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Alumni Spotlight

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Emerging Leader Claire Adams Brings Creativity and Passion to her Grassroots Community Work

Urban Studies master’s student Claire Adams is dedicated to helping transform the way self-identified women experience urban spaces and participate in civic processes, and she has been recognized for this work with the Urban Studies Alumni Award for Community Engagement.

SIAT students Nhi Nguyen, Marielle Wall, and Julia Yee at the 2021 Vancouver UX Awards.
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SIAT Students and Alum Recognized at the Vancouver User Experience Awards

The hard work of these SIAT students paid off when their work was recognized at the Vancouver User Experience Awards.

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Alumni Spotlight: Oscar Wong

After applying to 50 jobs and going out to 12 interviews, Oscar Wong wasn’t sure he was going to land his first Co-op. Finally, on the last day of the semester, Oscar was hired for a digital marketing role and he has never looked back. Now, as a Communication alumnus working as an Internal Communications and Design Specialist at Electronic Arts, Oscar is happy to share more on how he navigated from Co-op to career. 

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Advice from Communication Co-op Alumni

A panel of alumni visited the CMNS 110 class recently to share their insights and advice. Ranging from a variety of industries – health, government, public relations, broadcasting, tech and education

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Alumni Spotlight: Almira Bardai, the Globetrotting Communicator

A globetrotting communicator, Almira Bardai is a PR and communications professional with over 17 years of experience in the field working all over the globe from Vancouver to Australia. Read on to learn more about her journey!

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Alumni Spotlight: Laurie Dawkins

Like a modern day Goldilocks, Laurie Dawkins, a Communication Co-op alumna, spent many years trying out various roles to find the one that was just right. Now, as an award-winning, senior communications professional, Laurie shared how her experience with SFU Co-op shaped how she approached her career.

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Where Are They Now? Profile: Eric Cai

SFU alumnus, Eric Cai provides his insights and reflections of the journey to work after graduation, discussing challenges faced and goals reached along the way.

Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (Woodwards)
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Action Talk 3: SCA Alumni Stories

A recap of the third Action Talk event held at SFU Woodward’s.

Melissa and two friends smiling
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Engaging the World After Co-op

Read about Melissa's amazing experience in Cambodia after her Communication Co-op!

Steven Phan standing in front of lush green background wearing a floral shirt
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SFU Co-op Leads to Silicon Valley Dream Job with Google

Steven Phan's professional journey started long before he got a prize job as an interaction designer at Google. The SFU student’s career success started after he enrolled as a SIAT student and took advantage of the school’s co-op program. 

Sheryl and family
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Student Success Story: Sheryl Thompson

"My big picture goal is to work in policy to strengthen the health and well being of Aboriginal Peoples by working to combine Aboriginal children, families, communities and health into a single concept that is so interconnected that they can not be teased apart to be treated as independent entities." Read Sheryl's story of determination, and continuing her education as an adult and mother.

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Student Success Story: Karen Johnson

"My proudest moment was being the first of a class of 12 from NEC to graduate at SFU. There are so many obstacles one must crawl over to get a degree especially being an older student" Read Karen's story of overcoming obstacles and rising to success. 

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Alumni Spotlight: Patricia Zhou, IABC’s Director of Student Services and Communiqué Blog Founder

Patricia Zhou had vaguely heard of IABC during her first two years at SFU, but little did she know how BC’s chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators would end up having such an on-going influence on her career.

Stephanie talking to a reporter
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Your Portfolio, Your Story

Stephanie Wiriahardja started building her portfolio in 2009, before she applied for her first SFU Co-op semester. 5 years later, with regular updates, her entire online persona is still paying dividends. Find out Stephanie's keys to branding yourself online.

Children from the YWCA
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How Volunteering Can Help Your Professional Development

In return for a very minimal time commitment, getting involved with volunteer organizations, like the YWCA, can allow you to grow new and marketable skills.

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Behind The Scenes: Interviewing CTV's Kelvin Redvers | Part Two

An avid watcher of HBO and AMC hit shows like Dexter, Game of Thrones and Mad Men, I often daydreamed about what it would be like to work in the film and television industry. Lucky for me, I was able to interview Kelvin Redvers, a young television producer at CTV. This is part 2 of a 2-part series.

