indigenous cultural inclusion and deepen its connections with its internal and external Indigenous communities.

“It is a privilege to be located on the traditional lands of the Siksikaitsitapi (Blackfoot Territory) and it is our responsibility to honour and respect what that means,” says Dr. Paula Burns (Piita’gaaksiimaaki – Eagle Whistle Woman), Lethbridge College President and CEO. “We must deepen our understanding of traditional cultures and ways of knowing, and we are committed to taking definitive action to support these communities.

This strategy is not the start of that work, but rather it is an extension and continuation of work we have been doing for many years.”

Coming Together in a Holistic Way: Lethbridge College Niitsitapi Strategy is designed as a living document to guide the college collectively while providing an understanding of the cultural perspective of Indigenous peoples and community. The goal of the strategy is to ensure the college community can come together for inclusive, diverse, engaged and successful education. The strategy can be viewed online at lethbridgecollege.ca/comingtogether.

Excellence Award for Lifelong Learning ADAM ADDISON

Appreciation Award for Lifelong Learning 7

News and notes

Waiting for the wildlife Ecosystem Management student Aimee Weir received the Larry Comin Photography Award at the Alberta Chapter of The Wildlife Society’s annual conference and awards ceremony in March.

Ecosystem Management students Sarah Hatt and Ashlyn Herron also received scholarships at the conference. See more of Weir’s wildlife photography on Instagram (@aimee.explores).

College celebrates retirees Lethbridge College celebrated 24 colleagues who retired in 2020-21 at the virtual Employee Excellence celebration in March. Together, this group contributed 471 years of service to the college.

• MURRAY BARTLEY, Centre for Justice and Human

Services, six years

• RICK BLAKELEY, Centre for Trades, 39 years

• RAY BURGESS, Centre for Technology,

Environment and Design, 18 years

• TAMMY CAMRUD, Facilities, seven years

• ALLEN CLAMPITT, Centre for Trades, 34 years • PEGGY COCKERILL, Health Services, 20 years

• LYNDA DUVAL, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation, 30 years

• MARY ANN FULLER, Student Affairs, 18 years • CINDY FYFE, Registrar’s Office, 22 years

• CORENE KOZEY, Buchanan Library, 10 years

• JIM LAING, Centre for Justice and Human Services, seven years • DONNA LINN, Registrar’s Office, 20 years

• JUDY LONG, Centre for Health and Wellness,

12 years

• LESLIE MCCOY, Centre for Health and Wellness,

nine years

• SONJA MCDONALD, Human Resources, 22 years

READY FOR SUMMER FUN We have a summer camp for everyone – challenging, creative and confidence-building experiences for kids. Our hands-on camps are led by inspiring expert instructors and are the perfect place to make new friends, have fun and learn something, too.

SPOTS ARE LIMITED. REGISTER YOUR KIDS NOW AT

lethbridgecollege.ca/summercamps

• DAVID ORR, Centre for Applied Arts and Sciences,

27 years

• SAVITA PAREKH, Caretaking Services, 25 years • DARWIN ROMANCHUK, Centre for Teaching,

Learning and Innovation, 21 years

• ROB SONNENBERG, Centre for Trades, 24 years

• HELEN VAN NISTELROOY, Centre for Health and

Wellness, 11 years

• JANICE WATTS, Financial Services, 36 years

• MIKE WEHRWEIN, Centre for Technology, Environment and Design, 30 years

• LEON WENSMANN, Centre for Trades, 13 years • JANET YORKE, Centre for Health and Wellness,

10 years

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CAMPUS NEWS While the pandemic has put some of the usual campus events on pause, the news didn’t stop this winter and spring. For more, check out lethbridgecollege.ca/news.

In the meantime, these headlines hint at some of the innovations, adaptations and successes the campus experienced these past four months.

NEW PRACTICAL NURSE REFRESHER COURSE OFFERED: Students will be ready for

new opportunities when they continue their careers as a Licensed Practical Nurses. In this industry-led program, students can refresh their knowledge and skills, which will position them to return to the workforce and care for others. The college’s new Practical Nurse Refresher program provides students with the education to meet the Entry to Practice Competencies required upon entry into the Licensed Practical Nurse profession, as identified by the College of Licensed Practical Nurses of Alberta. Want to learn more?

Go to lethbridgecollege.ca/pnrefresher.

DOING GOOD WITH DOUGHNUTS:

Students from the Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology program sold and delivered more than 187 dozen doughnuts from the Coaldale Bakery, raising more than $1,500 for the Coaldale Health Centre recreation department as part of Random Acts of Kindness Week.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS: Students in

the Child and Youth Care program also made a difference during Random Acts of Kindness week, with acts such as contacting old friends, offering money and encouragement to someone in need and taking to social media to inspire others to share kindness.

HIGH-TECH ELDERS: Students could meet on Zoom with the college’s Indigenous Elders and Grandparents from the Cultural Support

program for twice a week “fireside chats.”

POLAR PLUNGE FOR A CAUSE: Members of the LEO Club of Lethbridge College participated in the Virtual Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Alberta.

CAMPUS KUDOS

COMING TOGETHER ON THE COLDEST NIGHT: Members of the Indigenous Collective

team joined former student Tiffany Weasel Head (General Arts and Science 2020) to participate in the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser on Feb. 20, raising funds for Streets Alive Mission in Lethbridge. The Indigenous Collective team and the students’ association collected donations of winter coats, tuques, gloves and blankets to the SAGE Clan, a grassroots organization that patrols the community and provides food, water and connection to those in need. In addition, the Culinary team used canned goods and meat from the Lethbridge College Students’ Association to make chili and freshbaked buns for the SAGE Clan to distribute.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS: A toast goes out

to three Lethbridge College programs that are celebrating their 50th anniversary in the 2020-21 academic year. Congratulations to the Electrician Apprenticeship program, the Conservation Enforcement program and the Renewable Resource Management program for leading and transforming education in Alberta for five decades!

Congratulations to the following Lethbridge College community members for making a difference in their life, work and community. Here are some highlights of their successes these past four months: Instructors Kirsten Fantazir and Murray Bartley presented their Scholarship of Teaching and Learning research on “Role-Playing Gamification Technologies with Adult Learners” in the inaugural issue of Mount Royal University’s Imagining SoTL: Selections from the Banff Symposium.

Ed Development specialist Melanie Hamilton was a collaborator on an article titled “How Educational Developers can Re-engage Mid-Career Faculty using SoTL” in Imagining SoTL: Selections from the Banff Symposium.

AWARD-WINNING WORKPLACE: For a second consecutive year, Lethbridge College has been recognized with a Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month - Great Employers Award.

STUDENT DESIGNERS SELECTED: In need of a logo to identify a newly formed organization aimed at boosting the regional economy, Canada’s Western Gateway Trade and Logistics Corridor turned to Lethbridge College for a student design. They chose elements of designs from two students, Cole Cyre and Colton Won, as the winners who will create the final product.

Instructor Dr. Faron Ellis recently published a chapter titled “The Conservative Campaign: An Opportunity Squandered,” in a new book, The Canadian Federal Election of 2019, published by McGillQueen’s University Press. This is the ninth chapter Faron has contributed to the book series, dating back to the 1992 election.

The Government of Alberta has announced four public member board appointments to Lethbridge College’s Board of Governors.

Current vice chair of the Board of Governors, Kristine Cassie, has been re-appointed to the board, while Nolan Johnson, Janene Moch and Calvin Scott join the board. All four appointments begin March 10 and run until March 31, 2022.

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LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE STUDENTS, EMPLOYEES AND ALUMNI OFFER INSIGHTS INTO HOW THEY HAVE ADAPTED AND EVENTUALLY EMBRACED NEW CHALLENGES IN THEIR LIVES

CULTIVATING

RESILIENCE B

efore graduating from the Wind Turbine Technician program at Lethbridge College, Otys Potts-LittleMustache had travelled away from his home on the Piikani First Nation just a handful of times, and usually with his family.

But his skill and experience working in spaces 90 metres above ground gave him the opportunity to work on sites throughout the province, country and world, taking him throughout Alberta and to Ontario, the United States and the United Kingdom. Although it was challenging for him to work far away from family and the familiar landscape of southern Alberta, Potts-LittleMustache embraced the opportunity, and when he was most homesick, an unexpected connection to home helped him persevere.

