“My hometown of Thantlang is empty,” says alum Za Uk Ling (BA’06)

“Burma’s armed forces burned and destroyed at least 1,000 homes there last year.”

It was another blow for a man who’s been fighting for decades to protect the Chin people of Burma (also called Myanmar).

Despite this loss, Za Uk remains unbowed.

He is the Executive Director of the Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO)—founded in 1995 to protect the rights and dignity of the Chin people and other marginalized communities in Burma.

Za Uk majored in political science at Lakehead. In 2025, he became CHRO’s executive director after serving as the deputy executive director. “My Lakehead education gave me the necessary foundation to navigate through anything and realize my passion.”

“The Chin state is the only Christian-majority state in apredominantly Buddhist country,” Za Uk explains.

The military is using violence against its own people to try to create a single national identity where everyone is Buddhist and speaks the same language,” he continues. 

“They view Christianity and Islam as a threat to this identity, so they’ve stripped minorities—like the Chin and the Rohingya—of their religious and language rights.”

With a small group of committed people, CHRO exposes human rights abuses, advocates for justice, and provides humanitarian assistance to Burmese people affected by conflict, persecution, and displacement.

Za Uk (centre) met with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Timor-Leste President José Manuel Ramos-Horta (right) to discuss the situation in Burma, where the military is continuing air strikes on health facilities, schools, and homes in the Chin state.

A Childhood Marred by Tragedy and War

Za Uk has spent his life coping with devastating losses.

His parents passed away when he was a small child and his older siblings had to flee to India because of their involvement in a student movement trying to topple Burma’s military regime.

Za Uk (left) was invited to speak alongside the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 8, 2025. “The Chin state is the size of Switzerland, but the Chin people make up just 1% of Burma’s entire population,” Za Uk says. “Our state has been intentionally neglected and is the poorest in the country.”

Za Uk’s precarious situation deteriorated even further in the mid-1990s when he was a high school student.

“The military started using forced labour to build camps and roads. Young people were in constant danger of being snatched to carry supplies on their backs to the frontlines.

They were forced to act as human shields—walking ahead of military units over mountains so that they would step on any buried land mines.” 

Like his brothers and sisters, Za Uk had to escape to India and leave his homeland behind.

A New Life at Lakehead

While in India, Za Uk found his calling when he began volunteering with the Chin Human Rights Organisation.

He also applied to the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) program, which enables refugees to attend university. The Lakehead University Student Union raised funds through a student levy to bring Za Uk to the Thunder Bay campus as a WUSC
student.

“The professors were great, and the quality of my education was so enriching,” he says. “Dr. Syed Serajul Islam, who was the political science department chair, became my main mentor. He was always willing to help and encourage me.”

Pictured Right: Za Uk (centre) receives a 2023 Exceptional Alumni Award from Alumni Association of Lakehead University President Paul Popo-Ola (left) and Orillia Campus Principal Linda Rodenburg (right).

After graduating from Lakehead in 2006, Za Uk successfully applied for an internship with Foreign Affairs Canada to help refugees in Malaysia. Once the internship ended, he began working full time with CHRO.

“I’m based in Thailand, and sometimes India, because I can’t return to Burma.”

Courage in the Face of Violence

Za Uk travels constantly speaking at the United Nations and meeting with government officials—including the European Parliament and the Canadian Senate— to advocate for the Chin people.

“CHRO has been accredited by the United Nations, which allows us to amplify voices on the ground and engage in international advocacy,” he says.

“Living without fear and being able to go about daily life in peace is a fundamental right,” Za Uk says. He met privately with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volka Turk (right) in Geneva.

“Human rights violations in the Chin state are worsening. They’re now at the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

They’re trying to starve the population by not allowing aid agencies into the Chin state.

We’re providing basic assistance like food and medical care.”

CHRO is also reaching out to faith communities for their support.
“Knowing that people around the world stand in solidarity with us gives us the strength to persevere.”

A YouTube video changed Kate Solbakk’s life.

“The ‘Story of Stuff’ documentary exposed society’s cycle of buying stuff and throwing it away and then buying more stuff and throwing it away,” explains Kate (HBASc’14).

“As I was becoming a young adult, I didn’t want to participate in that destructive loop.

Plus, I’ve always loved nature. I spent my childhood catching frogs and minnows, so learning that the animals I loved were under threat made me want to protect them.”

Kate grew up on a vegetable farm in Simcoe County, now she lives on a hobby farm with chickens outside the town of Drangedal in Norway.

A Young Environmentalist Finds Her Calling

Armed with this resolve, she joined the first group of students in Lakehead Orillia’s Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in Environmental Sustainability program.

When this degree launched in 2010—the year Kate enrolled—it was the first of its kind in Canada.

“There were just six students, which made us feel like collaborators,” she says. “The faculty were always asking what we thought of various aspects of the program.”

