Claim OwnershipThe Trinity Western University Alumni Spotlight
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© 2023 The Trinity Western University Alumni Spotlight
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One of the best things about being a graduate of Trinity Western University is knowing that you are part of a network of thousands of people who are living out the mission of Canada's premier global Christian University and who are making a significant difference in their communities. The TWU Alumni Spotlight Podcast was created to highlight some of these alumni through weekly interviews and roundtable discussions. Whether it's their personal stories, their professional insights, or advice to new grads, TWU alumni have a lot to say! Join your podcast host Jonathan Fehr (’09), young adult author and TWU’s Director of Digital Communications and Alumni Engagement, and hear the stories of some of our incredible alumni!
27 Episodes
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Jerrilyn (Jonathan, ’96) and Mark Jurgeneit (’96) met and married while students at TWU. After graduation, they travelled to Africa together to serve as missionaries there and then in several other countries throughout their early life. But after working with the Indigenous people in the South Pacific for a few years, they felt God calling them back to Canada to serve in Muskoka, Ontario. Now they serve indigenous families and run a Discipleship Training School with YWAM.
After graduating from TWU, Sandee began her career as an educator in the private school world, then transitioned into homeschooling, where she's been for the past 14 yrs. Sandee has always found a lot of joy in writing, and has most recently published a Mother Daughter devotional on Psalm 119. Listen in as we discuss her career journey, the process of writing this devotional, and the things she’s learned through the experience.
William Sikkema ('14) graduated with an honours degree in Chemistry and went on to take his PhD at Rice University. In his time there, he worked with graphene-based biological interfaces and developed a material that was capable of restoring electrical activity to a severed spinal cord within 24 hours, bringing back 90% functionality within 2 weeks. William is passionate about his field and finds that one of the most incredible aspects of his study is the way it has provided him a unique window into the complexity, wonder, and beauty of God’s creation.
Brian Kerr (’00, 10) has worked at Trinity for 19 years in a variety of roles, but recently has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Enrollment, Personal and Professional Development. In this role, Brian now has the responsibility to oversee a new division that combines the offices of Enrolment, Parent Engagement, Alumni, Personal and Professional Development. Listen as Brian shares about his experiences at TWU and the new vision for the future of TWU Alumni relations.
Cliff Cline ('92) is the Pastor of Worship and Communications at Hope Bible Church in Oakville Ontario. After graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in Music, he performed with a singing group called Heart Mind and Soul for about seven years. He eventually transitioned to working in finance, then did a lot of solo music on the side. Now as a Pastor of Worship, Cliff tries to use his gift to bring about holistic worship in his congregation and to make the experience of worship about more than just the music.
When Jennifer Babcock (Dagg, ’10) was a student at TWU studying Communications, she wasn’t exactly sure where she would end up. But after going to the LLC in Ottawa, she became very interested in finding work in the political world. After graduation, she worked in strategic planning, marketing, development, government and media relations, and event management. Today, she is the Director of Public Affairs for the Canola Council of Canada and continues to use the things she learned as a student at TWU and the LLC to make a difference in her field.
Alpha Bugembe grew up in an orphanage in war-torn Uganda, where his mother worked and cared for children. She taught him many lessons, like the value of every human life and the need for communities to care for one another. When Alpha was sponsored by a Canadian family at the age of twelve and moved to Surrey, BC, Canada, he determined to treasure these concepts and apply the principles he leaned in this new country. At nineteen, Alpha used what little money he had to connect with people in his community. He rented a gym once a week, bought as much pizza and snacks as he could, and invited youth to come hear him speak. Today, he is the founder of Help Change My City, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the least, the lost, and the lonely. Alpha has dedicated his life to giving back to others and to making a difference wherever he goes. More than anything, he wants to encourage people to get involved. Through the simple act of loving others, Alpha believes broken lives can be saved.
Jacqueline Bay (Christoff, '17) is a lifelong learner. She first attended TWU in 1983 but did not finish her BA until 2017. Today, she is enrolled in the Masters of Leadership program. As a current student, the mother of two TWU graduates, and an Alumni Ambassador for the Langley Chapter, Jacqueline has been heavily involved with the TWU community. Time after time, she has given back to others and served her community with faithful generosity. But when her husband Kevin was hit with two unexpected strokes, everything in their lives changed. For the first time in her life, Jacqueline was unable to do as much as she had been doing, and it was her turn to receive support and care from others. In this interview, we discuss the difficulty they have faced in this past season and how the community has gathered to support them.
Maria Hansen-Quine (’97) and her husband Sam (recipients of the 2016 Calvin and Muriel Hanson Raw Edge of Faith Award) are passionate about children and issues they face. As a school counsellor, mother of 10 (8 through adoption, 2 biological), and more recently a children’s author, Maria has dedicated her life to helping children and supporting their growth and development. In this episode, we spend some time discussing her passion and the topics of adoption, their son's battle with cancer, and the way she hopes her books can help children understand issues of racial diversity and inclusion.