Often lessons of resilience and grit seem to come in small doses, as they did for Potts-LittleMustache in his career.

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, seemed to have sped up the process for many, packing a lifetime of learning into the last 13 months.

In an effort to support the community, Lethbridge College’s Learning Café offered an online course called “Thriving in Action” to students this past year – and then created a special session for staff as well. The online resource for students, created by Ryerson University in Toronto, included self10

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Stories told to Jeremy Franchuk, Paul Kingsmith and Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rob Olson

directed materials such as videos, activities and strategies to improve academic success as well as suggestions for ways to thrive in times of stress and worry. The course was also adapted for employees and aimed to teach strategies to build resilience and more effectively manage personal wellness by focusing on the key qualities of resilience — grit, optimism, gratitude, self-compassion and mindfulness.

In this issue of Wider Horizons, we are proud to share the first-person stories of a student, a staff member, an instructor and a grad, all of whom have faced a variety of challenges in their lives, and all of whom have shown incredible fortitude and focus in their responses to it.

The stories of Potts-LittleMustache, Jessica Quarterman, Ibrahim Turay and Tannis Chartier all show that there is no one way to respond to new situations and challenges.

And they represent just a small portion of the many stories of the creative, committed ways Lethbridge College people are making a difference in the world around us, even in challenging times.

If you’d like to share your story of resilience, or let us know about a classmate or colleague who has inspired you, drop us a note at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

We’d love to hear all about it.

Read longer versions of these stories at widerhorizons.ca 11

Jessica Quarterman (Communication Arts – Print Journalism 2011 and Advertising and Public Relations 2012) has worked for the college since 2016 in a variety of roles. In addition to parenting a preemie, she and her husband foster dogs.

Quarterman is also an avid hula hoop practitioner and has written a children’s book. To read a longer version of the story of Brooke’s first year, go to www.widerhorizons.ca.

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Her strength and resiliency must run in the family, though, because together, we learned to swim.

JESSICA QUARTERMAN O

n Dec. 28, 2019, I went into unexpected labour. Our daughter was born three months and 17 days early, weighing just one pound six ounces – about the size of a small bottle of dish soap. And just like that, my husband and I were pushed into the pool of parenting without knowing how to swim.

At times, it was hard to even tread water.

Our baby was a couple of hours old when I got to see her for the first time — a 30-second glimpse before she was airlifted to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. We would spend the next four months in the neonatal intensive care unit there.

On Jan. 1, 2020, we named our daughter Brooke, a small stream. She was already making her own path in life. She was six days old before I got to hold her, and it took a team of five medical staff to move her 1.5 feet to my chest.

For weeks, her intense complications were a daily conversation with the medical team. We were told to always have our phone volume on if we left the hospital just in case we got the call to go and say goodbye. I still jump every time my phone rings. We got a crash course in medical terminology, equipment and fetal biology.

Just keep swimming, we told ourselves.

Throughout January and February, I spent 12 hours a day in the NICU with Brooke. Keith was home in Lethbridge to continue working. Things began to normalize, as much as they could, but then in March, the world I was adjusting to went into lockdown because of the pandemic.

For families in the NICU already trying not to drown, it felt like our heads were being held under. If we left the hospital, we weren’t sure we would be allowed back in. We treated each goodbye like our last – just in case.

On average, premature babies who survive can expect to be home just before or on their initial due date. Not Brooke.

Something was wrong with her heart. And so in April, we left our family of nurses, doctors and respiratory therapists for specialty cardiac care at Alberta Children’s Hospital. We spent two more months, watching her grow among tubes, wires,

needles, IVs, blood tests, echocardiograms and ultrasounds.

Finally, on July 3, 2020 we came home – after 188 days in the hospital. We learned to manage feeding tubes, monitors, oxygen equipment and nine medications. Her nursery became an extension of the hospital, but at least we were home.

We continued our lockdown protocols, knowing her immune system was more susceptible to illness. Keith went to work, I got groceries at specialized hours and we took her to weekly medical appointments.

But in November, somehow we contracted COVID-19. Brooke required regular round-the-clock medical care and we were also trying to overcome the crippling virus ourselves. Luckily, we have all since recovered. Brooke was on oxygen support at home, which helped to overcome the respiratory stress of the virus. Keith and I are noticing long-term effects but are grateful our sickness was relatively mild.

In this past year, Keith and I have been met with challenge after challenge that we had to face head on. We found out how strong and resilient we are. We saw that even though we haven’t seen them in over a year, the kindness and support of our friends and family could not be withheld. We long to celebrate in person with all of them whenever that is possible.

It’s now March 2021, and our girl is over a year old now.

I hope she never remembers the pain of everything she endured to get here. Her strength and resiliency must run in the family, though, because together, we learned to swim.

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IBRAHim TURAY I

t was 1999 when the rebels finally made it to the capital city of Freetown in my home country of Sierra Leone.

It capped a civil war that began in the early 1990s and killed over 50,000 people. The rebels’ move into Freetown led to about two weeks of continuous killing in the city. It was horrible, but luckily this time I wasn’t close to the fighting.

In previous years, I’d been in the middle of three different rebel attacks. I was the only younger male in the family, and I ended up taking much responsibility as a kid growing up, making sure that everyone was OK. Today, I see I used those experiences as a training ground for me to do the things that I’ve been doing in my life. And through it all, the thing I always looked forward to was when life would just be normal and we could go back to school. My love for education kept me going.

I made it to college in Freetown in 2000. Because rebels had destroyed my hometown, I had only a small gym bag worth of belongings. One morning I woke up, and the bag was gone.

Someone found my diary and brought it back to me, but the rest of my clothing was gone. My brother-in-law took me to a store he knew where people sometimes took stuff they had stolen, and there were my clothes. From then on, material possessions became much less important to me.

School, however, was incredibly important to me, and I received a lot of help. When I started college in Sierra Leone, I had relatives who sent me money for school fees and whatever I needed. I held onto it during those Freetown attacks until we could return to campus and it helped me get through college.

These experiences shaped me and might be reasons for the things I’m doing now in my life.

I came to Canada with my family in the early 2000s and continued my quest for education. I received a diploma from what was then Grant MacEwan College and did an undergrad in sociology from the University of Calgary before beginning a career in corrections.

I became interested in the lives of those I interacted with in the justice system, and I was curious as to why Black and Indigenous youth were overrepresented. I recognized that the experience of a Black person growing up in Canada was very different from my own upbringing in Sierra Leone, and my lived experiences would have been very different had I grown up in Canada. As part of my master’s studies at the University of Alberta, I focused my research on using a Motivational Interviewing approach to work with Black Canadian youth involved in gangs.

While our experiences were very different, I can relate to their trauma and how systemic issues can affect entire communities.

I joined the Lethbridge College faculty in 2015 and carried what I learned from my 11 years of experience working in corrections, my research and my life into my instruction in the School of Justice Studies. I talk to my classes about the importance of police officers, correctional officers and other members of the justice system recognizing how their actions are perceived by those they interact with.

And I am still motivated by learning and education. I am continuing my studies by pursuing a PhD in Cultural, Social and Political Thought from the University of Lethbridge, where I am exploring Black youths’ interpretation of their interactions with and perceptions of the police in southern Alberta.

Pursuing education gave me something to focus on from the time I was a young boy. No matter what I went through, education was always my goal. I believe it can save lives.

Ibrahim Turay is an instructor in Lethbridge College’s School of Justice Studies, teaching classes in Management in Justice Organizations, Conflict Management, Correctional Practices, Correctional Assessment/Classification, Correctional Casework, and Counselling and Criminology. In 2017, he organized the first Black History Month (BHM) celebrations in Lethbridge College history and has continued to lead BHM celebrations each year since. He is married and has two boys. In 2018, his family visited Sierra Leone to give his children an appreciation of where he grew up.

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No matter what I went through, education was always my goal. I believe it can save lives.

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I think we’re building resilience and giving people some stability, purpose and something to be passionate about.

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TANNIS CHARTIER Tannis Chartier is a second-year Therapeutic Recreation Gerontology student graduating in May. She started volunteering at the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen in spring 2020. That summer, she started a weekly program called Resilient Art YQL that encourages clients of the soup kitchen to express themselves through art. The program is currently on hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions, but Chartier is looking forward to starting it back up again as soon as it is safe to do so.