"I became fascinated with the incredible diversity of protozoa," says Kate Solbakk (née Weel). "They play beneficial roles in many ecosystems including encouraging plant growth, promoting soil formation, and stimulating plants' defense mechanisms to protect them against disease. Artwork Credit: Kate Solbakk

It was through her Lakehead studies that Kate found her professional path.

She was hired as a work-study research assistant for a project led by environmental sustainability professors Dr. Sree Kurissery and Dr. Nanda Kanavillil.

Her job was to analyze microscopic organisms in Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching.

“That’s where I fell in love with protozoa—the charismatic megafauna of the single-celled world,” Kate says. “They do all the things that animals do, but with just one cell.” 

An Adventure in Norway

The end of her third year at Lakehead marked another turning point for Kate.

It happened in Norway, where she’d travelled to visit her now-husband.

“While we were walking around a farmer’s market at the Bygdøy Royal Farm in Oslo, I saw microscopes and a poster of protozoa in a display for the VitalAnalyse research company,” she recalls.

VitalAnalyse studied how human activity affected microorganisms in agricultural soil. Their goal was to develop better fertilizers to feed the soil and prevent it from being depleted. 

Kate became the only scientist in northern Europe doing microscopy to help farmers and researchers understand agricultural soil ecology.

“I asked if they needed help for the summer and they hired me as a field technician.”

In September, she headed back to Lakehead to complete her degree but returned to Norway after graduation to build a career at VitalAnalyse.

Revealing an Invisible Universe

Kate spent much of the following years peering into a microscope, but in 2016, she embarked on a journey that took her in an unexpected direction.

She had begun creating illustrations of protozoa to help bring attention to VitalAnalyse’s public outreach efforts. 

“There was a demand for illustrations because microscopy photos can be hard to understand. Images of the same creature look dramatically different in different lighting.

"My husband encouraged me to do microscopy illustrations when he found out that I could draw," Kate says. "He was also interested in digital art and had bought a stylus pad. To create my illustrations, I use a stylus to draw on the computer in a process similar to oil painting." Everything is hand drawn, there's no AI involved."

As a kid, Kate was constantly drawing, so illustration work allowed her to reconnect with this part of herself.

“People started telling me they loved my drawings,” she says. “They’d say, ‘Ooh, it looks like it’s from outer space!’”

In 2019, Kate started her own company, called Mikroliv. 

Initially, Mikroliv offered both soil testing for researchers and microscopy illustrations, but she soon shifted exclusively to illustration.

“My drawings have appeared in gardening books, research papers, presentations, and websites. People can buy them as art prints and schools sometimes use them.”

The popularity of Kate’s illustrations led to an important commission to create soil life illustrations for the Levende Matjord (living soil) research project. After finishing the commission, Kate continued to create drawings and eventually expanded her subject matter to include pond life. Above, Kate at an exhibition of her illustrations. Artwork Credit: Kate Solbakk

Immersing Videogamers in the Micro World 

Videogaming has always been a huge part of Kate's life. Now it’s become the latest way for her to merge the worlds of art and science.

She’s been developing Cellscape—a fun arcade-style survival game—which she hopes to release in late 2026.

“It’s the culmination of the last decade of my work,” Kate says. “I want to make microbes more relatable and approachable.”

Or in the words of Cellscape:

“Experience life as a microbe in a dynamic, living ecosystem. Hunt bacteria, dodge hazards and predators, and divide as many times as you can!”

Download a demo of Kate’s Cellscape videogame and try it out for yourself.

An Unlikely Forester

Dr. Temitope Ojo had big dreams when he was growing up, but working in the natural resources industry wasn’t one of them.

“As a kid, we didn’t have constant electricity in Nigeria,” Temitope says. “So I set my mind on becoming an electrical engineer because I wanted to be part of the solution.” 

After he finished high school, he applied to the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Nigeria. 

Then Temitope hit a snag.

It would be a full year before his electrical electronics engineering spot would become available, and he didn’t want to wait around. When the university told him they had a spot open in their forestry program, Temitope took it.

His friends weren’t sure about this unexpected choice. “They laughed when I told them and said, ‘You’re going to be a forester?’”

“But I fell in love with forestry,” he says. 

Helping Restore a Ravaged Landscape

When he finished his undergraduate degree, graduating with distinction, Temitope put his newfound knowledge to practical use. 

In Nigeria, all university graduates are required by law to complete a year of national service with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to promote national unity and community development. Temitope was eager to use this service year to support reforestation efforts.

“Nigeria is in an environmental crisis caused by deforestation,” he explains. “With fewer trees to anchor the soil and break the wind, communities are facing landslides and strong winds that rip roofs off homes.”

He planted over 10,000 trees during his year of service—both fast-growing Gmelina and sturdy teak trees.

His herculean efforts earned him a National Youth Service Corps State Coordinator’s Award from the federal government.

But Temitope wasn’t finished with academia. He returned to school to complete a Master of Forest Economics and Management at FUNAAB, graduating at the top of his class. 

