AlumniMagazine2023 : simplebooklet.com

2 AlgomaUniversityContents10 14ALGOMA ALUMNI MAGAZINE  2023 Living on Her Own TermsOn her journey from Nigeria to Canada, Adejisola Atiba, BBA Human Resources ’18, never lost her determination to live up to her parents’ dreams and make new opportunities for her own family.By Katherine LaidlawMike Cachagee: Of This PlaceMike Cachagee was an Indigenous leader, activist, and distinguished graduate of Algoma University. He passed away peacefully at the Sault Area Hospital on July 15, 2023, at the age of 83.By Naomi Buck03 Message from the Alumni Council Chair — Tee Komsa04 The Green Path How Brandon Dwyer found his calling ater graduation.05 Campus News from Sault Ste. Marie & Campus Temperature Reading06 Campus News from Brampton & Timmins A Local Guide to ... Where to ﬁnd a natural escape.07 Flashback A look at the pictures that tell Algoma University’s stories.08 Scaling Success Dan Hollingsworth’s impactful career trajectory.24 What’s New at Algoma Makwa Waakaa’igan is not only a centre of heritage but also a space of transformation.25 Letter from Alumni —MPP Ross Romano26 Alumni Cultural Picks Made it — A Cardinal Dream Brittany Sandie, BA Law & Sociology ’13, started her own decor business in June 2021.28 Alumni Awards Dr. Jenna Congdon & Meaghan Kent receive Alumni Achievement Award and the Distin-guished Alumni Award at the Spring Convocation.Brampton FeatureSault Ste. Marie Feature18The Drive to HelpSocial work and community development can be emotionally draining and hard to turn oﬀ. But for three Algoma graduates, the work is an opportunity to touch lives in meaningful ways.By Pat MordenTimmins FeatureDepartmentsSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 2SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 2 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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3 AlumniMagazine 2023Alumni Magazine 2023Algoma Alumni Magazine is published by the Department of Strategic Advancement and Alumni Affairs at Algoma University for the University’s Alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. The magazine is the University’s primary vehicle for providing information on the accomplishments of Alumni, faculty, and students, and on significant issues and developments within the University community. Alumni is used throughout as a gender-neutral term.DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC ADVANCEMENTColin WilsonDIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONSErin MorrisonCONTRIBUTING EDITORSNatalie Doherty, Brian Leahy, Erin Morrison, Ashley ValelaEDITORIAL CONSULTANTSAlex Dawson, Greg SalmelaART DIRECTOR & DESIGNERSabrina XiangDESIGN AGENCYAegis Design Inc.WRITERSNaomi Buck, Rob Csernyik, Ashley Valela, Katherine Laidlaw, Pat Morden, Megan ParlowePHOTOGRAPHERSDarren Calabrese, Nam Phi Dang, Emmanuel Dowuona, Emma-lee Hacker, Meaghan Kent, Nick Iwanyshyn, Carlos Osorio, Winged Whale MediaILLUSTR ATORKarima LacroixAlgoma University c/o Department of Strategic Advancement & Alumni Affairs 1520 Queen Street EastSault Ste. Marie, OntarioCanada P6A 2G4705 949 2301 ext. 4122 alumni@algomau.caPRINTED IN CANADA. COPYRIGHT ©2023 ALGOMA UNIVERSITYON THE COVERHello Algoma University Alumni! I am delighted to be serving my ﬁrst term as your Alumni Council Chair. Joining me this year, we welcomed eight new members, with representation across all three campus communities in Brampton, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.You may notice that this magazine has a diﬀer-ent look and feel — we did this on purpose! As a result, the magazine has been redesigned to spotlight your incredible achievements. We’ve included a feature for each campus community, as well as spotlights on professional and career accomplishments.Over the last year, not only have we been busy redesigning the magazine, but we’ve also hosted some amazing new events on campus and in the communities of Brampton, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. It’s been a pleasure to host you as Alumni and spend time together!In January, we sponsored the Strive Algoma Visionary Awards, recognizing the accomplish-ments of young professionals, and Shoot for the Cure, a breast cancer research fundraising bas-ketball game.Come February, we took the plunge into the St. Mary’s River, raising funds for local food banks at the Bon Soo Winter Carnival Polar Bear Dip + Algoma U Hunger Freeze. We also hosted the first Family Ski Day at Searchmont Resort, welcoming Alumni and their families for a day on the slopes.We held our ﬁrst Pub Night in down-town Toronto, welcoming Alumni to The Pint Public House in March, followed by our ﬁrst Gala in May, to help equity-deserving students in Brampton through the establishment of a scholarship.June came in with a swirl of events, as we welcomed over 1,000 grads to our Alumni Family. What a great few weeks joining grads at the Timmins Social, Awards Dinner, Anishinaabe Dinner, and Convocation!In August, we could be found at the Toronto FC Game followed by the Blue Jays Game in September.For the ﬁrst time this fall, we also held Convocation in Brampton, wel-coming another 900 new grads to the Alumni Family in October!It’s my absolute honour to hold this position as Alumni Council Chair, and I’m proud to celebrate all of the updates and accomplishments you’ll read as you ﬂip through the rest of the pages. I hope you enjoy this new design of the magazine and be sure to let us know what you think! Looking forward to seeing you all again soon!MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI COUNCIL CHAIR Staying trueto our rootsTee Komsa, BA English ’16Chair, Alumni CouncilAdejisola Atiba was elated to discover the opportunity to wear a dress that intricately captured the essence of her culture during the shoot. The stunning golden Aso-Oke dress, symbolic of Yoruba culture in the Western region of Nigeria, partic- ularly its regal aspects, radiated exquisite beauty under the warm hues of the sunset lighting.Photo by Carlos OsorioSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 3SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 3 2024-01-08 3:24 PM2024-01-08 3:24 PM

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4 AlgomaUniversityBrandon Dwyer, BBA ’20, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, didn’t always plan to pursue his MBA in Sustainability. But the former Algoma athlete credits the natural beauty surrounding him at the Sault Ste. Marie campus for inspiring him to take the green path he is on now.Right now you’re pursuing your MBA at the University of Maine. What moti-vates you?When I was at Algoma, it took me away from Toronto and that busy lifestyle where you don’t really take the time to stop and view what you have around you — nature and the environment. That’s what really drew me to the University of Maine. Inoticed that they had a stream for sus-tainability, and as we move towards this new world that we’re trying to build as a community globally, I feel like sustainabil-ity is a great place to learn.What would 10-year-old you think about current-day you?I think 10-year-old me would be pretty surprised that we let home and we moved all the way to Algoma for four years, and that I had a magniﬁcent experience and built great relationships and networks. Istill have lifelong friends that I can reach out to.What was your dream job as a kid?Being a professional athlete was my dream job as a kid. Whether it be basket-ball, soccer, or even hockey. But you kind of grow up and you’re like, “Okay, yeah, that is a dream job, for sure, but it might not pay the bills on time.”Is there a particular leader or mentor that you’ve learned from?My advisor, Prof. Pelham Matthews. I still can reach out to him today and ask, “What do you think about me doing this? How does this pathway sound to you?” He gives me feedback and he talks to me about it. If you could eat only one meal for a week, what would it be? I have to pick something that is versatile. I think a burger with a side of fries is ﬁne. But you got to make it homemade and I’d put everything on it — lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, relish — listen, if there are toppings, I’m not skimping out.WHERE ARE YOU AT?The Green PathCatch up with an Algoma Alumni and see where they’re at in their life now.