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s a soup kitchen and shelter, we do a really good job providing food, water and shelter. But I learned a lot at the college about the different types of needs and the need for purpose and meaning in your life. And I learned that recreation can be a great catalyst for that.

A lot of the people who come here have really been let down a lot of times in their lives, so it took a while to build a rapport with them. There was a lot of skepticism at first, but once they started coming in, they started finding they didn’t need to be great artists to take part. It’s just a space to express yourself.

And then I’d notice that they would start doodling a little and realized that there actually are really good artists here.

People started to show up and look forward to the sessions.

I had 10 or 12 regulars who would come every week, which was wonderful to see. We’ve also had people who’d come for the program start to pitch in around the kitchen because they feel like they’re part of something, and art has helped them take that first step to feel like they can do something meaningful.

The response from the community around me has been amazing with donations of art supplies. We’ve sold some of the art on Facebook and we buy our clients the things they need with the proceeds, like medications, winter clothes and Tim Hortons gift cards. I’ve also had another organization reach out to me about finding work for some of our people because I have that relationship with them now.

I’ve had some mental health issues in my life, but I’ve been lucky to have a few good support systems to keep me from being in a situation like some of the people here who have no

support, no financial resources, nothing. But for them to show up for a meal or a cup of coffee and then decide to stay and do art with me is a huge thing. I think we’re building resilience and giving people some stability, purpose and something to be passionate about.

That’s why it was so hard for me to have to put the program on hold when COVID hit because this had become something they could count on. In the meantime, we’ve been making wellness kits that include some mindfulness exercises, worksheets and colouring pages we are putting in a folder for people to take. I started my practicum in late March and I’m hoping that when that’s done, I’ll be able to go back to the program as soon as possible because this is something I really want to keep going long-term.

If people would like to learn more about Resilient Art YQL, they can check out our Facebook page. And if anyone would like to order the colouring book, they can email us at resilientartyql@gmail.com.

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OTYS POTTSLITTLEMUSTACHE I

wasn’t real career-focused in high school. I grew up on a ranch near Brocket and worked with horses, and always had that part to lean on. In Grade 10, I started at a local feedlot as a summer student and kept at it. And one day, I had just had enough. It was 2005, and I remember telling my mom I was 20 years old and making good money but tired of this work already. I thought I was too old to go back to school. But she had been reading about the new wind turbine program at the college and brought it up to me, and it looked good. So, I applied and got accepted.

The day after I graduated, I already had a job waiting for me, which was awesome. I climbed up that first day – it was a lot to take in. It was like, “I was just in school yesterday and now I’m out here!” It was hard work – sometimes it would be 30C outside and 40C inside the nacelles, but I met a lot of good guys and liked working with them.

After we finished that project, I worked in Taber and then in Ontario, near a town called Wingham. On Sundays, my day off, I’d get my gym stuff and would go running down this long road there. One day, I went to the end of the road and there was a ranch and an indoor arena. I hadn’t ridden in a few months, so I stopped in to ask if he needed help. I noticed some roan horses in his pens and got talking about them. He said they came from Alberta, and he was bidding on them against a guy named Butch 18

| SPRING 2021

LittleMustache. I told him that was my dad! Small world!

Well, he invited me in, made me tea and lunch. We got watching a documentary called Cowboys of the Americas, which my dad was in. In all of that travelling, I was really missing my family. And then right there – there was a connection from home.

I worked out in Ontario until just before Christmas and early in the new year, my boss called and said they needed some help on a project in Scotland. My grandma told me I’d never get another opportunity like that again. And I had some amazing experiences there, too.

When I came home in spring 2008, that’s when things started to change for me. Rodeo season was just starting, and it really bit me. I got home and entered the rodeo in Taber and ended up winning that one and some others after that. By 2012, I thought I had it all, riding on Cloud 9, and then all of a sudden in 2013, the person I thought I would be with found someone else. It absolutely crushed me. But rodeo was kind of my saving grace, it helped me through that hard time, and I just kept working. I found who I was supposed to be with and now we have a new son, and I hope to compete in the Calgary Stampede one day.

We have these times in life on our journey that build us, these collisions good or bad. We don’t want the hard times to happen, but they do, and they make us who we are. These last years, I’ve gone back and forth between rodeo, riding and ranching, and wind projects. Just last week I got a call about riding horses for a new TV series being shot in Spain – and a call to also start work on a new wind project.

I don’t sugar coat this work for people. Some of it is hard– it gets pretty physical, all the climbing. It’s not an average job.

But you don’t get bored. At my last job, for lunch I would take a break and walk out in the nacelle, and just sit on top in between the blades and hub 300 feet above the ground and look out to the mountains. I don’t know many jobs where you can have that kind of freedom.

Otys Potts Little-Mustache, a member of the Piikani First Nation, is a 2006 graduate of the Wind Turbine Technician program and has been working on and off in the industry the last 15 years.

When he’s not climbing towers and navigating nacelles, he can be found ranching, practising for rodeos and spending time with his wife and new son at their home near Brocket.

We have these times in life on our journey that build us, these collisions good or bad. We don’t want the hard times to happen, but they do, and they make us who we are.

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DESIGN STUDENTS PUT THEIR IMAGINATIONS TO WORK IN INNOVATIVE HANDS-ON LEARNING PROJECT

g n i g n i r B ms drea LifE TO

CHARMED PLAYHOUSES HAS FOUND ITS NICHE WHERE IMAGINATION MEETS DESIGN. KNOWN FOR ITS EXTRAVAGANT, HIGH-QUALITY PLAYHOUSES THAT POPULATE BACKYARDS AROUND THE WORLD, CHARMED IS EMBARKING ON A NEW ADVENTURE, AND BRINGING LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE STUDENTS ALONG FOR THE RIDE.

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Hannah McIntyre, a second-year Interior Design Technology student.

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T

his summer, Charmed will expand its brand by opening a themed cottage resort in southern Alberta, bringing the magic of

their playhouses to a new clientele, attracting families for a “glamping” experience. To assist in the design of the five cottages that will be built for this summer’s launch, Charmed hosted practicum experiences for 10 students from the college’s Interior Design Technology (IDT), Architectural Animation Technology (AAT) and Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) programs this spring.

“Our company is all about creativity, we’re trailblazers in everything we’re doing,” says Tyson Leavitt (Business Administration 2007), Charmed Playhouses founder and CEO. “When we have the students come in, with fresh eyes and their excitement to be creative and tap into that fanciful side of their lives, it’s fun to see their

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spins and perspectives on how to do things.

And when we give them a little bit of guidance on what we’re looking for, and what our vision is, it really is a great way to create some magic.”

The college’s IDT and AAT diploma programs have both focused on preparing students for careers in a rapidly changing industry. Students are introduced to the latest technologies, including 3D modelling software, and virtual and augmented reality. While many students complete practicums at traditional home and industrial contractors, working with Charmed presents a unique opportunity to use and expand their skills in a creative environment.

“Because they’re just coming out of school, they have new ideas and they’re looking at things in a different way,” says Naama Tuckett (Interior Design Technology 2012), IDT and AAT instructor. “And our students are so familiar with new technologies in drafting, 3D modelling and animating that they can not only build these spaces on paper, but also bring them to life and really show and visualize what the spaces will look like before they’re built.”

Charmed Playhouses founder and CEO Tyson Leavitt and interior designer Audrey Leavitt (Nursing 2007), get into character, surrounded by Charmed staff and Lethbridge College students.

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“IT’S KIND OF A FULL CIRCLE, I STARTED AT THE COLLEGE WHEN I WAS 21 YEARS OLD AND I STARTED MY FIRST BUSINESS WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE.” { TYSON LEAVITT }

The Leavitts look in on Architectural Animation Technology students Mark Nilsson (left) and Corey McQuaid during their work-integrated learning experiences with Charmed.

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he partnership with Charmed was sparked by one request. Second year IDT student Kyla Hornberger was working with Charmed as a photographer and approached Leavitt about doing her practicum with the company.

Leavitt loved the idea and wanted to open up the opportunity to as many students as possible.

Hornberger was one of the 10 students who took part in the practicum with Charmed.

“To be able to work with the Charmed team designing and drafting real-life cabins and seeing the process, knowing people are going to see it this summer, it’s pretty crazy,” says Hornberger.

“But then there is accountability that comes with it,” she says. “It isn’t just a fairy tale; it is going to be real. So, I have to get my specifications right.