“Then I decided to continue my passion for forestry, and began looking at PhD programs in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Hong Kong, and Canada. I picked Canada because it has the best forestry programs in the world.”

A Friend You Can Lean On

Temitope’s research led him to choose Lakehead. So, in 2019, he made the life-changing journey from Nigeria to northwestern Ontario.

“When you come to Lakehead, you don’t only come to study,” Temitope says. “Lakehead has the resources to help you fit into the community and to inspire you to give back to the community.

Pictured left: Temitope was admitted to PhD programs in multiple countries, but Lakehead stood above the others. “I wanted professors with track records of mentoring their students and who specialized in my interests,” he says. “I also wanted small classrooms and to be close to nature.”

My PhD supervisor, Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu, instilled this ethos in me. I wanted to replicate that goodness.”

Soon, Temitope was helping other students transition to life in a new country. 

He started a shuttle system, giving new international students rides from the airport to their residences and buying groceries for them with his own money. He also introduced them to services available at Lakehead and in Thunder Bay.

Pictured right: Temitope was recognized with Lakehead Leader Awards for Diversity and Inclusion (2020) and Community Engagement (2023) from the university’s Student Success Centre. He also received the City of Thunder Bay’s Exceptional Achievement – Good Citizen Award in 2025.

“I became friends with many of the students I met.”

Temitope contributed in many other ways. He was the president of Lakehead’s branch of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and a member of the Graduate Student Association’s executive. 

He volunteered with the environmental non-profit EcoSuperior, served as a citizen representative and vice-chair of the City of Thunder Bay’s Anti-Racism & Equity Advisory Committee, and joined the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society board, where he now serves as vice-president. 

A New Champion for Northwestern Ontario Forestry

A few weeks before receiving his PhD in Forest Sciences in 2024, Temitope landed a position as the regional supervisor of the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Northwest Region.

In this role, he leads the Regional Information and Analysis Unit, where he oversees natural resource assessment and geospatial analysis. He also develops complex Geographic Information System (GIS) products that support ecological sustainability and natural resource planning across northwestern Ontario. 

Pictured left: Temitope served as the vice-chair of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (Northwestern Ontario) and was featured in an article in the September 2023 issue of the Professional Forester. 

“It’s all thanks to the mentorship of Dr. Beaulieu,” Temitope says. “When I was close to graduating, he reviewed my resume and gave me tips and pointers, which got me an interview with the Ministry of Natural Resources. 

I’m so grateful to him and to Lakehead for helping me find my dream job.”  

Erin (above) says that one of her favourite dishes prepared in the Roots kitchen is their whitefish chowder. "We serve it at the Empty Bowls fundraiser that benefits Shelter House and the Thunder Bay Food Bank.

“I love people,” says Lakehead alum Erin Beagle (BEd’05).

Anyone familiar with her long history of community work can attest to this fact.

Erin joined Thunder Bay’s Roots to Harvest when it was founded in 2007 and now serves as its executive director.

It’s a grassroots organization—now known as Roots Community Food Centre—that uses food to connect people and to foster dignity through meaningful programs, initiatives, and advocacy. 

“People are what keeps me coming back,” Erin says. “I get inspired by my staff, colleagues, and the people we serve.”

She’s also energized by the sheer variety of her work.

“One day I might be writing a grant, the next day I might be changing a car battery, giving a talk at a school, or beekeeping. 

“Right now we’re learning maple syrup production and accessing local foods to use in school classrooms and the Roots kitchen.” 

Taking a Walk on the Wild Side

Erin grew up in Prince George, British Columbia, and spent her summers at the Educo Adventure School, which gave her a passion for outdoor education.

Later, as a young adult, she ran Educo’s wilderness experience program.

"All of my classmates in Lakehead's OE3 program were interested in alternative models of education," Erin says. "Through OE3, I did placements at Churchill High School teaching problem-based learning in science. It was a great way for kids to learn, and I treasured my time there."

This sparked a desire to open her own experiential school and enrol in Lakehead’s Faculty of Education. 

At the time, Lakehead was one of only two Canadian universities to offer the Outdoor, Ecological, and Environmental Program (OE3) to prospective teachers. 

“I went to Lakehead’s website for more information,” Erin says. 

“When I clicked on it, there was a photo of the OE3 program head, Dr. Tom Puk, rappelling off a cliff. I thought, ‘Oh, these are my people.’”

The Start of Something Big

A couple of years after graduation, Erin was working for the United Way on its national Action for Neighbourhood Change initiative.

“I collaborated with residents in the Simpson-Ogden neighbourhood to build engagement and address issues like crime from a neighbourhood level.”

Around the same time she connected with Lakehead social work professor Dr. Connie Nelson and political science professor Dr. Doug West. They’d received a grant for an exciting new project called Roots to Harvest.

“The goal was to engage students from grades 6-12 in food security projects,” Erin explains.

Roots has two large urban farms—the Volunteer Pool Garden on Martha Street and the Lillie Street Garden.