“When I was at Algoma, it took me away from Toronto and that busy lifestyle where you don’t really take the time to stop and view what you have around you — nature and the environment.” —Brandon Dwyer, BBA ’20Photography by Nam Phi DangSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 4SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 4 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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5 AlumniMagazine 2023CAMPUS NEWSTEMPERATURE READINGWhat is something that you’d like to see in the city where you studied?11%Promote urban agriculture (e.g. community gardens)22%Increase the presence of green spaces and parks 33%Introduce public art installations33%Creating infrastructure by upgrading and repairing what already exists Having community gardens will lead to more involvement of staﬀ and students on campus. It will be a great step towards sustainability. Yug Modi, BBA ’24Public art strengthens cultural identity, invigorates conversation, and improves the aesthetic attractiveness of cities. It is a crucial component of urban planning and placemaking since it frequently represents the values, past, and aspirations of a community. Which would be perfect for downtown Brampton. Vihara Nidarshi Liyanage, BA CESD ’25I want to gain some ﬁeld experience by introducing mental health groups or hosting events with the help of the university, as I think only getting a degree is not up to the mark for today’s era.Navdeep Kaur, BA Psychology ’26Sault Ste. Marie Collaboration for Mental Health and Addiction ChallengesAlgoma University (AU) and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSMU) have forged a groundbreaking colla- boration agreement to jointly address mental health and ad- diction challenges in the region. The partnership aims to bridge the gap between health care and education, creating a multi- disciplinary approach that beneﬁts individuals and com- munities alike. Through this collaboration, Algoma and NOSM University are com- mitted to establishing a pres-ence that responds to commu- nity needs related to mental health and addiction through focused research, medical edu- cation and training programs, clinical experience, and health- based systems of prevention, treatment, and healing. AU and NOSMU intend to establish innovative and holistic pro-grams, research initiatives, and community outreach pro- jects that focus on improving mental health services, ad-dressing addiction issues, and providing comprehensive support to those in need, with a particular focus on the unique needs of Northern Ontario, Indigenous communities, and rural communities.Sault Ste. Marie Master’s ProgrammingNew master’s programs in Biology and Computer Science are now oﬀered at Algoma University. These programs seek to ﬁll the labour gaps in industries and provide students with specialized knowledge and skills that align with current and future job markets. With a commit-ment to excellence, Algoma University aims to oﬀer a diverse range of master’s pro-grams that empower students to become leaders in their respective ﬁelds, fostering in-novation and contributing to the growth of the community. From left to right: Mario Turco, Ross Romano, Dr. Sarita Verma, current NOSM University students and Algoma University Alumni, Dr. Asima Vezina, Mathew Shoemaker, Dr. Michele Piercey- Normore, Terry Sheehan.Illustration by Karima LacroixSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 5SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 5 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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6 AlgomaUniversityCAMPUS NEWS Brampton Education Part- nership for Student AdvancementThe Peel District School Board and the Duﬀerin-Peel Catholic District School Board have entered into a Memoran-dum of Understanding (MOU) with Algoma University’s Brampton campus to enhance educa-tional opportunities for students. The Learning Excellence and Advancement Project (LEAP) aims to provide a seamless transition for high school students into post-secondary education. LEAP seeks to bridge the gap Brampton Inaugural Gala and MOUAlgoma University’s Brampton campus celebrated its Inaugu-ral Gala, a momentous event that marked the campus’s es-tablishment and its commit- ment to higher education in the region. The gala served as a platform to highlight the cam- pus’s achievements, future aspi- rations, and its role in fostering academic excellence. During the event, an important Mem-orandum of Understanding (MOU) was announced, so-lidifying Algoma University’s partnership with local stake-holders, community leaders, and educational institutions. This MOU underscores the university’s dedication to collaboration, innovation, and community engagement, reﬂecting its mission to create positive impacts in the Brampton community and beyond. In Brampton, the University oﬀers an urban option for Algoma students, with a full suite of programs. The growing campus oﬀers state-of-the-art classrooms, and student support services both inside and outside the classroom.A LOCAL GUIDE TO...Where to ﬁnd a natural escapeTimmins: High FallsRecommended by Skyla Caron, BSW ’20High Falls is a place of peace. It is a place of tranquility. Whether you take a hike in the summer or winter, you won’t be disappointed. When you are hiking the trails or sitting on the rocks and watching the water rush by, you will feel closer to nature. It truly is a beauty in the North. High Falls is a breath of fresh air, yet it can also take your breath away. The Gala raised over $50,000 towards a newly established scholarship for equity-deserving students in Bramp-ton and the GTA.Three Algoma Alumni recommend their favourite local attraction that ﬁts a shared theme. This issue: where to walk, relax, and restore your spirit in nature, in Brampton, the Sault, and Timmins.between secondary and post-secondary education, oﬀering students enhanced pathways and support to achieve their academic and career goals. Students will spend part of their high school years on an Algoma University campus — so they’ll ﬁnish high school already knowing that a univer- sity campus is somewhere they can belong and thrive. By fostering collaboration between the school boards and Algoma University, LEAP aims to create an environment that empowers students to excel and succeed in their educational journey. Rashmi Swarup, Director of Educa-tion at Peel District School Board(left) with Dr. Asima Vezina, President and Vice-Chancellor, Algoma University (right).SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 6SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 6 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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7 AlumniMagazine 2023Timmins Strengthening Ties through MOUAlgoma University’s Timmins campus has embarked on a signiﬁcant collaboration with the Mattagami First Nation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), seek-ing to honour the cultural and historical signiﬁcance of the land while fostering educa-tional initiatives