I need a source of information and they’re looking to me to know where to find this information. So, it’s been nice for accountability.”

The Charmed Family Resort Experience began with a trial of one cottage near Waterton last summer. The expansion will eventually lead to numerous themed cottages in the Crowsnest Pass. Bookings for some cottages are already available on the Charmed website. Leavitt says some of the student designs will become permanent fixtures in the new area.

“It’s kind of a full circle; I started at the college when I was 21 years old and I started my first business while I was in college,” says Leavitt. “And now I’m at a point where I have a need within my company to scale the resort side, and the college has what I need to be able to help do that. It’s a big demand on our company to be able to grow into this resort business, so we’re going to have to be hiring talented people.

Fortunately for us, we have talented people right up the road at the college with the things they’re doing.”

Story by Paul Kingsmith | Photos by Rob Olson

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RESEARCH in ACTION

Pandemic silver linings VIRTUAL COURSES OPEN DOORS TO CLASSROOM VISITS FROM INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHORS

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Dr. Amy Hodgson-Bright teaches Composition and Creative Writing in the General Arts and Sciences program and has written two young adult novels.

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RESEARCH in ACTION

SOME OF DR. AMY HODGSONBRIGHT’S BEST MEMORIES FROM HER TIME AS A STUDENT AT MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY 15 YEARS AGO WERE OF DINNERS AT HER PROFESSOR’S HOME WITH A HANDFUL OF CLASSMATES. THE PROFESSOR WOULD OFTEN INVITE AN AUTHOR, WHICH LED TO INTIMATE AND LIVELY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT NOT ONLY THE CRAFT OF WRITING, BUT THE LIFE OF THE WRITER.

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he experience was so influential that HodgsonBright wanted to replicate it for her own students, even if it came with the limitations of a global pandemic.

In-person dinners were impossible, so she turned to technology, connecting her Writing for Children and Young Adults class with five internationally renowned authors for a series of video visits.

“Halifax-writer Sydney Smith has won one of the most prestigious awards in Canada for one of his picture books, the Governor General’s Award, and he was so relaxed and informal with students when he visited our virtual class,” explains Hodgson-Bright, who teaches Composition and Creative Writing in the General Arts and Sciences program and who has written two young adult novels. “He presented from his studio, and invited students into his workspace.

He showed students that authors are not untouchable people living lives and careers that students can’t aspire towards. They’re really just normal people who love to write and have turned that into their job.”

“RESEARCH SHOWS INVITING AUTHORS INTO THE CLASSROOM HELPS STUDENTS CONNECT TO WRITING AND READING IN MEANINGFUL WAYS.” { DR. AMY HODGSON-BRIGHT }

Other guests were Seattle-based author Deb Caletti, who is a National Book Award finalist and Printz Honor recipient; Canadian author Heather Smith, winner of the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award; and Chicago-based comics artist Kat Leyh, recipient of the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book. Lethbridge cartoonist and educator Eric Dyck, illustrator of Slaughterhouse Slough (and regular contributor to Wider Horizons), also spoke to the class.

The visits were supported by an internal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Exchange grant, giving Hodgson-Bright the ability to recruit guests from across North America for a one-ofa-kind student experience. Wider Horizons spoke with Hodgson-Bright to learn more about her work.

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WIDER HORIZONS: You speak highly of the opportunity to meet authors while you were a student. How did those experiences influence your writing?

DR. AMY HODGSON-BRIGHT: I felt really supported in my creative writing, and I ended up writing my first young adult novel as my honours thesis at Mount Allison University (Before We Go, published in 2012.) And I think that came from being able to meet with so many authors in the four years that I attended Mount Allison. Research shows inviting authors into the classroom helps students connect to writing and reading in meaningful ways.

I was 16. I emailed her on a complete whim, and she accepted the invitation to speak to students. Her road to writing was not very straightforward or easy. She talked a lot about the personal hardships she had to work through to become a writer and the students really connected with that. Many of the students said that Deb Caletti was their favourite author visit of the whole semester.

WH: Did you notice a difference in the students’ writing after the visits?

AHB: I did. They responded and even changed their writing to reflect the information coming from the different authors.

WH: How did you have to alter your approach once the pandemic moved your course online?

AHB: In my research grant proposal, I initially proposed to invite one author to Lethbridge College to visit the class. I was able to adapt the proposal when we went online, so I actually had enough funding to invite five authors from across North America during the fall semester, and I was lucky enough to get two incredible Alberta writers to speak to the students in an introductory creative writing class in the winter.

WH: Did your students enjoy the visits?

AHB: They loved it. Many said it was a highlight of the class and for some, it was the first time they’d ever met or interacted with an author.

I know a lot of students connected with our last author, Deb Caletti, who’s from Seattle and has written over 20 books for young people.

I’ve personally been reading her books since

WH: You’ve also received a separate research grant to begin development of a new literary magazine. Can you give us a sneak peek at that project?

AHB: I received a SSHRC Explore grant to propose starting a student-run literary magazine on campus, which I will get off the ground in September 2021. It will be not just for students in a creative writing class, but for any student who’s interested in being part of or contributing to a campus literary magazine.

We have a strong and unique focus on creative writing here at Lethbridge College, so we need a magazine that reflects that focus where students are able to publish their creative writing.

Story by Paul Kingsmith | Photos by Rob Olson

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From our kitchens

{ Chef Devon Apperloo }

SMOKED TOMATO SOUP with Herb Foccacia

When Chef Devon Apperloo (Cook Apprentice 2018) is cooking, he doesn’t have to travel far to grab the freshest produce possible.

He just needs to walk out the back door.

“There are not many restaurants in Lethbridge and area where you can walk down to where the produce you use is grown,” says the Broxburn Vegetables and Café head chef. “We grow everything in house, so if I need green tomatoes, I can walk into the greenhouse and pick the perfect ones for the job.”

Apperloo started in the Broxburn kitchen as a baker in 2018 after finishing the college’s Cook – Weekly Apprenticeship Training System (WATS) program. Not long after, he signed up for the new Baker Apprenticeship WATS program, from which he will graduate in May, all while overseeing the Broxburn kitchen and a team of five full-time and seven part-time employees.

“When I was young, I had the dream of one day having a kitchen where I could just experiment, not necessarily to sell or make for service, but just to make food. For me, Broxburn has been that place where I can be creative, serve good food and learn things I couldn’t elsewhere. If my staff and I want to try a new technique or make a new recipe, we do it. Then we take what we learned and apply it to our daily service.”

Story by Jeremy Franchuk | Photos by Rob Olson

Ingredients

Method

8 large or 16 small ............................................ beefsteak tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place tomatoes in a rimmed baking sheet or shallow roasting pan and roast until they soften and split.

2 tbsp ......................................................................................... canola oil 1 .......................................................................small white onion, diced 3 .................................................................................. large cloves garlic 1 c. .............................................................................................white wine 1 c. .................................................................................. vegetable stock 1 ................................................................................... dash liquid smoke 1 c. .........................................................................................heavy cream Salt ..................................................................................................to taste White sugar..................................................................................to taste

Add a delicious herb focaccia bread by following the recipe at www.widerhorizons.ca

To check out what Chef Devon Apperloo is cooking up at Broxburn Vegetables and Café, visit broxburnvegetables.com or call 403-327-0909 to reserve a seat at Broxburn cafe.

To book a table at the Garden Court Restaurant, where our Culinary students practice their trade, call 403-320-3230.

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2.

Meanwhile, finely dice the onion and garlic, and combine in a heavy pot with the oil and 2 tbsp salt. Let this sit for 15 minutes to extract moisture from the onion. Turn on the heat and stir frequently. When they begin to stick and colour the bottom of the pot, add the cup of wine and deglaze the pot. Reduce wine by half, then remove from heat.

3. Add the roasted tomatoes and a dash of liquid smoke to the pot and return to a boil. If the mixture is too dry at this stage, add the vegetable stock.

4. Once hot, scoop portions of the soup into a blender. Blend the soup starting at a low speed and increasing until a strong vortex is formed. Slowly add a portion of the heavy cream to the blender, emulsifying the cream into the soup.

5. Pour the blended soup through a sieve and push soup through with a ladle. The finer the sieve, the smoother your final soup will be, but the harder it will be to pass.