Erin became one of Roots to Harvest’s first team members and wasted no time getting her hands dirty.

“We started a community garden at the corner of Algoma and Cornwall and promoted farming and food systems at the local level,” she says.

She realized that she’d found her calling.

In 2012, Roots to Harvest became a non-profit organization and in 2021, it became part of Community Food Centres Canada, changing its name to the Roots Community Food Centre. 

Food, Friendship, and Belonging

Roots excels at delivering transformative programs and services.

Their community food markets in Thunder Bay, Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation, and Whitesand First Nation are improving food security in the region by selling below-cost fruits and vegetables.

In addition, they provide free community meals twice a week to seniors over 60 and—in partnership with the Indigenous Friendship Centre—host a free monthly lunch featuring wild food like moose, berries, and rice.

Roots’ urban farm program, which offers employment and skills training to youth aged 15-30, holds a special place in Erin’s heart.

“I love that teenager spirit,” she says. “Being a young person isn’t easy and they meet that challenge.” 

Roots contributes to the community in a multitude of ways, including improving food security and providing services like free income tax clinics open to people with simple taxes whose income is less than $50,000 per year.

Roots also supports aging in place for seniors, senior wellness and fitness programs, and many advocacy programs in partnership with community organizations. 

For instance, they recently held a basic ID clinic to help people get documents such as birth certificates and social insurance numbers. 

“Roots is so much more than farming and gardening,” Erin says. “It’s a place that lifts up everyone from elementary school kids to seniors. 

Community members have made Roots their own, and northwestern Ontario is more resilient because of it.”

Keith with the Chippewa Park carousel’s beautifully refurbished canopy panels. In 1934, the year that the carousel arrived at Chippewa Park, children could have three rides for five cents.

“My teaching style is probably a little bit unconventional,” says Lakehead alum Keith Ailey (HBFA’97, BEd’98).

“I’ll start each lesson—whether it’s in a high school or university class—with an art demonstration.

I show students how to mix paint or how to apply a technique. And then I tell them: ‘Let’s get some clay on those hands and some paint on that brush!’” 

Lakehead Students Learn from a Master

That engaging, joyful approach is one of the reasons Keith was recently recognized with the 2025 Post-Secondary Art Educator of the Year award from the Ontario Art Education Association (OAEA).

He was given this honour for his work in Lakehead’s Faculty of Education.

Since 2023, Keith has been teaching visual arts to university students who will go on to become intermediate/senior and primary/junior level teachers.

“I’ve dedicated my life to teaching art, so to be recognized at the provincial level is amazing!” he says of the OAEA award. 

The award celebrates excellence in art education and exceptional teachers who show commitment to nurturing artistic skill, creativity, and critical thinking in their students—all qualities that Keith is known for developing through innovative and inclusive classroom work. 

“It’s one of the greatest honours of my career. I’m so thankful to my department chair, Dr. Pauline Sameshima, for being so supportive and believing in what I’m doing in the classroom.”
 

Building Connections with Students

Keith accepted his OAEA Post-Secondary Art Educator of the Year award at a ceremony in February 2026. The award recognizes exemplary teaching practice, commitment to student growth, and outstanding contributions to the art education community. Above, Keith and Lakehead teacher-candidate Taylor Anderson co-teach a grade 10 art class as part of Taylor's practical experience. 

As both a longtime high school art teacher in Thunder Bay and a Lakehead Faculty of Education instructor, Keith works hard to forge a connection with his students and meet them where they are.

“In my university teaching, I focus on what, specifically, do they need,” he says, adding that his education students often wonder about writing report card comments, speaking to a parent, or evaluating someone else’s art. 

“I build my teaching practice around their concerns, and everything has to be practical. If I’m doing it in my high school classroom, it’s something that these teacher candidates will use in their classrooms one day.”
 

From the Studio to the Trails

Community involvement is a crucial part of Keith’s teaching. 

Recently, he was a co-leader of a large multi-year community project to restore the Chippewa Park carousel, a beloved amusement ride built in 1915 that has delighted generations of children.

Artists, art teachers, and high school art students designed and painted 16 iconic northwestern Ontario scenes—including Kakabeka Falls, the Sea Lion, and the pagoda—on the large wooden panels that adorn the carousel’s canopy.

“It’s something that’s going to last another 100 years—our grandchildren will be able to ride that carousel and see that art,” Keith says. 

Another ambitious multi-group project he’s proud to have helmed was commissioned by Lakehead Public Schools and centred on the theme of Reconciliation.

Art students from four local high schools incorporated insights from Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members into four canvases. These paintings were then shown at a Powwow celebration on Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) and at Thunder Bay’s Folklore Festival. They are now on permanent display at the Lakehead Public Schools board office. 

Next up: Public art that beautifies some large refuse bins on the Thunder Bay waterfront.

Besides art, Keith has deep rooted passion for the outdoors, which he shares with students by coaching cross-country skiing, cross-country running, and mountain biking at Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute. He even teaches his students how to fish at a creek that runs behind the high school. 