that promote Indigenous knowledge, tradi-tions, and perspectives. The partnership aims to create a space for cultural preservation, knowledge exchange, and com- munity development, envision- ing a range of programs that empower Indigenous commu- nities and promote sustainable development in the region. This collaboration has been solidiﬁed through the MOU, reﬂecting the shared commit- ment to collaborate on educa-tional, cultural, and commu-nity-oriented projects. The MOU outlines the framework for various initiatives, includ- ing the development of cultural programs, research projects, and community outreach ef- forts. By fostering a strong con- nection between the university and the Indigenous commu-nity, this MOU paves the way for mutual growth, respect, and the preservation of cultural heritage in the Timmins region.Sault Ste. Marie: Robertson’s CliﬀRecommended by Josh Pringle, BA Law & Justice ’07It is best to take the journey in the fall to see the true beauty of Algoma.Brampton: Gage ParkRecommended by Kanishika Nijhawan, BBA Marketing ’23Gage Park is the perfect place to visit year round in the heart of Brampton. Even though it is located downtown, it is tucked away from the busy streets and provides a quiet escape. Whether you visit in the sum-mer for a walk, or in the winter for skating, Gage Park is amazing across all seasons.A look at the pictures that tell Algoma University’s stories.The Thunderbirds Men’s Basketball Team won the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Provincial Silver Medal during the 2007/2008 season.Psychology students gathered for a group photo during the 1994 Thesis Conference.Bell bottom pants were a popular fash- ion choice for students and staﬀ at Algoma University College in the 1970s.Built in 1988, the Arthur A. Wishart Library continues to be a resource hub for students and the Algoma community.FLASHBACKCAMPUS NEWS Mattagami Land Camp parti- cipants starting off their day with a Morning Open- ing Circle with Elders, Mattagami FN band admin- istrative staff, AU staff and program coordinator and student mentors. Mattagami Land Camp participants taking part in the Personal Reflec-tions discussion with land camp support staff and student mentors.Photography byPaul Sayers Algoma University/Mattagami First Nation signing the MOU at the Mattagami First Nation. Mary Wabano-McKay, Dr. Asima Vezina, and Paul Sayers pictured with Mattagami First Nation Chief Chad Boissoneau.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 7SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 7 2024-01-05 6:36 PM2024-01-05 6:36 PM

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8 AlgomaUniversityCAREER LENS Dan Hollingsworth’s impactful career trajectoryBY ROB CSERNYIKPHOTOGRAPHY BY MEAGHAN KENTFor his career’s last chapter, Dan Hollingsworth, BA Economics ’90 wanted to make a leap.“I’d spent 20 years in public life working in a very rewarding role, but decided it was time to take all the skills I learned and apply them to what we coined a 40-year-old start-up,” he says.In 2020, he bid farewell to the world of economic development, and hello to putting his skills to work in a com-parably micro approach at Sault Ste. Marie business-to-business services ﬁrm N1 Solutions. N1 president Brad Gregorini asked Hollingsworth to join the company to help lay the ground-work for the business to expand.“I’m vice president, but really, they call me the chief strategy guy,” says Hollingsworth. “Good planning leads to good results, and it also provides a framework for account-ability.” His strengths in these areas, he adds, complements those of his business partners, supporting the company’s growth.In the past three years, N1 Solutions has established four new divisions — environmental, industrial sales, IT, and a consulting arm that Holling-sworth heads. (Norpro Security is also a company division.)“We do a lot of consulting directly to small companies providing guid-ance and support,” Hollingsworth says, which includes helping them navigate funding assistance and “the maze of ﬁnancial challenges that small businesses have.”Reﬂecting on his career, Holling-sworth sees how each new position he took on helped him get to his current role. Working with Sault Ste. Marie’s economic development corporation helped him expand his professional networks within the community and across Northern Ontario. His years at FedNor helped him gain skills in everything from policy development, building pro-grams, and working with communi-ties. Earlier non-proﬁt experiences taught Hollingsworth governance and how organizations work.“I wouldn’t be where I am today unless I had the diversity of the ex- periences I’ve had during my career,” he notes. Scaling Success“I’ve been really pleased that through our eﬀorts in the last couple years, we’ve been able to hire some great grads locally from Algoma. I think Algoma’s done a fantastic job of making sure that their students get exposure to the community.”SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 8SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 8 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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9 AlumniMagazine 2023CAREER LENS During Hollingsworth’s tenure at N1 Solutions, the company has grown by about 70 employees. He believes the biggest challenge to scaling a business like this is ﬁnding talent. “We’ve had to build a complete re-cruitment department within our organization to meet the challenges of ﬁnding people,” he says. The com-pany has even renamed its human resources department “talent and culture” as part of its focus on what today’s worker wants. N1 Solutions now oﬀers ﬂexible work schedules, has updated its oﬃce amenities, and creates a family-like culture through group events.“I’ve been really pleased that through our eﬀorts in the last couple years, we’ve been able to hire some great grads locally from Algoma,” he says. “I think Algoma’s done a fan- tastic job of making sure that their stu-dents get exposure to the community.”Hollingsworth knows this ﬁrst-hand as being an Algoma Alumni is a family aﬀair — his wife Susan, Psychology ’90, daughter Sarah, Ac-counting ’17, and son Graeme, Com-puter Science ’21 are also graduates.Working at N1 Solutions, no day is like any other, Hollingsworth says.On the day of our interview, which he does from his cottage kitchen about 20 minutes outside Sault Ste. Marie, he has a board meeting for an organization he says is “really dear to my heart.” Northern Ontario An-gels, whose board he has served on since 2021, connects angel investors to entrepreneurs in the region. Then there’s work to do on a potential proj-ect at one of N1’s divisions and a bid package to close oﬀ, as well as meet-ing with the IT team regarding a lon-ger-term client contract.“Hopefully later this aternoon I can get out of the oﬃce by four and head back to the cottage for a bit of relax time this evening,” he says.Though the pace of work at his “startup” can be admittedly “pretty intense,” Hollingsworth has the ﬂex-ibility to carve out leisure time when he needs it.“I’m at the age of my life where if I can’t have the work-life balance, then it takes a lot of the fun out of it,” he adds.Recently Hollingsworth met for dinner with some of his former Algoma classmates and retired pro-fessor Dr. Krishna Kadiyala. “The team that I graduated with, we stay in touch to this very day,” he says.When he thinks about his Algoma peers, Hollingsworth sees others who, like him, have become success-ful in their chosen ﬁelds: including law and entrepreneurship, or as ex-ecutives with Algoma Steel and in senior government roles.