6. Once the entire pot has been strained, return the soup to the stovetop, and boil it again. Add additional salt and white sugar to taste. Makes three litres, or enough to serve eight.

7. Serve right away or cool quickly in the refrigerator. If the soup separates while sitting, just whisk it back together before serving.

“WE GROW EVERYTHING IN HOUSE, SO IF I NEED GREEN TOMATOES, I CAN WALK INTO THE GREENHOUSE AND PICK THE PERFECT ONES FOR THE JOB.” { CHEF DEVON APPERLOO }

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THE

CLASS

’21 of unmasked Story by Lisa Kozleski | Photos by Rob Olson

Two Truths and a Lie WITH OUR GREAT GRADS Their college experience for the Class of ’21 has literally been like nothing else in Lethbridge College history.

Some of them made the quick switch to online learning in March 2020, while some in one-year programs may never have stepped foot on campus at all. Many of them did still get to take advantage of Lethbridge College’s many hands-on learning experiences – from the kitchens to the welding labs to the radio station and massage clinic – but even those experiences looked different than they did recently (including the necessity of wearing a mask everywhere on campus).

But through it all, the Class of 2021 also showed great resilience, dedication and good humour. That last trait can be seen when we asked a few of this year’s grads to tell us a little bit about themselves and their Lethbridge College experience – in the form of the game “Two Truths and a Lie.” Read more about these great grads at www.widerhorizons.ca (and check out which are the lies by reading the Editor’s Message).

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERY MEMBER OF THE REMARKABLE CLASS OF ’21.

YOU CLEARLY ARE READY FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS NEXT!

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Lina Castro

– Policing • Criminal Justice s; volunteer and ur • Academic hono inee arch and rescue tra student leader; se bia lom Co ia, tado, Antioqu • Hometown: Apar ub.

O Cl o I am in the LE

alty in the Mass Casu o I participated r fo t en id ning Inc Simulated Lear ge led ow and Kn Collaboration .

(SLICK) for Henderson Lake o I jumped into ge. the Polar Plun

Nichole Ham

• Criminal Justice – Policing • Academic honours; volunteer and student leader; peer tutor • Hometown: Calgary, Alberta o

The college wrote an article about my assignment where I demonstrated traffic signals in a red onesie.

o I once drew an elaborate drawing of a crime scene for an assignment. o There was a week in which I survived primarily off of microwave popcorn.

Amber Vanderkroft

• Therapeuti c Recreation – Gerontology • Academic ho nours; volunt ee r and student lead er; recreation as sistant • Hometown: Nakusp, B.C. o I have been

cancer free fo r two years! o I got to dr ess up and pl ay a senior citiz en for classm ates to practise th eir skills. o I turn 35 th is summer.

CHECK OUT TH TO SEE WHIC E EDITOR’S MESSAGE H ARE THE LI ES. 33

Where are they now?

Where are they now?

Makers, Doers and Thinkers Celebrating the Lethbridge College alumni who are building community and making their mark in memorable ways.

FEATURING:

Brian Wichers (Business Administration 1987)

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SHARING THE SUCCESSES OF OUR ALUMNI IN THEIR CAREERS AND THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES. Makers, Doers and Thinkers Featuring

FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, BRIAN WICHERS (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 1987) HAS BEEN FEEDING LETHBRIDGE – IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.

A

s owner and operator of Lethbridge Caterers Ltd., Brian leads a thirdgeneration family business that runs three KFC restaurants and a combination KFC and Taco Bell as well as managing commercial properties in Lethbridge and Taber. But it’s his commitment to philanthropy that ensures local organizations don’t go hungry, and that commitment is part of why he was chosen to be Lethbridge College’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni.

“Going back to my grandfather and my dad, our family has always believed that because we make a great living here in the city of Lethbridge and throughout southwestern Alberta, we have a responsibility to be leaders, to give back and to help make this a better place to live and do business,” he explains.

Born and raised in Lethbridge, Brian grew up knowing that his future would include a career in the family business. So he chose Lethbridge College to help shore up his business bona fides.

“Working for a family business, you learn the business in a hands-on way, but it was good to come to the college to learn some of the theory and aspects like human resources or marketing techniques,” says Brian. “I also built a lot of friendships and connections that have lasted to this day.”

Brian has continued to keep his connection to the college alive in his philanthropic and volunteer efforts, including serving on the Lethbridge College Culinary Advisory Committee since 2007.

“Brian’s contributions to this committee have been instrumental in restructuring curriculum, securing practicum placements and ensuring students are equipped with industry-leading equipment and ingredients throughout their program,” says Brian’s friend Chef Doug Overes (Professional Cooking 1987, Distinguished Alumnus 1992), chair of the Culinary Careers program. “Brian would give you the shirt off his back. He has an infectious personality and laugh and is a social butterfly who is well-respected by all those who are lucky enough to work alongside him.”

Since 2015, Brian has also served as chair of the college’s Clayton Allan Wine Auction committee, contributing his time and donations, while leveraging connections in the community to help raise more than $1.2 million. And if that’s not enough, the Wichers family legacy continues through Easton, one of Brian’s four children, who is a college student and member of the Kodiaks soccer team.

In addition to his support of the college, Brian has been a contributor to the United Way, former vice-president of the board of the Lethbridge Hurricanes, and a donor and advocate for the Lethbridge Therapeutic Riding Association.

2021

HONOURING EXCELLENCE

ALUMNI UPDATES We love hearing from Lethbridge College alumni! You can find additional updates online at widerhorizons.ca.

To submit your news to share with your classmates and the college community, drop us a note at WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

2020

Kelsey Bache Educational Assistant certificate Kelsey shared this update with the Alumni office: “I was employed back in August at a school five minutes from my house, working as a complex needs educational assistant. I work one-to-one with a very special little six-year-old boy! He has cerebral palsy, severe epilepsy, brain damage, PTSD, and significant speech, motor and cognitive delays. He’s pretty much stolen my heart, and we are an amazing team. In December, his seizuresniffing service dog was approved to be with us full time in school, so we have a new sidekick! Rooster is the first personal student service dog in our school district.

I was trained to be the dog’s handler as my student can’t, and it’s been fascinating.

Every day keeps me on my toes, and I can’t imagine doing it without the wealth of knowledge my certificate provided!”

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENT

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Where are they now?

Brady Donkersgoed Agriculture Sciences – Plant and Soil Science In February, Brady received a $10,000 scholarship to support his post-secondary studies in the field of agriculture from the Lethbridge Rotary Club.

Brady is currently in his third year of a BSc in Agriculture at the University of Alberta. The Coaldale-born student grew up on a family farm and hopes to continue working with his siblings and parents on their crop and forage operation.

Matthew Hemmerling (Professional Golf Management 2014)

Nikki Pochailo Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology After graduation, Nikki continued pursuing post-secondary education at the University of Lethbridge in the Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation program.

Virginia Ridge

Child and Youth Care Virginia is currently working as a crisis intervention worker in Taber; she will be continuing her studies at the University of Lethbridge starting in Fall 2021 in the bachelor’s degree program in Health Science with a major in addictions counselling. “It is my ultimate plan to obtain my Master’s in addictions and one day be part of the amazing family of instructors at Lethbridge College,” she says.

Seth Slomp

Matthew Hemmerling (Business Administration – Professional Golf

Management 2014) was raised in a family with a history in commercial and residential development, and his career followed a similar path, as he moved into real estate and property management after graduating from Lethbridge College. He joined Braemore Management, a local property management firm, and earned licenses in property management and commercial and residential sales. He spearheaded the opening of Braemore’s realty division in 2020 and was recently promoted to broker and CEO of Braemore Management – the youngest person to hold the role in the company’s 41-year history.

A standout on the Kodiaks men’s volleyball team as a player, Hemmerling has given back to the program as an assistant coach for the past four seasons. He was part of the coaching staff as the Kodiaks achieved a series of program milestones, including the team’s first appearance in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s Volleyball Championship tournament. His close association with the college extends to the classroom as well, where he has been a guest speaker in entrepreneurship classes.

2021

HONOURING EXCELLENCE

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Digital Communications and Media After graduating, Seth transferred to Institute of Technology – Carlow in Ireland to complete his bachelor’s degree in Media and Public Relations.

2019

Ivan Djomegni Computer Information Technology After graduating, Ivan and some former classmates started a web design and development company called Navii. His most recent creation is bomarket.ca, an online marketplace he describes as the Amazon for Black-owned businesses.