Keith makes sure that students appreciate the outdoors as well as art. At right, he and some students hook a rainbow trout.

Throughout his long career as both an artist and art teacher, Keith has inspired a love of art and fostered the creative thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills that go along with it. 

“I find great satisfaction in seeing my students develop their art skills and knowledge, but also their confidence and enthusiasm to come back the next day and try new things and to grow,” he notes. 

“It’s hugely rewarding.”

"Lake Superior was definitely a big pull for me," says Teigan Labor of her decision to come to Lakehead University.

This recent grad (HBOR/BSc'24) is now the communications manager of the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NS).

Above, Teigan canoeing in Norway during the semester she spent at Nord University. "Northern Norway was a fantastic place to go as someone studying outdoor recreation and natural sciences because of the stunning landscape and the culture of friluftsliv, which translates to 'open-air life.'"

Choosing the university surrounded by boreal forest and a vast lake proved to be a good move for Teigan, who grew up exploring the wild waters and shores of Nova Scotia.

She was also encouraged by a glowing endorsement from her dad, Peter Labor.

He graduated from Lakehead in 1989 with Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation and Bachelor of Science degrees, and went on to become the Government of Nova Scotia's director of protected areas and ecosystems.

"Growing up, my dad told me a lot of stories about Lakehead, especially his outdoor rec adventures—like joining the Mackenzie Expedition canoe trip across Canada," Teigan says.

"I saw how his time at Lakehead led him to an environmentally focused career and shaped him into someone I looked up to."

"I chose Lakehead for its community-oriented mindset—smaller classes, knowing your profs—and the opportunity to do a double degree in Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism and Natural Sciences," Teigan says. "This was unique from the other universities I was considering."

A Sailing Adventure and Studying Among Norway's Glaciers

Teigan packed a lot of living into her time at Lakehead.

She began a month-long stint as an environmental educator in 2022 after attending a campus presentation by Sea Change Expeditions, an educational organization.

This entailed living aboard a 40-foot sailboat on Lake Superior and sailing to schools around the lake. She talked to kids about issues affecting the lake, like climate change, microplastics, and invasive species.

While sailing around Lake Superior in 2022, Teigan recorded water-clarity data as well as spoke to schoolchildren. "The schools we stopped at included Knife River and others on the North shore," she says. "We also stopped in Houghton, Michigan and Washburn, Wisconsin."

In her final year at Lakehead, she spent a semester at Nord University in Bodø, Norway, as part of Lakehead's North2North exchange program. "It was really eye opening, and one of the best decisions I made as a student," she says.

"I got to climb a glacier and learn how glaciers are being impacted by global warming—while standing RIGHT THERE in person."

The Pull of the Magnificent Atlantic Ocean

As an undergrad, Teigan worked as a summer student with CPAWS-NS, which works to conserve Canada's natural ecosystems.

She springboarded into a full-time role as CPAWS communications manager (she also does videography work for the organization) right after graduating from Lakehead.

Teigan during a conservation freedive among eelgrass. "Eelgrass meadows provide shelter and nursery habitats for juvenile fish, and other marine species," she says. "They also store and sequester carbon, reduce coastal erosion, and much more." Photo Credit: CPAWS-NS/Teigan Labor

Her path to this position was helped by her activities both in and out of class.

She was the Lakehead Outdoor Recreation Parks & Tourism Student Society information coordinator and a videographer of outdoor rec-related content used in Lakehead's digital recruitment campaigns.

"Outdoor rec is just such an incredible program because you get a lot of different perspectives, including a really strong Indigenous-led perspective," she notes.

"I got a strong grasp of the leadership and group dynamics side of outdoor rec, such as guiding people in the outdoors, and learning how to assess risk and liability for participants."

Another bonus was earning certifications for diverse skills as part of her coursework.

On a Mission to Conserve Nova Scotia's Unique Marine Life

Today, Teigan has a career that gives her a sense of meaning and purpose.

"There are islands all up and down the coast of Nova Scotia, so one of the coolest projects I've been working on lately is a documentary about those islands and their remarkable biodiversity," she says.

Part of her efforts include conservation freediving, which allows her to document marine environments with underwater photos and videos.

Teigan on a CPAWS conservation freedive at Sandy Cove, Terence Bay, in Nova Scotia. "We don't use the snorkel that much because we spend most of our time diving deeper than the surface!"  Photo Credit: CPAWS-NS/Teighan Labor

"Conservation freediving looks a lot like spearfishing, but we replace the spear with a camera and strap a slate to our arms so that we can take down observations." Unlike scuba diving, freedivers don't use oxygen tanks.

Her department focuses on science communication to bring the public and communities into conversations. The goal is to inspire people to care about conservation and to talk to their policymakers about protecting the environment.

"I believe as humans we have a responsibility to take care of nature," Teigan says.