“I think Algoma’s had a great impact on its graduates in providing them to be well-equipped for a vari-ety of workplaces.” ON THE MOVELike many during COVID-19, Andy Haidar, BA Political Science/Law & Justice ’11 had to get creative when it came to staying active during the lockdowns. Haidar, a member of the 2007/2008 OCAA silver medal win-ning men’s basketball team, continued to play basketball ater graduation but needed a new activity when his sport was paused in 2020. So, he started suc-cessfully running ﬁve- and 10- kilome-tre races. That year, he competed in and won a 17-kilometre trail race at Stokely Creek, located just outside of Sault Ste. Marie. Haidar then set his sights on longer-distance races. In 2022, he ran and placed ﬁrst in a 34-kilometre trail race, held again at Stokely Creek. Earlier this year, he ran and won the 42-kilometre “Beaver Freezer.” Haidar said he never had a goal in mind for his running, he is just really competitive. However, when his success continued to rise, he set his sights on the Boston Marathon. In June 2023, he ran the inaugural Community Strong Boston Marathon Qualifier in the Algoma region. He completed the race in two hours and 53 minutes and qual-iﬁed for the world-famous marathon. Haidar credits his success to the Sault Ste. Marie running community that has motivated him to run daily amidst a busy career at Algoma Steel. Haidar, who is the proud parent of a four-year-old, also trains in boxing and basketball. Next up for this multi-talented athlete? The Boston Marathon in April.A Marathon of Motivation: From Basketball to BostonSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 9SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 9 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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10 AlgomaUniversityWhen Adejisola Atiba, BBA Human Resources ’18, became a mom, there was one piece of her father’s advice she wished she’d heeded: go to school. She was the ﬁth of 11 children, and her father doted on her. He urged her to pursue higher education. When, at 16, she ﬁnished high school, she dismissed his in-sight. She’d secured a job at a bank ater graduation; why would she pursue a degree? Years later, her son cradled in her arms, she’d been laid oﬀ. She was homeless, her father’s voice echoing in her head. Atiba looked around her. Her sister, too, had recently had a baby, and needed ﬁnancial support. At 28, she began to look for another job, and was delighted when she was oﬀered a job at another, more prominent bank in Ibadan, a city in Nigeria, where she’d grown up. Her excitement turned to anger when she learned the job she’d been hired for wasn’t a teller or a ﬁnancial plan-ner. It was to make tea for the bank’s other employees. Still, she didn’t have a choice. It was her only option. “Because I didn’t have any educational background, I really suﬀered,” she says. Years later, living in Canada and working as a community manager for RBC, Atiba laughs mirth- fully when recalling her winding journey. “I thought everybody in Canada was waiting for me. I thought, I’m going to be the best thing since sliced bread,” she says. “I was very disappointed.” That disappointment turned into persistence, and once Atiba had carved her own clear path, she grew determined to do the same for others. →Living on her own termsSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 10SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 10 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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12 AlgomaUniversityGrowing up in Ibadan as the daughter of a Nigerian prince, Atiba’s childhood was a comfortable one. In her early 20s, however, her father died. He’d been the provider of the family and her mother, a casual trad-er who sold her wares at the side of the street, didn’t make enough to help her children ﬁnancially. Ater Atiba ﬁnished high school, she followed her older sis-ter into banking and took a job at a small bank. She spent 10 years there, in roles ranging from customer service to data entry to operations management. Her salary was enough to cover her trip to work every day, but not much more. As she grew older, she grew keenly aware that she was barely scraping by. At 28, she had her ﬁrst son. Since she’d lost her job, she was moving from friend’s house to friend’s house, sleeping on their couches with her newborn. She knew the time had come to take the advice her dad had given her years ago, and enrolled in an accounting program at a local college. That diploma led to a job at a bigger bank, but the role paid a pittance. It did, however, mean she had access to a telephone. She called Citibank, asking if they had any roles available. They did, as it happened, and she was so excited to be hired that she never clar-iﬁed what her role would be. When she arrived for her ﬁrst day, she learned she’d be making tea for the staﬀ members actually running the bank. She was incensed. It was more money than she’d made before, but the task seemed beneath her. Didn’t they know she had experi-ence and education? Two months later, her savvy networking skills and aptitude for business landed her a coveted job as a teller. Her new role skyrocketed her into the middle class. She could aﬀord an apartment of her own. She could aﬀord to enrol her son in school. “My life began,” she said. She continued to move up the ranks, thrilled that she’d landed at an international bank. When it became clear she’d need a university degree to join the bank’s management, she enrolled in a banking and ﬁnance program.One evening, at home with her son, she heard shout-ing outside her apartment door. Before long, she heard gunshots. Her neighbours were screaming. She ﬂed to the far corner of her ﬂat, her toddler pressed to her chest. “I was praying to God that my son was not going to cry,” she says. The gunmen didn’t enter her home, but the expe-rience let her shaken and the nightmares lasted for years. She decided she couldn’t stay in a country as unstable as Nigeria and looked to Canada for security. She had no family or friends in the country, but it wouldn’t be the ﬁrst time she’d persevered. She moved to the suburbs outside Toronto and began to build a life in Canada on her own. She struggled to ﬁnd work in her new home. She lacked the network she’d relied on in Nigeria, and the banks she applied to weren’t interested in her degree or professional experience. She wanted to continue moving up in the banking industry, but needed to ﬁnd her footing again. She applied for a job as a teller, and even-tually secured a position at an RBC branch in Brampton. Just as it had in Nigeria, her lack of education was holding her back. “This time around, I knew it wasn’t about how many times I’d fall. It was about how many times I’m able to rise again,” she says. She sought a new goal to set her sights on. Looking around the bank, she noticed the one colleague who had the branch’s lone colour printer in his oﬃce. She walked up to him and asked, “what do you do? You seem pretty important here.” He was a ﬁnancial planner. She was curious about the role, but the certiﬁcation requirements didn’t recognize her degree, which meant she’d have to go back to school again. “I’m a strong woman. I know who I am and what I want. I knew tellering was not for me, and if doing this education was what it was going to take, why not?” By then, she had a full-time job, a husband running his own business, and two sons. She enrolled in night classes at Algoma University campus in downtown Brampton, sometimes bringing her sons to classes with her and riding the bus home with them late at night. Ater Atiba’s father (left), pictured with the then-newly-installed Soun (King) of Ogmomoso. Atiba and her late sister Adefolake at Kingsway Shopping Mall in Ibadan Oyo State. Atiba with her eldest son, Immanuel Oluwa-tofunmi Okoroafor in Nigeria. Atiba working as an account opening officer at Société Générale Bank Nigeria.