Kelsey Jetter

Agriculture Sciences – Plant and Soil Sciences Kelsey is working for Parrish and Heimbecker while also helping on the family farm.

Megan Kurtz

RISING STAR AWARD RECIPIENT

Business Administration – General Business Megan is currently studying at the University of Lethbridge in the Mathematics/Math Education program.

2018

Karleen Burns

Child and Youth Care Karleen is continuing her studies in the post-diploma Addictions Counselling program at the University of Lethbridge after spending the two years between graduation and going to university working at a youth shelter.

Rebecca Dell

Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts Rebecca was hired as a probation officer three months after graduation and started a master’s degree in Leadership in December.

Kealey Storrs

Rebecca Csakany

Correctional Studies Kealey is currently running a lube shop and towing company in Taber, while also pursuing an acting career. He can be seen in such productions such as Black Summer, Fargo (season 3), Wynonna Earp, Heartland and the upcoming film Let Him Go starring Kevin Costner.

Justice Studies – Bachelor of Applied Arts Rebecca shared this update with the Alumni office: “After graduating from Lethbridge College, I was offered a fulltime position at the Wild Rose Women’s Shelter as the housing support services director, and I sat as a member of, and facilitator for, the Town of Clearwater Housing Steering Committee developing a housing needs assessment and housing strategy plan for my local community.

I presented a housing strategy plan to local town and county councils, as well as coordinating cross-agency initiatives with local not-for-profit organizations as well as local political bodies. After this, I secured a position with the Government of Alberta’s Community and Social Services division as a case manager within the Alberta Supports branch. I held this role for two years before moving to Edmonton to pursue further positions within the Government of Alberta. I transferred into the position of caseworker for the Family Support for Children with Disabilities branch of Community and Social Services. I have held this role for a year and a half and am training to fulfil a role as supervisor within the next year.

Ultimately, I am looking at pursuing a career as a human rights officer with the Government of Alberta.”

2017

Dave Slingerland Agriculture Sciences – Animal Science Dave is participating in the Cattlemen’s Young Leaders Mentorship Program which provides people between the ages of 18 and 35 with the opportunity to receive industry-specific training and interest-specific mentorship to assist the beef industry into the future. Dave also works as a livestock order buyer at Summit Livestock, covering auction sales and ranch-direct calf marketing across Western Canada.

2016 Chelsea Low Horn Agriculture Sciences Chelsea shared this update with the Alumni office: “After graduation, I worked within my own community of the Blood Reserve. My job included working with youth between the ages of 18 and 30.

Naturally, I suited this job very well since I love helping others to succeed.

But while working, I felt something was missing. The youth within my community needed a better understanding of how to heal – not only themselves but also the community. I’m currently studying in the Indigenous Mental Health diploma program at Red Crow Community College.

I enjoy it very much because not only am I learning about healing my community, but I am also learning how to heal myself.

Although I am not working within my study of agriculture, I still get to fulfil my role as a role model and leader. I am proud to be where I am at today!”

Diandra Bruised Head (Iitoomsao’kaasii) Renewable Resource Management Diandra was elected to the Blood Tribe council in the fall. After finishing her program at the college, Diandra earned a Bachelor of Environmental Science degree from the University of Lethbridge.

In 2018, she took on the role of the firstever, in-tribe climate change coordinator for the Kainai First Nation.

Lindsey Gehring

General Studies Student Lindsey has recently graduated with a degree in social work from the University of Calgary and works for victim services court support with the RCMP.

2015

Alyssa Podevin Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism Alyssa shared this update with the Alumni office: “Since I graduated from the college, I have had such amazing opportunities come my way! Right after graduation, I got a position with a Western Canadian Automotive group as 37

Where are they now?

an inbound marketing specialist. This position jump started my career in the automotive industry on the marketing side. I left the position and moved to Vancouver for a year to pursue acting and live the Vancouver life! I came back to Saskatchewan and got a position as a media coordinator for Canada’s largest automotive group, Dilawri Group of Companies, and was soon promoted to the marketing manager. A couple of years after starting with Dilawri, I received a message from an up-and-coming automotive tech company called sMedia and was offered a position a few days later as a customer success manager.

I managed 100 different automotive dealerships and their marketing. This job showed me how much work and stress I could handle. I learned so much but was very ready to get out of the automotive industry once and for all. I am now currently working for the Government of Saskatchewan as a communications consultant for the Ministry of Health.”

2014

2011

General Studies Shelley completed a bachelor’s degree in social work in 2017 and is now a registered social worker. She is currently working as an employment counsellor at Training Inc., connecting Albertans to work and training opportunities. “I often refer clients to investigate programs at Lethbridge College to help them to achieve their career goals,” says Shelley.

Business Administration – Management Adrian went on to continue his education at Griffith University in Australia where he completed a bachelor’s degree in business management. He’s currently a branch manager with ATB Financial.

Shelley Hansen

2012

Ryan Uytdewilligen Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism Last December, Ryan released The History of Lethbridge, a self-published book exploring the city’s history from Fort Whoop Up days until the present. To order a copy, email ryan.uytdewilligen@yahoo.ca, contact him on Facebook at Ryan Uytdewilligen Author or visit Analog Books.

Adrian Stetski

Chris Menzies

Criminal Justice – Policing Chris was hired after graduation by the Brandon Police Service and is now a detective in the major crimes section as well as serving in a part-time role as tactical officer and sniper with the tactical response unit.

College grads take next step in law enforcement careers

T

he first Lethbridge Police Service Officer Graduation Ceremony of 2021 saw Constable Gerrilee Boon (Police Cadet Training 2019) and Constable Dayton Pagliericci (Police Cadet Training 2019) sworn in after an accelerated training period, due to their previous law enforcement experience. Both graduated from the college’s Police Cadet Training program in 2019 and served the LPS in the role of Community Peace Officers.

In December, grads Kai Striegel (Conservation Enforcement, 2018; pictured above) and Tyson Verhelst (Criminal Justice – Policing 2019) were among the eight new graduates of the LPS’s 10-week Community Peace Officer training program. Community Peace Officers perform duties and functions that don’t require a fully trained, more expensive police officer. This allows redeployment of police officers to higher priority calls, while providing an increased uniform presence downtown and greater community engagement.

Photo courtesy Lethbridge Police Service.

2008

Trevor Busch Communication Arts – Journalism In January, Trevor was named the new city editor at the Lethbridge Herald.

Trevor started his career at the Taber Times in the fall of 2008 as a reporter and photographer where he initially covered Vauxhall town council, Horizon School Board, federal and provincial politics, provincial court, local police commission and various other assignment areas before transitioning into coverage of Taber town council and local community issues. He was eventually appointed as editor of the Westwind Weekly News, and then later as editor of the Sunny South News and Taber Times before joining The Herald.

Photo reprinted with permission of Ian Martens and the Lethbridge Herald.

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| SPRING 2021

Jess Fehr (General Studies 2005)

Ashley Cesar Practical Nurse Ashley shared this update with the Alumni office: “I first enrolled into the Practical Nursing program in 2004, but that was abruptly cut short. On my way home from classes February 23, 2004, I was in a severe motor vehicle accident where a vehicle pulled out in front of my car on Highway 3 at the Coalhurst intersection, and that resulted in me being in a wheelchair for two years. In 2006, I re-enrolled and graduated as a Practical Nurse. Since my time at Lethbridge College, I have had so many amazing opportunities. I worked as a surgical nurse at the Chinook Regional Hospital for almost 10 years, was part of the planning committee for the medical and surgical floors within the new wing at the hospital and, in 2015, had the privilege of being featured in Alberta Health Services’ LPN career profiles campaign.

THIS JANUARY, I WAS ONE

A

fter graduating from Lethbridge College and the University of Lethbridge, Jess Fehr embarked on a backpacking trip around the world that showed her that she had an opportunity to make a difference in her very own backyard. She returned to start her first philanthropic career opportunity as manager of fund development at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. She then joined the U of L as a development officer, working to raise funds for students. Fehr is a past president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Southern Alberta Chapter, was chair of the National Philanthropy Day Inspiring Philanthropy Awards and held roles with both the 2015 Alberta 55-plus Winter Games and the Young Professionals Association of Lethbridge. However, her proudest achievement is co-founding GirlGang Kindness with five friends in 2017 to spread kindness in the community. In the last three years, the group has raised more than $25,000 for Lethbridge and southern Alberta not-for-profit organizations.