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Behind The Scenes: Interviewing CTV’s Kelvin Redvers | Part One

Career stories are often fascinating, and Kelvin Redvers’ story is no exception. An SFU alumnus, Kelvin shares how he maneuvered his way into his dream job—Aboriginal filmmaker and television producer at CTV—a mere three months after he convocated. This is part 1 of a 2-part series.

Glenda during her lecture
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From Speech Impairment To Motivational Speaker

While sitting at the airport gate last July, waiting to board the plane to Portland and then onto San Jose where I was scheduled to deliver two presentations on web accessibility, I wondered, "How did I, an individual with a significant speech impairment and a physical disability, get here?"

Wes Regan standing outside of work
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Alumni Profile: Education Opportunities in Environment & Sustainability

SFU Faculty of Environment alumni Wes Regan graduated with a BA in Geography and two certificates in Urban Studies and Sustainable Community Development. Since then, he has become a successful contractor/consultant in Community Development and Urban Planning.

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Alumni Spotlight: Michael Beck on Making Change through Passion

Have you ever imagined starting your own organization? Michael Beck probably didn't either when he started his undergrad studies at SFU back in 2005. Six years later, he started a non-profit organization and just came back from an EU-sponsored tour in the UK.

Picture of Jessica beside a microscope
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Continuing Studies Graduate Wins NSERC Award

Jessica Humchitt, a graduate of SFU Continuing Studies' Aboriginal Pre-Health Program, was recently awarded the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Award for her work.

Chris Stewart
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Mechatronics Co-op Alumni Profile: Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart is a junior engineer at Brock Solutions. He works in the development of control systems for airport baggage handling systems and has been working with Brock since November 2011. 

Cecilia
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Being a Career Peer: A Well Made Decision

I learned so much from this experience: Technical skills on how to improve a resume, how to deconstruct a job posting, how to prepare for an interview, and soft- skills such as being able to communicate better, prioritize engagements and actively listen.

Portrait of Chris Lo
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Alumni Profile: Chris Lo on being a Career Peer Educator

Oftentimes, students see volunteering and the classroom as two separate things. However, with the right planning, volunteer work can in fact enhance what you learn at university. Take Chris Lo, an SFU alumnus, as an example of someone whose volunteer experiences have been a great addition to his education.

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Alumni Profile: Shawna Lum on being a Peer Health Educator

Time and time again, we’ve told you how volunteer work can help you develop work-related skills. One thing that’s not always highlighted, however, is how volunteering can be an empowering experience, especially when you’re working on something that you’re passionate about.

Travis
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Words from Within: A Conversation with SFU Alumnus

"I wanted to give students practical tips on 2 different things. How being SFU alumni can help you secure a job. How staying involved with the SFU Alumni Association is a mutually beneficial relationship." - Travis Wong, BBA '09

Image of Yat with other students at SFU
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Leaving an Imprint

During the past five years at SFU, Yat has been asked multiple times: what do you want to become after you graduate? Every time, he would hesitate before answering. He didn’t have an exact position he wanted to be in, nor did he know whether he would have the skills for whatever that ended up being. Hence, his typical answer: “I don’t know.” To many, uncertainty is uncomfortable. Read more to learn how Yat overcame uncertainty, and left an imprint. 

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Dreams Come True

What if you could score your dream job? Through a lot of hard work, dedication, and determination, Canucks.com writer Derek Jory did just that when he landed himself with the career he had dreamed of since he was a little boy.

an ice hockey game with the view of the rink
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From Intern to Web Coordinator

Do you worry about making the transition from a student to a full-time employee? Well stop fretting and read on to find out how SFU alumnus Karen Sum transitioned from a Canucks intern to a full-time Canucks.com website coordinator.

glass and plate shattering from being dropped
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Make Excellent Mistakes

What is your fear? Is it fear of… Heights? Taking risks? Making mistakes? Something else? Answers will vary but one of Yat's biggest fears is making mistakes. However, despite this fear of mistakes, throughout several Co-op work terms over the last couple of years, he has had his share of experiences making them. Read more to learn about Yat's mistakes, and how to learn from yours. 

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