“This time around, I knew it wasn’t about how many times I’d fall. It was about how many times I’m able to rise again.”SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 12SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 12 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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13 AlumniMagazine 2023four years, she graduated with a degree in business administration and human resources. She moved from her role as a teller to an account manager, then senior account manager, then ﬁnancial planner. Today, her role at RBC spans multiple branches. She’s a community manager, responsible for ensur-ing four branches have the human resources, coaching, and partners they need to give the bank’s clients the best advice they can. It’s perfect for her. “Banking is my profession, but community is my passion,” she says. It also leaves her time to build the community around her, oﬀering guidance to newly arrived immi-grants through a vast network of professionals who can help navigate where to live, how to apply for jobs, and provide emotional support when it’s needed. A close second to community is education, and four years ago Atiba decided to go back to school for the fourth time. At age 49, she completed her master’s in busi- ness administration from McMaster University. “I don’t want people to go through what I went through,” she says. “I know my father wanted better for me. My mother wanted better for me. I want to be that person who can say, if I can do it, then you can do it.” Today, Atiba is a whirlwind of volunteer endeavours. She founded the Council of Nigerian Professionals and the African Caribbean Council of Halton. When she moved to Milton and realized the city didn’t have any events for Black History Month, she started one. She recently joined the Rotary Club. She mentors young Nigerian entrepreneurs. When I ask if she ever sleeps, she laughs, but doesn’t say yes. Even her sons, now 16 and 25, volunteer with her. Her sons have honed their presentation skills during events, and her husband, who runs a small business, is the logistics guy. “My house is our storage for things for the organizations,” she says. “We work together, we play together.” When her eldest son, Immanuel Oluwatofunmi Okoroafor, BA Law & Justice and Political Science ’20, was ready to apply for university, she suggested a visit to Algoma’s Sault Ste. Marie campus. And while he received acceptances from other, bigger institutions, she sus-pected the tight-knit community and focus from profes-sors that Algoma oﬀered its students would be a better ﬁt for her bright, social butterﬂy of a son, who dreamed of studying law (Okoroafor is now in his second year of law studies at the University of Dundee). One summer, home from studying politics at the school, the pair enrolled in a course together. She was quick to assure her son she’d follow his lead. “You don’t need to introduce me as your mom,” she told him. “You just do you.” The professor suggested a round of introductions, and his eyes settled on Atiba’s son, who looked up with a smile. The ﬁrst thing he said? “This is my mom.” Atiba with her husband Tunde and sons Oreofe-Oluwa and Imma-nuel Oluwatofunm. Adejisola Atiba photographed near her Milton, Ontario home.“I don’t want people to go through what I went through. I know my father wanted better for me. My mother wanted better for me. I want to be that person who can say, if I can do it, then you can do it.” Atiba with the winners of the Council of Nigerian Professionals Black History Essay Contest. Atiba at an African Caribbean Council of Halton scholarship event.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 13SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 13 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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14 AlgomaUniversityMike Cachagee: Of This PlaceCachagee was an Indigenous leader, activist, and distinguished graduate of Algoma University. He passed away peacefully at the Sault Area Hospital on July 15, 2023, at the age of 83. For most people, going to university representsan exciting beginning. For Mike Cachagee, BA Political Science ’94, who enrolled at Algoma in1990 at the age of 51, it was certainly that. But itwas also a return to a dark chapter of his past.Thirty-eight years earlier, as a 13-year-old boy, Mike had walked up the same ﬂared staircase ofShingwauk Hall, through its Gothic portico and heavy oak doors, into what was, at the time, the Shingwauk Indian Residential School. While Mike was studying at Algoma, a smellwould sometimes trigger a cascade of memories. Once, when the drywall was being stripped oﬀ the walls of the student lounge, it was so powerfulthat he had to leave the building. But he persisted.by NAOMI BUCKillustration by KARIMA LACROIX Mike outside of Shingwauk Hall.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 14SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 14 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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16 AlgomaUniversityWhen he received his honours degree in political science in 1994, Mike became the ﬁrst Survivor of the Indian Residential School system to graduate from Algoma University. He would become a cherished member of the university’s community, working for several years as an Anishinaabe student advisor before being named a Distinguished Alumni in 2011 and an honorary member in 2017. Mike’s son Larry sees his father’s time at Algoma as a turning point. Until then, Mike’s adult life had been gov-erned by trauma and repressed pain, alcohol, and drugs. Ater it, he developed a new addiction: “to ﬁnding the truth,” as Larry put it; to healing and helping others to heal. The work went from the personal to the political. As for many Indigenous people in Canada, residen-tial schools impacted several generations of Mike’s family. When his maternal grandfather, a veteran of the First World War, succumbed to the lung damage caus- ed by mustard gas in the trenches, his daughters — includ-ing Mike’s mother Margaret — were removed from their mother’s care and sent to residential schools. Ater Mike’s father signed up to serve with the Canadian military in 1943, agents of Indian Aﬀairs came to Cha- pleau Cree First Nation and took away two of Margaret’s sons: Mike, age four, and his older brother Sonny. Inboth cases, the mothers were told they couldn’t manage their children on their own. As Mike would wryly remark in his later years: this was the thanks his people received for serving their country. Mike spent 12 years in the residential school sys- tem. He and Sonny attended St. John’s Residential School in the town of Chapleau for ﬁve years before being sent 450 km north to the resi-dential school on Moose Factory Island. For their teen- age years, they were sent to Shingwauk, where they were joined by their brothers Abby and James and their sister Marjorie.Ater leaving Shingwauk, Mike earned his certiﬁ- cation as an auto mechanic. He married and had his ﬁrst child — Larry’s older brother Dean — at 19. Five more children followed. The family lived in Sault Ste. Marie, where Mike worked for various car dealerships, at the local Canadian Tire, and ultimately opened his own garage, MC Motors. Mike was a sought-ater mechanic and beloved at the local stock car race tracks, where he made regular weekend appearances. “He had a sharp eye,” says John Villeneuve, a 92 year-old former racer from Sault Ste. Marie who gave up the sport in his 70s but still has fond memories of Mike. “He could point out anything that was going on. And there was something about him — every-body liked him.”But he wasn’t an easy father. Larry recalls his rest-lessness, his drinking, and his liberal use of the belt to discipline his children. Mike regularly moved the family to diﬀerent addresses around town; Larry attended a diﬀerent school every year until he was 12. When he was 14, his parents split up.Only with time did Larry come to understand his father’s “dysfunction” as a result of his own childhood: severed from his own parents, raised with discipline but without love, afraid to stay in one place for fear that he — or his children — would be taken away. Mike never discussed his residential school experience with his own children. “He tried to bury it,” says Larry. “He didn’t want to burden us. He didn’t want pity.” Photograph of Mike in the Shingwauk cemetery.