"I grew up canoeing, hiking, and playing in Nova Scotia's parks, protected areas, and coastlines. I want future generations to have the same opportunity."

“Students have taught me more lessons about myself than I ever could have expected,” says educator and Lakehead alum Heidi Warren.

One moment in particular stands out for her. She was trying to lead an elementary school class outside, but as she was hurrying the children along, a young student tried to get Heidi to stop. 

“I was feeling overwhelmed and rushed, and I said, ‘Come on, let’s go,’ and he started to cry. He wanted to show me this incredible picture of a rainbow and hearts that he’d drawn for me on the chalkboard.

Pictured left: “To keep planting seeds for meaningful change in education,” is Heidi’s mission. “I want to continue creating spaces where hearts and minds can grow (including my own).” Above is the chalk drawing created for her by her young student. 

I realized that I needed to take a breath, connect with that student, and look at his picture. It only took a moment, but it made a huge difference.”

Taking the time to build connections shapes Heidi’s approach to learning.

She’s currently on a secondment as a whole child coach with the First Nation School Board in Yukon. Her regular job is as the principal of the White River First Nation’s Nelnah Bessie John School in Beaver Creek, Yukon. 

“I want to support kids so that they thrive because when I was a student, sometimes I got support and sometimes I didn’t,” she says.

Embracing Community in the Arctic

Heidi spent much of her childhood in the Northwest Territories, including Fort McPherson and Inuvik.

Pictured right: Heidi received her Bachelor of Arts and Science and Bachelor of Education in 2010. She’s happy to be teaching in Yukon, where she spent part of her childhood. Right, she stands beside her mother who’s holding her little sister.

 “There’s no separation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the north; we all lived in community together,” she says. 

“My parents taught me that we were visitors and that we should take our lead from Elders and Indigenous people. This gave me a much stronger relationship to the land and to the community.”

Both of Heidi’s parents were educators. “As a young child, I loved being in the classroom with them, surrounded by books and chalkboards.”

These early experiences made her want to be a teacher, but Heidi first tried out several different careers before embarking on an education degree as a mature student. 

“I started at a large university close to Toronto—by that time, my family had moved to southern Ontario—but I found it hard to be in such an impersonal environment.”

Stepping into a New World

Things changed when her mother told her that a university would be opening in Orillia. 

This news prompted Heidi to enrol in Lakehead Orillia’s Bachelor of Arts and Science program (specializing in biology and anthropology) and concurrent Bachelor of Education program.

She began her studies in 2006, becoming a member of Lakehead Orillia’s charter class.

“It was perfect. The professors had high expectations, but they offered great support, and the classes were small.

I remember every single one of my instructors. Anthropology Professor Dr. Tim Kaiser’s belief in me and his passion for his subject were inspirational. Biology professor Dr. Nanda Kanavilil was incredible, too. He always wanted us to strive for the deepest understanding of genetics and biology.”

Nurturing Children’s Self-Worth and Curiosity

Pictured above: First Nation School Board students at a fall camp that helps them stay connected to their culture and language through activities including setting fish nets, moose hunting, duck hunting, camp meal prep, and storytelling.

In her role as a whole child coach, Heidi works with First Nation School Board education assistants and teachers committed to using a holistic lens with their learners. 

Through her coaching, she enables educators to support students academically, culturally, and cognitively to create the sense of safety that’s necessary for a supportive learning environment. “Historically, school hasn’t been a safe space for Indigenous children,” she explains.  

This fall, Heidi returned to the Orillia campus to receive an Exceptional Alumni Award for her transformative work as an educator. “I was very honoured and surprised.”

Pictured left: Heidi (2nd from right) received an Exceptional Alumni Award at an October 25, 2025, ceremony at Lakehead Orillia. “It was lovely to be back again. The ceremony was heartfelt and true to the Orillia way.” 

“I want to fan the flame of kids’ passions and interests,” she adds. “Helping children discover who they are gives me my sense of purpose.”

Chief Michele Solomon has led Fort William First Nation since 2023, but she’s spent decades caring for her community.

Before entering the political arena, she had a successful social work career specializing in mental health and addictions.

“I was drawn to the helping field because I wanted to strengthen my community, and because social work seemed like a natural fit, given my life experiences,” says Chief Solomon. 

“I had great experiences with all of my Lakehead teachers,” says Chief Solomon. “Professor Dennis McPherson and his Indigenous Canadian World Views course had an enormous impact on me.”

She earned a Social Service Worker diploma from Confederation College and began working with Thunder Bay organizations, including as a team leader and manager with the Dilico Adult Residential Treatment Centre and as a manager with the White Cedar Healthcare Centre. 

A Winding Journey 

After she received her diploma, Chief Solomon began considering university.

“I was trying to advance to management positions, and not having a degree was held against me,” she says.

She decided to enrol full-time in Lakehead’s social work program.

“If my story can inspire anybody, then it’s worth sharing. It might motivate a young mother who feels overwhelmed by the prospect of getting an education.” Below, Chief Solomon takes part in a smudging ceremony. 