Michael Sprenger (‘87) is a “Missionary to Missionaries.” Having spent the last 21 years doing missions work in Asia, he has a lot of experience with the highs and lows that missionaries face. Stationed in Thailand, Michael supports missionary families across eight different countries. But because of COVID, he hasn’t been able to see his wife for nearly half the year, and was forced to miss his daughter’s wedding. In this episode, we discuss finding hope in the midst of discouragement, and what life is like as a missionary far from home.
Carissa Youssef (Brey, '02, '19) is driven by a desire to be a part of God’s Kingdom work in transforming ordinary things into holy things and by seeing people “thrive” in the fullness of life through Christ. After discovering Food for the Hungry Canada and learning of their mandate to restore dignity and end poverty among the world’s most vulnerable, Carissa eagerly joined the team in 2008. She has held various roles during her time with Food for the Hungry ranging from Director of Communications to Donors Services. Now serving as VP of Philanthropy and Public Engagement, Carissa is thrilled to focus on connecting Canadians who aspire to invest into Kingdom work with their vital mission of eradicating poverty – one community at a time.Although she is enthusiastic about obtaining Canadian citizenship several years ago, you can’t miss Carissa’s American roots. After all, she’s a Green Bay Packer-loving cheese head from Wisconsin. Carissa and her husband Bob have been married 14 years and adore their two incredible daughters Alexandria, 10, and Abigail, 8.
Owen Ingraham is the Chief Technology Officer and cofounder of Intiveo, a unique patient communication software company that works with dental offices in North America, founded in 2010 with TWU alumni brothers Joshua and Nathan Devries. In 2019, Owen’s hard work was recognized when he received the CTO of the Year Award from Business in Vancouver. Join us for a discussion on Owen’s journey from a student at TWU to a leader in the Vancouver tech industry, and hear some of his insights on the moral and ethical implications of technology in our ever changing world.
Alumnus Ken Shigematsu, pastor of Tenth Church in Vancouver and author of “God in My Everything” and “The Survival Guide for the Soul” shares what he has learned about mindfulness and meditation in this episode, as well as the story of how he went from being a 7-11 man (someone who works from 7 AM to 11 PM every day) for Sony in Tokyo, Japan, to following the call of God to grow a small church in Vancouver.
Mowa Adeleye (’20), who focused mostly on sprinting in high school, first started triple jump and hurdles after being recruited by the Spartans. During her time at TWU, Mowa not only grew in her sport and won some medals, but she also grew in her faith and discovered more of who God was calling her to be. Now that she has graduated, she is pursuing a career as a doctor, hoping to use what she has learned to serve the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our world.
Barry Ratzliff (’91) knew he wanted to be a teacher, but he never expected this would lead him to spend almost 30 years living and working oversees. After graduation in 1991, Barry was offered an opportunity to teach in Japan. Though he planned to only stay for two years, he fell in love with the country and decided to make the island of Hokkaido his home. Since arriving in the country, he’s mainly worked in the field of education, at Hokkaido International School in Sapporo, where he eventually served as the Head of School.
As a teen, Vito Poletto (’18) poured himself into soccer as a way to cope with the tragic loss of his sister. He became quite good, and when he was 18, he moved to Germany where he played professionally. But after some serious injuries, he decided to move back to Canada and explore higher education. That’s when he discovered TWU and fell in love with the campus. Though he wasn’t a Christian at the time, something about the place drew him in. What happened during his time at the University changed his life forever.
This week, we hear the story of Jacqueline Youm (’08), a language instructor, a lawyer, and an actor. Hear her story of attending an international boarding school, attending TWU as a Catholic, growing in her faith and career, surviving a terrible flesh eating disease, and discussing her perspective on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Tim Stephenson (’87) is a beloved astronomy teacher and has been teaching in the Langley School District for the last 27 years. Tim has worked hard to make a difference in the lives of children, and was honoured in 2018 when he became a recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence after his students nominated him. Hear his story and learn a bit more about the passion behind this man who hopes to make things like astronomy and stewarding the Earth more understandable to children.
This week, our guest is Janice Nikkel (Johnston, '92, '08), Director of the Parent and Family Network at Trinity Western. For the past 7 years, Janice has been working with families at TWU and helping them stay connected with what's going on at our campus. As a double-alum herself, and also a parent of TWU students, Janice has had a lot of experience with TWU over the years and brings a great perspective on what it means to be part of this incredible community.
Jonny Somers-Harris (voice of the Spartans) is the co-founder of Three Dads Innovations, a company the aims to bring families together by harnessing social technologies and through building meaningful communities. In this episode, Jonny shares his thoughts on the power of community building and about a fundraiser he ran with Young Families of Metro Vancouver with the goal of helping families in need during the COVID-19 pandemic . (Intro music “Soft Inspiration” by scottholmesmusic.com)
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