“It was a bad system with some good people. The hardest thing I had to do, was I had to forgive, to become the person I am.”—Mike Cachagee Mike Cachagee at approximately 16or 17 years old, shortly after leaving Shingwaulk Resi- dential School. Junior students at the St. John’s Residential School in Chapleau, Ontario. SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 16SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 16 2024-01-05 6:36 PM2024-01-05 6:36 PM

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17 AlumniMagazine 2023In 1970, the federal government closed the Shingwauk Residential School and Algoma University College moved onto the site. In the years to follow, a group that included faculty members, chiefs and elders of local First Nations, and Shingwauk Alumni formed to honour the history of the school and support cross- cultural research and educational development. Called The Shingwauk Project, its ﬁrst initiative was to orga-nize a reunion for all former students of the Shingwauk Residential School, the ﬁrst gathering of its kind in North America.In the summer of 1981, some 150 graduates and their families came together at Shingwauk. Mike was one of them. In grainy video footage, he can be seen at the microphone, addressing his peers, seated in rows of chairs outside the school. “We had the best corn in Algoma,” he recalls with a mischievous grin, pointing to the ﬁeld where it had grown. “Because it was right on top of the sewage system. Our corn was six feet long, and 10 feet high.” Other former students shared their memories. “It was not political,” says Don Jackson, a Toronto-born professor of Political Science at Algoma and co-founder of The Shingwauk Project. “They just came together.” Don describes the event as deeply moving — and successful. Soon, there were requests for more. By the time of the next reunion, a decade later, the tone had shited. The former students were more willing to talk about their pain and trauma. Mike was no longer making jokes about overfertilized crops. When he addressed the crowd, Don recalls him saying that they were gathering to reclaim their spirits, which had been taken from them. Mike had undergone a change. At 41, with the help of a local sobriety program, he had stopped drinking. He was becoming an advocate for education and truth-telling. He began speaking publicly about his Residential School experience, reﬂecting on what the system had done to him. In interviews, podcasts, and recorded oral histories, he told his stories. Of his ﬁrst memory of the school at Chapleau: the ex- traordinary bright-ness of electric lights, the ﬁrst he had ever seen. Of the sound of children crying them- selves to sleep at night. Of chronic hunger and cold. Of the depravity of some staﬀ and the idealism of others. Of sexual abuse by some of the older boys, and the protection of- fered by others. Striking about his reﬂections is his fairness of judgement. “It was a bad system with some good people,” he told the Inside the Village podcast in 2022. “The hardest thing I had to do,” he said, about coming to terms with his past, “was I had to forgive.” He said he had to shed his hatred and anger “to become the person I am.”That person — who came into the public eye in the latter half of his life — was a community leader and a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights. It was voices like Mike’s that led to the widespread recognition that those who emerged from the Residential School system were not graduates but Survivors.Mike served as Chief of the community into which he was born — the Chapleau Cree First Nation — and co-founded the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, an advocacy and support group that grew out of the Shingwauk reunions. In 2003, the Association became a founding partner of the National Residential School Survivor Society (NRSSS), which represented the interests of Survivors in negotia- tions with the federal government over the Indian Residen-tial School Settlement Agreement. Mike served as NRSSS president and in this capacity, was present in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered an oﬃcial apology to Canada’s Indigenous peoples for its involve- ment in the residential school system. Mike had helped to drat the text. As he listened to the words resonate through the chamber, he thought of all the people — including some of his own brothers — who would never hear it. Whose lives had been destroyed by residential schools. Mike was determined not to be a victim. Don Jackson, who taught Mike at Algoma and later became a good friend, saw his talent in politics stemming from his psychological wisdom combined with a deep understanding of the inner work- ings of complex systems — from car motors to governments.If Canada’s program of assimilation was designed “to take the Indian out of the child”, as Prime Minister John A. Macdonald once said, it didn’t work on Mike Cachagee. He remained proud of his Cree heritage, spoke the lan-guage, and studied the history of his ancestors from both the coastal and inland Cree communities. He loved guitar- playing and hockey and was nowhere more happy than on the pontoon boat at his summer home in Chapleau. Larry believes that Mike felt closure by the end of his life. That he had done his part. “Be proud of who you are,” Larry can still hear his father saying. “And get educated.” Mike presenting DonJackson with a framed eagle feather. Mike celebrating his 80th birthday with family.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 17SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 17 2024-01-05 6:54 PM2024-01-05 6:54 PM