“It was a struggle, though, to go to school with four young children,” Chief Solomon says. “So I ended up dropping out before returning to Lakehead part-time in the Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies program. 

The program really resonated with me as a non-status Indigenous person growing up on a reserve—the challenges of identity and the hardships that came with that. It allowed me to understand these issues more deeply and from a different perspective.”

Chief Solomon received her Bachelor of Arts in 2017, with the support of her family.

“My eldest daughter helped a lot with her younger siblings, and my children’s father backed my efforts to be in school.”

A Caring Political Leader

Above, Chief Solomon hugs a fellow community member at the installation ceremony of Lakehead President Dr. Gillian Siddall in 2024. 

As her children grew older, Chief Solomon was able to devote more of her time to helping her community at the systemic level.

In 2015, she successfully ran for the position of Fort William First Nation councillor and served in that role for eight years before being elected Chief.

By 2018—as well as serving as a councillor—she was working for the groundbreaking Ontario Native Women’s Association, managing their Indigenous women’s leadership programs. 

“I’ve had the privilege of representing the Fort William First Nation in the Robinson-Superior annuity court case since 2018, including giving testimony,” Chief Solomon says. 

That year, she also deepened her Lakehead connection. She taught the Indigenous Perspectives class at the university’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

“It was wonderful to be part of a dialogue with students,” Chief Solomon says. “I was able to engage with up-and-coming law professionals who opened their hearts and minds to that learning experience.”

Carving Her Own Path

“I’m dedicated to advancing the Fort William First Nation’s wellbeing, prosperity, and economic development, and finding ways to inspire our youth,” Chief Solomon says.

“It’s also important to me to represent the community in a positive way and to act as a bridge between the Indigenous and the non-Indigenous community.”

Chief Solomon (fourth from the left) spoke at Dr. Gillian Siddall's May 2024 installation ceremony, during which Dr. Siddall was installed as Lakehead's president & vice-chancellor. The ceremony was held at Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) on the lands of the Fort William First Nation.

While Chief Solomon was embracing these new roles, she was quietly continuing her university education to earn an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous Studies.

“I painfully chipped away at the degree, taking a course here and there,” she says.

In 2025, things came full circle.

She gave opening remarks on behalf of the Fort William First Nation at Lakehead’s May 29 convocation ceremony.

The following day, she attended another Lakehead convocation ceremony. This time, she sat with fellow graduating students before walking across the stage to accept her HBA degree.

Chief Michele Solomon speaks at Lakehead’s May 29, 2025, convocation ceremony. “When I was in college, my children were very young. When I was in university, my kids were adolescents. Now, I’ve graduated with my HBA, and I’m a grandmother with eight grandchildren.” 

Chief Solomon encourages other community members to consider post-secondary education.

“It brings Indigenous voices and understandings to places where they might not otherwise be heard. Education allows us to be stronger. It opens the doors to a good life, and it makes a difference to the lives of your family.”

"Lakehead has been really pivotal to shaping who I am and my career," Sidney says. She currently teaches a second-year environmental education course at Lakehead Orillia. "I take students on field trips to do land-based learning."

Sidney Howlett didn't expect her life to change the day she spoke to youth climate activists at an Alberta high school in 2020.

Sidney—who was then an engagement manager with the environmental education foundation GreenLearning Canada—was giving a talk about climate change solutions.

"One of the students asked me if we were going to overcome climate change because she was worried about her future," Sidney says.

"I said, 'Of course,' because I didn't want to burden them with my own anxieties. But afterwards, I cried because I felt that it was false positivity."

Sidney Confronts her Fears

At the time, Sidney had been thinking about going back to school. 

Sidney has always had an affinity with the natural world. "I never came home with clean clothes. My mom said she was afraid to check my pockets because she never knew if she'd find rocks, sticks, or bugs."

She had already earned an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science and a Bachelor of Education at Lakehead Orillia in 2017. This was followed by over two years teaching at a French-immersion school in Peterborough, Ontario, and five years working for environmental non-profits.

The youth activist's poignant question led Sidney to take an online course investigating how educators can help young people navigate the difficult emotions that climate change evokes.

One of the course speakers was Lakehead education professor Dr. Ellen Field. She's a leading researcher on the policy and practice of climate change education in the Canadian K-12 school system.

Dr. Field's talk spurred Sidney to enrol in Lakehead Orillia's Master of Education degree, specializing in environmental and sustainability education. Dr. Field became her thesis supervisor.

"My thesis investigated climate emotions and how to foster emotional resilience in the classroom in a way that's honest, but that protects young people's hope," Sidney says.

She also joined Dr. Field's research team, of which she's still a member, and worked on projects like the Climate Action Accelerator Program, which helps K-12 schools create climate action plans.

An Ethical Entrepreneur

While completing her master's degree, Sidney heard about the university's Ascend Accelerator initiative. It's a program that gives Lakehead students and alumni the training and tools to start their own businesses.

