Alumni Spotlight

From the Far North to War-Torn Ukraine

Monday, March 4, 2024 / Online

“Growing up, I knew many First Nations people who didn’t have access to basic health care,” Michaela Parenteau says, “and these inequities inspired me to study nursing at Lakehead.”

Into the Forest

Thursday, February 15, 2024 / Online

When Faye Johnson (née Verheggen) was a Lakehead student, she spent her summers doing fieldwork like tree planting for the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

Carlin Val was only 14 years old when he went on his first climb, but he knew that he’d found his calling—even though he’s afraid of heights. “The strength and the integrity of the equipment reassures me that I’m safe and that I’m having fun,” Carlin says.

The Bear Whisperer

Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Online

“Bears—especially grizzlies and polar bears—have a reputation as man-eating beasts, but that’s a myth,” says wildlife expert Kim Titchener. “Bears are gracious to the humans living in their territories.”

A Man of Conviction

Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Online

Omer Belisle has been shaping the minds and spirits of youngsters for almost 30 years. He’s been a committed coach, teacher, vice-principal, and principal with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) and, for the past 12 years, he’s been superintendent of education overseeing the TBCDSB’s Kindergarten - Grade 8 and Student Achievement departments.

Leah Yari (HBComm'23) Follows Her Passion from Dance to Finance

Monday, September 11, 2023 /

In her valedictory speech as this year's "Voice of the Class" at Lakehead Orillia's convocation ceremony, Leah Yari shared an important and, perhaps, personal lesson with her fellow graduates.

Poet Ash Winters (BA’10) has a Way with Words

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 / Online

“Poetry has always come very naturally to me,” Ash Winters says. “It’s the primary way that my mind thinks—it’s my comfort zone.”

Eden Schwartz (HBSW’22) Stands Up for the Vulnerable

Monday, May 15, 2023 / Online

“The social safety net isn’t giving people the support they need,” Eden Schwartz says, “and with the housing crisis and inflation, things are becoming even worse.”

Adventures in the Yukon

Tuesday, April 25, 2023 / Online

Last July, Emmalee (Emm) Agnew and Terry Milne took their one-year-old son Cedar on his first Yukon expedition—a voyage snaking along the Pelly River past mountains where wolf packs, moose, and grizzly bears roamed. It was glorious, but it wasn’t easy.