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20 AlgomaUniversityWh at moves some people to spend their lives helping others and advocating for the most vulnerable? For Hannah Watson, HB Social Work ’21, it was grief ater she lost her uncle Lloyd to suicide. Stephanie Rese, HB Social Work ’18, suﬀered four miscarriages before birthing Maia, a baby with Emanuel Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that led to severe disabilities. Jen Vachon, BA Com- munity Development ’17, spent a year studying and working in community development in rural Ghana. Thanks to programs oﬀered at the Timmins campus of Algoma University, each woman transformed her life-changing experiences into a rich career. Armed with knowledge, skills, and compassion, they now change lives every day.“Providing myself with kindness and recognizing that the empathy I’m feeling is part of being human. Even just planting my bare feet on the ground helps to centre me— just 10 minutes in apark!”—Hannah Watson Hannah Watson, HB Social Work ’21, taking her daily walk in the park.Photography by Darren CalabreseSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 20SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 20 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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21 AlumniMagazine 2023The Road to Algoma Watson was raised in the small mining town of Sussex, New Brunswick. When she was 15, she spent a week in Kenya. “The trip gave me an awareness that issues faced by people in other parts of the world were also being experienced by people in my own community.” When the mine in Sussex closed, her family moved to Timmins. Ater her uncle’s death, she dove into learning about suicide prevention and the stigma of mental health. She enrolled in the social service worker program at Northern College and then applied to the BSW program at Algoma. Rese had always planned a career in social work but married her high school sweetheart at the age of 17 and moved with him to Alberta. When Maia was born, Rese spiraled into depression. Desperate to ﬁnd other parents who had children like Maia, she started a sim-ple web page. Almost immediately she started get-ting phone calls and emails. Chromosome 22 Central (named for the chromosomal abnormality that causes Emanuel Syndrome and other conditions) is now a global organization headquartered in the United States. “We’ve supported thousands of families in more than 50 countries,” she said proudly. In 2021, ater 10 years of work, she published Raising the Goddess of Spring: A Guide for Parents Raising Children with Rare Chro-mosome Disorders.Along the way, Rese completed a degree in social development by distance from the University of Wa-terloo. When Maia was settled in a group home, she registered at Algoma. “Because I was doing so much in the world of genetics, I wanted to be taken seriously, to have letters behind my name,” said Rese. “And all my life I felt in my heart that I was a social worker.”Ater Vachon completed her ﬁrst degree in interna-tional development and economics at Trent University, she did a one-year internship supporting newcomers with the Timmins and District Multicultural Centre. At the same time, she started volunteering with the Anti-Hunger Coalition of Timmins and developed a passion for issues around food security. When her in-ternship was complete, she worked as a farmhand on an organic farm, as program coordinator for the Co-alition, and as a community development coordinator in the student nutrition program with the Red Cross. The Algoma program was an opportunity to delve deeper into her ﬁeld and ﬁll gaps in her knowledge. → Stephanie Rese, HB Social Work ’18, In Timmins, Ontario.Photography by Emma-lee HackerSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 21SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 21 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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22 AlgomaUniversityThe Algoma Experience All three women say the experience at Algoma was extraordinary. “I really loved the small class sizes,” says Watson. “My classmates grew to feel like family, especially ater we experienced COVID together.” She adds that academic success has helped her build conﬁdence. “The program really got me ﬁred up!” Rese was in her 40s when she announced to her husband that she was going back to school at Algoma. She grew up in Moosonee, one of the few people of settler background in a largely Indigenous community, so she appreciated Algoma’s Indigenous focus. “It was chal-lenging but it made me rethink my worldview,” she said. “I developed a lot of understanding and empathy about Indigenous issues.”Careers Informed by Empathy and Understanding Ater Algoma, Rese joined the Canadian Mental Health Association in Timmins. She worked in the crisis oﬃce, on a community treatment team, and for the past several years, in case management. Today her role includes day-to-day counselling and respond-ing to clients through the ‘drop-in call-in’ oﬃce. She recently completed certiﬁcation in cognitive behavioural therapy. As an advocate for her clients, she helps them apply for services such as housing and income sup- plements but wishes she could do more. “I work in a system that is structured to exclude some people and I see gaps every day.”Rese says her own challenges have made her a better social worker. “Raising Maia has given me a lot of empathy for other people,” she said. “Even before she was born I was suicidal because I kept miscarrying and didn’t know why. My husband and I wanted to have four children together and I couldn’t give them to him.” Rese also turned to alcohol at one point when she wasn’t coping well with Maia’s needs. Even today ater all she has achieved, she said she lives with anxiety and self-esteem issues. “I draw on all of that when I’m working with clients.”Watson also uses her own experiences to inform her work. She started her social work career with the Integrated Services Delivery Child and Youth Team, part of Horizon Health Network in New Brunswick. A short time later she moved to St. John Regional Hospital, where her primary role was in oncology. While in the position she lost an uncle and a close friend to cancer. “I use the legacy of those that I have loved and lost in my work,” she said. Watson now works with the St. John Uptown Health Centre, a community clinic that serves vulnerable people. “My main purpose is to instill autonomy and hope,” she said. “When I watch hope rekindled in someone’s eyes, that’s the most rewarding feeling.” Advocacy is also a major focus of her work. “Our clients are experiencing homelessness, addictions, grief and trauma, underemployment, and low income,” she said. “The unfortunate reality of our health care and mental health systems is that they are being ricocheted between multiple service providers with no clear case plan or goal.” Vachon became Executive Director of the Anti-Hunger Coalition in Timmins shortly ater graduating from Algoma and spent nearly ﬁve years building the organization. During her time, the Coalition implemented a new fundraiser, moved into a food hub space, and added new programs and staﬀ. “It was a really rewarding experience and a major learning opportu- nity,” she said. In 2022, her career took a let turn and she found a new way to touch and change lives. She and her spouse moved to Toronto, and she became Director of Programs at Fora: Network for Change. Fora works with women and others marginalized by their gender to give them the skills, tools, network, and mentor- ship they need to succeed as leaders. “This work is incred-ibly important,” said Vachon, “because people marginalized by their gender are oten let out of decision-making spaces — the very spaces that are impacting their lives.” “If you think you’re going to ﬁx the world, you can’t. But you certainly can make a diﬀerence in people’s day-to-day existence. It’s important to celebrate the small wins.”