Sidney (right) gave presentations to educators across the country with Dr. Ellen Field (left) about climate action policies. She also worked with Dr. Field on the Climate Leadership Within Canadian School Boards: 2023 Review. 

Sidney completed the program in 2024 and launched Sidney Howlett Consulting—a company that helps educational organizations implement climate change solutions.

"Ascend connected me with experts to incorporate my business, set up my website, provide financial advice, and draft my contracts. Thanks to their support, I've already successfully consulted with multiple school boards."

A Future to Believe In

Sidney at a climate protest in Orillia. "I was always the kid who said that we needed to recycle."

"By creating climate action plans through the EcoSchools Board Program, school boards don't need specialized staff or extra funding to implement solutions," Sidney explains. "They have the knowledge, content, and worksheets to do it themselves."

There are many practical ways that school boards, schools, and students can make a real difference. For instance, depaving schoolyards to reduce heat, encouraging electric buses, switching to LED lighting, and supporting students through climate change training.

An inquiry-based learning project about bees I did with one of my classes when I was an elementary school teacher got me interested in climate change.

"I think education is one of the most important levers for creating change," Sidney says. "We need to make systemic-level changes that are carried out by school boards and governments."

Through her company, Sidney gives talks, delivers presentations, and offers research services, all while adjusting to life as the mother of eight-month-old twins.

Her twin boys have given her work new urgency. The drive to protect a flourishing natural world is no longer just about her—it's about the world they will inherit. For Sidney, that future is worth fighting for.

If you're looking for ways to contribute to climate solutions, Sidney suggests checking out Ayana Elizabeth Johnson's Climate Action Venn Diagram webpage.

Kirkland’s research expertise has been bolstered by his work with Lakehead Orillia professor Dr. Daniel Krupp’s SALT Lab, which studies the psychology of cooperation and conflict. Kirkland (HBASc’22) has been analyzing data and doing computer programming for the lab since graduating from Lakehead. Photo: Pexels

Conquering Alzheimer’s disease has become Lakehead grad Kirkland Johnston’s mission.

Alzheimer’s is a “chronic neurodegenerative disease that destroys brain cells, causing thinking ability and memory to decline over time,” according to the Alzheimer Society. 

“Certain genes are strongly correlated with the disease,” explains Kirkland, who’s just finished the first year of a Psychology and Neuroscience PhD at the University of Toronto.

“My research is investigating how certain genes influence the hippocampus—the ridges in the brain responsible for memory and emotion.”

Studying this incurable disease wasn’t part of Kirkland’s original career plans. He majored in psychology and criminology at Lakehead Orillia, graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Arts and Science in 2022. His honours thesis, however, sparked his interest in neuroscience. For his thesis, Kirkland examined the biological factors that influence psychopaths’ behaviour, as part of a larger research project run by psychology professor Dr. Beth Visser. 

Pictured left: “When I was younger, I did a lot of gymnastics and acrobatics, and I recently got into it again,” Kirkland says. “I also love mountain biking, running, and spending time with family and friends. It keeps me grounded and happy.”

“From a neuroscience perspective, psychopaths have less developed frontal cortices and less emotionality as well as lower executive function and inhibitions,” Kirkland says. “This influences their level of callousness, impulsivity, and tendency to act in ways that benefit them without regard for anyone else.”

His newfound fascination with neuroscience led Kirkland to complete a master’s degree at Trent University focused on how different behaviours can be triggered by different neural pathways. “I studied how stress can influence chronic pain. Our research team found that if fear is present along with pain, the pain lasts longer.”

Kirkland’s decision to pursue Alzheimer’s research stems not from his scholarly experiences, but from his personal life. “I became passionate about Alzheimer’s disease because some of my family members have suffered from it,” he says.

Kirkland and his supervisor, Dr. Iva Zovkic, are studying histone variant macro H2A1 (mH2A1). Histones are the fundamental building blocks of chromatin, the material that makes up our chromosomes. The Zovkic lab has zeroed in on histones H2A.Z and mH2A1, finding supportive evidence for their role in modulating memory.  “The more H2A.Z there is in the brain, the stronger the association is with impaired memory” Kirkland says. “But if you remove it genetically through surgery, it improves learning and memory in mice.”

Kirkland is looking at how declining estrogen levels in mice increase Alzheimer’s pathology and memory impairment. This is critical because women are almost twice as likely as men to get Alzheimer’s. They also experience more rapid cognitive decline and worse treatment outcomes.

“Part of this may stem from the fact that, for an extremely long time, women were underrepresented in Alzheimer's research studies, " Kirkland says. “Even now, women still aren’t equally represented in studies, which affects how they respond to treatment.”

His goal is to better understand female biology to create more effective Alzheimer’s treatments for women.

Although Kirkland is at the beginning of his career, he is convinced that he’s found his calling. “I plan to continue doing Alzheimer’s research because I want to do meaningful work that has a positive impact on people.”