2021

HONOURING EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY LEADER AWARD RECIPIENT

OF THE FIRST LPNS IN CANADA TO RECEIVE CERTIFICATION AND THE TITLE OF MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSE THROUGH THE CNA. “For the past five years I have held a full-time position as an instructor and practice coordinator for the Centre for Health and Wellness’s allied health and health sciences programs. In addition to working at Lethbridge College, I also

had the amazing opportunity to create part of Alberta Health’s 2019 Health Care Aide curriculum, and I currently hold a seat on council for the College of Licensed Practical Nurses where I get to ensure that all Albertans are kept safe through the exceptional standard of care provided by LPNs. I have also been given the privilege to be involved with the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) as co-chair of the medical surgical certification exam committee.

“Lethbridge College has truly afforded me all these opportunities and continues to assist me in achieving my wildest dreams. This January, I was one of the first LPNs in Canada to receive certification and the title of medical surgical nurse through the CNA. I’m currently pursuing a post-diploma degree in Public Health and Health Leadership through the University of Lethbridge, which I know will only propel my career even further and farther.”

39

Where are they now?

Jonathan Hamilton

Civil Engineering Technology Jonathan is the chief operating officer at Tollestrup Construction, director of the Lethbridge Construction Association, chairman of the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, and a member of the Civil Engineering Technology Advisory Committee at Lethbridge College.

James Kennedy

Steve Christensen Business Administration – Management Steve continues to operate NOVO Watch, a company that creates handcrafted timepieces in small batches using reclaimed materials that tell a story. His most recent collection is the Streetcar 1912, a 10-piece collection of watches that sell for about $1,600 each and are made from pieces of old street car tracks. The Lethbridge streetcar system ran from 1912 to 1947. After the Second World War, the system was phased out and tracks were torn up or, in some cases, paved over. Last summer, workers doing maintenance on 3rd Avenue South, one of the oldest streets in the city, uncovered a set of tracks, pieces of which found their way into Christensen’s hands. “We literally cut out the exterior of either the bottom or the side of the rail, and then we get this amazing character,” Christensen told the Lethbridge Herald. “Every single one is different.” You can read more about Steve and his watches in the Spring 2018 issue of Wider Horizons.

2006

Michelle Gullickson Culinary Careers Michelle tells the Alumni office that she is now married with two boys and works as a dental hygienist with Lakeview Dental.

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Conservation Enforcement After graduating, James worked seasonally in Manitoba before heading to Nunavut for six years as a conservation officer. He then moved to Red Deer where he worked as an environmental protection officer for six years. James and his family recently moved to Whitehorse where he works as a lands officer with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation.

2005

Chad Parenteau Criminal Justice After graduation, Chad returned to his hometown of Wakaw, Sask., while seeking a position in law enforcement.

He eventually was hired by the province of Saskatchewan as an investigator in the construction industry. He also became involved in local politics and has served three terms as a town councillor in Wakaw.

Cody Woolf

Criminal Justice Cody works as director of health, safety and environment at Fillmore Construction Management in Edmonton.

He was recently named one of Occupational Health and Safety Canada magazine’s Top 10 safety professionals under 40. Before entering the health and safety field, Cody was employed as a provincial peace officer, ensuring commercial vehicles met provincial safety standards. At Fillmore, Cody manages the health and safety of 200 staff and develops policy for Fillmore Construction’s safety program.

2004

Aaron Bonertz Automotive Apprenticeship Aaron opened his own shop six years ago and this year welcomed a first-year automotive apprentice from Lethbridge College to the team.

2003

Jami (Cook) Thompson Child and Youth Care Jami is finishing her bachelor’s degree in Education at the University of Lethbridge.

2002

Leta Pezderic

Renewable Resource Management Leta is the natural area manager of prairie grasslands for the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Alberta Region.

After graduation, she transferred to the University of Lethbridge where she earned her degree in environmental science. Leta spent her summers working in Waterton Lakes National Park. After graduating from the U of L, she worked at a variety of places, including Cows and Fish, Lethbridge College and Alberta Environment.

She spent nearly seven years with the Oldman Watershed Council as its program coordinator before joining the Nature Conservancy of Canada team in 2015. Leta is responsible for the delivery of conservation programs in the eastern portion of the Waterton Park Front, Milk River Ridge and Milk River Basin. She says she has the privilege of working with local landowners, partner organizations, conservation volunteers, funders and other stewards of the land.

Amanda (Feist) Allen

Therapeutic Recreation – Gerontology Amanda is currently working as a recreation therapist in the senior’s day program with Covenant Health in Lethbridge.

1999

Charlton Weasel Head (Naamiwatsiskasi) General Studies Weasel Head is now in his 19th year at Kainai High School on the Blood Tribe Reserve, where he currently serves as an associate principal, athletic director and head coach of the Kainai Lady Warriors basketball team. During his three years as a Kodiak, Weasel Head was well-known for his prowess on the basketball court, including being named a three-time Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference all-star and earning allCanadian honours in 1998. He also had an all-star career during two seasons at Brandon University, received the Tom Longboat Award for Aboriginal Sporting Excellence in 2001 and was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame in 2008. After earning his diploma, Weasel Head went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Brandon University and his Bachelor and Master of Education degrees from the University of Lethbridge. In 2017, he was the college’s Community Leader Award recipient.

1998

Cynthia (Rivers) Bertram Agricultural Technology Cynthia tells the Alumni office that she has owned and operated her own upholstery business shop for the past 18 years.

“We recover all sorts of furniture - classic heirlooms to current pieces, outdoor furniture, all automotive, RVs, boats and motorcycles and a lot of other unique requests.”

Doane Crow Shoe (Business Administration – Accounting 2003)

Doane Crow Shoe has blended traditional learnings and knowledge of the

land with new technology to create a fulfilling career, while giving back to his community. Crow Shoe sits on the Board of Directors for Piikani Resource Development Ltd., where he’s taken a hands-on role in creating initiatives and partnerships that generate resources and energy for his home Piikani Nation.

His commitment to his community led to his election to Piikani Nation Council in 2007, where he has now served four terms.

Crow Shoe is an advocate for renewable energy and has worked to bridge the gap between energy producers and First Nation communities. For the Piikani Nation, this has included a partnership with Altalink to own equity value generated from transmission lines that cross their land, purchasing a portion of the Oldman Hydro Facility, and owning and operating the Weather Dancer wind turbine, which generates energy for the Piikani Nation.

Crow Shoe has also helped develop the Piikani Tsi Nii Ka Sin newspaper and app, and Piikani Nation Radio 106.3, to highlight community news and promote the revitalization of the Piikani Nation (Niitsi’powahsin) language.

He also initialized the expansion of C.Y. Ranch that included adding a bison herd and an agricultural and irrigation division, increasing employment and training opportunities for band members. And he recently spearheaded the Iitai’taamapo’p Group Home for Piikani children in care.

2021

HONOURING EXCELLENCE

Career virtuoso AWARD RECIPIENT

1994

Jim Toth Communication Arts Jim shared this update with the Alumni office: “After graduating in 1994, I moved to Cold Lake for a job as a program director/host for Northern Cablevision. In January 1995, I moved to Grande Prairie in the same role as well as managing

three stations. In 2001, I moved to Cranbrook B.C., with Shaw Cablevision as a host/producer. In January 2005, I moved to Winnipeg as Shaw TV’s first full time sports host/reporter/producer in the market. I have also freelanced at CTV and Global TV Winnipeg and done

radio analyst work at 680 CJOB. In 2011, I moved to radio full-time as the Winnipeg Jets reporter and host of the nightly 680 CJOB Sports Show while still freelancing at Global TV. In September 2016, I moved over to my current position as Host of The Big Show on TSN 1290 Radio.”

41

Where are they now?

1992

IN MEMORIAM

Dwayne Meredith

Wider Horizons learned of the passing of several former employees who played significant roles in supporting their programs and the college community.

KELLY MANTLER, who joined Lethbridge College in 2003 as a health program coordinator and filled a number of positions over the next decade, passed away March 13. After leaving the college in 2013, Mantler returned to her passion, working as a nurse on the acute psychiatry unit at Chinook Regional Hospital.

MIKE LEBLANC, a long-time broadcaster in Lethbridge whose career

later took him to the Edmonton area, passed away Feb. 5. LeBlanc was an instructional assistant and manager of the college radio station from 1993 to 2001. He was a fixture on Lethbridge radio for years before moving to Fort Saskatchewan in 2012. Most recently, he served as the PA announcer for the EE Football Team.

LENNA GREER, who had worked as a program assistant supporting the

Allied Health programs in the Centre for Health and Wellness, passed away on Dec. 2. Greer had worked at the college from 2017 to 2019.

Environmental Sciences After graduating, Dwayne immediately got a job with Agriculture Canada in Dawson Creek, B.C. He later joined the B.C. government in Smithers doing water management, water licensing and dam safety. After 10 years, he enrolled at Royal Roads University on Vancouver Island, then moved to Victoria for a new role with the Provincial Emergency Program, Emergency Management B.C. as the manager of operations. There he established a grant funding program to help communities mitigate the effects of flooding and other natural hazards. Ten years later, he left government and started with an engineering firm where he manages several engineers and technologists helping communities with water-related planning, design and construction projects.

1990

PHILIP NEWTON, who joined Lethbridge College in 1977 as the coordinator

Shannon (Sullivan) Seitz

HENRY BOSMAN, who served on the college’s Board of Governors, passed away on Nov. 22, 2020 from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At the time of his appointment to the board in 1993, he was a manager of environmental utilities at the City of Lethbridge, and he later joined MPE Engineering and was politically active.

1987

of Purchasing Services, passed away Dec. 5, 2020. Even after decades of service, he stayed on as a casual employee since 2009 in Accounting, Purchasing and the Bookstore.

To share news of the passing of an alumni or former Lethbridge College employee in a future issue of Wider Horizons, email WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

Bachelor of Nursing Shannon is an instructor with the college’s Nursing program.

Bev Miller Fish and Wildlife Technology Bev earned her master’s degree in Criminal Justice Management and Administration and currently works for a nonprofit women’s organization as a frontline worker.

Stories by Jeremy Franchuk

YOU’VE WORKED HARD TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS – now it’s time to enjoy the rewards of being part of the Lethbridge College alumni community.

• TD Life Insurance: Get premium savings on eligible TD Term Life Insurance.

• MBNA Mastercard: Start collecting reward points with our exclusive alumni offer.

• TD Insurance: Get access to preferred rates on car, home, condo and tenant coverage.

Visit lethbridgecollege.ca/alumnibenefits for a full list of available services and more information on how you can benefit from staying connected!

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FAMILIES IN FOCUS L-R: Kevin, Letisha, Megan, Kayla and Amelia Keech

The KEECH Family It’s hard to predict how your education will shape your

life, but for Kevin and Amelia (Melo) Keech, studies at Lethbridge College spawned a family devoted to community service. With two police officers, two registered nurses and a recreation therapist working with some of the province’s most vulnerable, it’s a family of caregivers and first responders.

And it all started when a Law Enforcement student met a Recreational Therapy grad at the college Residence Life office more than 30 years ago.

“It’s really neat how life evolves and comes full circle,” says Kevin. “It’s rewarding to see our daughters in service professions and, in all humility, it’s awesome that we were able to point them in that direction.”

Kevin recently retired as a sergeant with the Camrose Police Service, working as a patrol officer and specializing in forensics over his 25-year career, while his wife Amelia, a 1987 grad, is part of an interdisciplinary team at The Bethany Group’s Rosehaven program in Camrose.

Kayla, 24, the youngest of their three daughters, received her Bachelor of Nursing (through the joint Lethbridge

College/University of Lethbridge Nursing Education in Southwestern Alberta program) in 2018, and today the RN splits her time between the Chinook Regional Hospital and the Lethbridge Correctional Centre. Her sister Megan, 28, is a police officer with the Calgary Police Service, while Letisha, 26, is a registered nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Camrose.

Kevin grew up in Camrose and says he chose to attend the college after learning that many in the city’s local police force had trained there. With a strong focus on fitness (then led by coach Bertil Johansson), the course prepared students for the physicality of police work.

“A lot of the instructors were former police officers – it was a boots-on-the-ground kind of program,” he says. “One thing that stood apart was the athleticism – they wanted to teach us what it would be like, and match the expectations of the police services. I thoroughly enjoyed all of those coulee runs.”

Athletics drew Amelia from her home in Pincher Creek to the college, too, playing for the Kodiaks women’s basketball team from 1984 to 1986, while preparing for a lifelong career in recreational therapy. She says her own parents inspired her to choose a service profession. “My parents would never hesitate to help anybody,” she says. “They were always helping, instilling that care for others in all of us.”

Playing college basketball “was a great outlet for me,” Amelia adds, with exceptional coaches like John Jasiukiewicz.

In school, practicum placements with local therapists in longterm care helped shape her career.

A generation later, Kayla headed to Lethbridge College to study nursing and play for the Kodiaks women’s soccer team.

“You have to be disciplined if you are a student athlete,” says Kayla, adding four years at Lethbridge College taught her the importance of maintaining a good work-school-life balance.

With her parents and sisters in police work and health care, Kayla says she’s been inspired to split her nursing practice between pediatrics and correctional health. The impact of having parents in public service influenced all of the Keech children, she says.

“My mom gave us an example of using our time and talents to better people’s lives and to help others,” says Kayla. “She is a passionate advocate for those without a voice and her selfless, giving nature extends well past her career.”

Story by Cinda Chavich | Photo submitted

Are you a multi-generational Lethbridge College family? If at least three members across one or more generations attended Lethbridge College, let us know by emailing WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca. We’d love to profile you.

43

The last word

THE LAST WORD

Illustrated

by Eric Dyck

For five decades, Lethbridge College communications students have honed their craft in the Endeavour lab, creating the student-run newspaper and gaining valuable hands-on experience.

Thanks in part to a $52,000 gift from Corus Entertainment (which also went to support student awards), the space recently underwent a facelift to transform it into a technologically advanced setting that replicates modern newsrooms.

Here are few insights about what that space has meant to students over the years.

“The new space enables instructors to quickly share content with students. The individual screens at each station puts the software right up in front of them and we have stereo audio so students can clearly hear what we’re saying no matter where they are in the room. [Students also] can plug a laptop into the screen and that allows everybody else at the table to see what the one person is working on. And the casual atmosphere of being able to just walk around from desk to desk and see what’s going on is really good for networking.”

George Gallant

Broadcast journalism instructor at Lethbridge College since 1997

“The new Endeavour lab is more comfortable and there’s more space for people to sit and work. Now, the lab has these nice, long, tall, rectangular tables with tall chairs. Each table has a computer monitor and if an instructor’s computer is set up to the projector, we can see what’s on their computer screen. It’s pretty cool!”

Sylvia Adam

Second-year Digital Communications and Media student

“The Endeavour newsroom helped launch many careers, whether it was at newspapers or related fields. Each Tuesday it was common to see the lights on in the newsroom at 2 a.m. The paper had to be published and we learned the job wasn’t done until the pages headed to the print shop. But on non-publishing days it was a place to hang out. We even did the odd science experiment. There was an electrical access cover in the floor, and we decided to remove it. Before replacing the cover, Brian Smiley put in half of a bologna and cheese sandwich. To my knowledge, we never removed the cover again and for the sake of students at the college, it might be best to leave it that way.”

Randy Jensen

Communication Arts 1979

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NEXT ISSUE:

The last word is yours...

Campus creatures Have you seen the Hubbard Collection? This very cool campus space on the first floor of the Cousins Building houses more than 100 full-body taxidermy specimens, most of which are native to Alberta. Send us the story (200 words max) of your most memorable encounters with these wild animals, and we’ll share a sampling of your memories with readers in our Fall issue. Just email WHMagazine@lethbridgecollege.ca.

We can’t wait to read your submissions!

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WE INVITE YOU TO MAKE YOUR MARK AT LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE THROUGH A PLANNED GIFT. Become a member of Lethbridge College’s Ohkotoki’aahkkoiyiiniimaan (Stone Pipe) Legacy Society and ensure the impact of your gift lives on supporting the creators, makers and innovators of the future.

Reach out to us to help assist you in making an informed choice about giving.

A bequest could be the most important charitable gift you ever make.

403.320.3457 • development.office@lethbridgecollege.ca

lethbridgecollege.ca/give