—Stephanie Rese Stephanie Rese, HB Social Work ’18 enjoying her coffee time.Photography by Emma-lee HackerSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 22SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 22 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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23 AlumniMagazine 2023Finding Balance “Work that is so challenging and impactful can be diﬃcult to leave behind at the end of the day,” said Vachon. “There’s always so much that needs to be done, and people who get into the ﬁeld care deeply about the issues at hand.” She has encountered mental health challenges and experienced burnout during her career. It helps, she says, that colleagues in the non-proﬁt sector are likely to be compassionate and understanding when personal issues arise. Watson achieves work-life balance by “providing myself with kindness and recognizing that the em- pathy I’m feeling is part of being human.” She counts on a personal support network, works with a therapist, and enjoys lots of family time. “Even just planting my bare feet on the ground helps to centre me — just 10 minutes in a park!” When Rese feels work and other commitments may overwhelm her, she counts on her three children and four dogs to ground her. At the same time, she admits that her main strategy is to keep moving ahead. “I always say to myself that I’ll have time to rest when I’m not here anymore!”Words of Wisdom Rese advises those thinking about a career in social work to be realistic about their goals. “If you think you’re going to ﬁx the world, you can’t. But you certainly can make a diﬀerence in people’s day-to-day existence. It’s important to celebrate the small wins.”Watson urges future social workers to “remind yourself why you chose to go into the ﬁeld and keep that as your motivation.” She adds, “Find the avenue that ﬁts your values, your interests and your passion, and pursue it.” For those heading into community de-velopment, Vachon recommends considering all the job opportunities, including those in government, and balancing passion for an issue with practical con-siderations around compensation. One thing is very clear — Rese, Vachon, and Watson embrace their helping roles wholeheartedly. Rese speaks for all of them when she says, “I wouldn’t change my career for anything — it’s a git, heart-breaking but incredibly rewarding.” “There’s always so much that needs to be done, and people who get into the ﬁeld care deeply about the issues at hand.”—Jen Vachon Jen Vachon, BA Community Development ’17, at St. Lawrence Market, Toronto.Photography by Nam Phi DangSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 23SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 23 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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24 AlgomaUniversityThe vision for Makwa Waakaa’igan is to be a beacon of cultural excellence with a vision to foster cross-cultural under-standing, teaching, learning, truth, and healing. As a testament to Algoma University’s commitment toinclusivity, this distinctive cen- tre will welcome individuals from various back- grounds worldwide to engage in the collec tive journey of shared knowledge. Founded on the life’s work of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association (CSAA), a community of Residential School Survivors and their descendants, Makwa Waakaa’igan is not only a centre of heritage but also a space of transformation.The name Makwa Waakaa’igan was given to this place of learning and healing through ceremony and in recognition of this very signi- ﬁcant work. In Anishinaabemowin, Makwa, the bear, is a carrier of medicine — a healer — and Waakaa’igan refers to its lodge or den. Algoma University will ensure that the signiﬁcance of this name will be reflected throughout the project’s functional design.At the heart of Makwa Waakaa’igan is the convergence of cultural preservation and edu-cation. Its purposeful design, imbued with the signiﬁcance of its Anishinaabemowin name, will resonate with the centre’s mission to serve as a sanctuary for growth. This exceptional facil-ity will not only showcase the CSAA’s tireless eﬀorts but will also become the new home for the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre (SRSC) archives and the Aboriginal Healing Foundation Collection.Breaking ground in spring of 2024, Makwa Waakaa’igan will stand as a space where diverse strands of knowledge intertwine: academic research, artistic expression, healing practices, and ceremonial rites. The approach is rooted in Algoma University’s commitment to respect and collaboration with Anishinaabe communities. Indigenous worldviews and teachings will be seamlessly woven into the fabric of the centre, creating a holistic environment where learning transcends boundaries. Emerging amidst the backdrop of a post-COVID world and a bur-geoning mental health and addiction pandemic, Makwa Waakaa’igan’s signiﬁcance is accentuated. Mary Wabano-McKay, Vice-President Nyaagaaniid, Anishi-naabe Initiatives, Equity and Student Success at Algoma Uni-versity and a visionary advocate for the centre, envisions Makwa Waakaa’igan as a haven for Indigenous peoples to share their stories of truth, embark on paths of healing, and take strides towards reconciliation. “The centre’s profound mission of celebrating cultures, tradi-tions, and ceremonies while nurturing diversity and inclusion is central to its purpose. The project’s scope is not conﬁned to the local community but extends to embrace the nation and the world. Makwa Waakaa’igan is a cultural centre that seeks to enlighten individuals about the history of Residential Schools and the rich Indigenous heritage of Canada, serving as a focal point for edu-cation and appreciation,” said Wabano-McKay.Algoma University looks forward to rising to the occasion, pio-neering a new chapter in fostering cultural exchange, education, and healing through Makwa Waakaa’igan. Makwa Waakaa’iganWHAT’S NEW AT ALGOMA 01 Exterior Aerial.02 Exterior Terrace.03 Makwa, the bear, is a carrier of medicine — a healer.04 The architectural drawing of the ground floor.05 Overlooking exhibit space and library entrance.All architectural rendering provided by Moriyama & Teshima Architects + Smoke Architecture.0102SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 24SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 24 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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25 AlumniMagazine 2023A LETTER FROM ALUMNIWhile entering my ﬁrst year at Algoma University, I had the opportunity to attend a Residential School Survivor reunion on the steps of Shingwauk Hall. It was on that day that I was told my ﬁrst Survivor story. That moment provided me with a perspec-tive that has had a lasting impact on my life in countless ways, most notably by allowing me to appreciate the impact that the residen- tial school system has had on Indigenous people. That perspective has cultivated in me a desire for change that led me to the oﬃce Ihold today. Our community has oten faced incredible challenges that many would have found insur-mountable, but our community has incredible strength, resolve and resilience and an ability to always come together, in the face of strug-gle to overcome every obstacle that stands in our way. For too long we struggled to provide our youth with strong economic opportunities. For many, this caused despair, which caused so many young people to leave our commu- nity in search of better opportunities to secure their future. Over the last several years, there has been a great deal of positive change in our com-munity. We are seeing a renewed growth in Sault Ste. Marie, both through public and private sector investments and as well as through an increase in, and a diversiﬁcation of, our population.For the ﬁrst time in decades, we are seeing a tremendous demand for workers in virtually all sectors. Where we once faced a challenge of people without jobs, we now struggle with a new phenomenon of jobs without people. Among our greatest challenges today, how-ever, is the opioid crisis. This has impacted us all to one degree or another. As we learn more about addictions, the importance of mental health, and the impact our mental health has on our physical health, we are beginning to turn the corner on reducing the stigma that historically existed around talking about how you feel. While the stigma continues to exist, more and more people are willing to talk about their mental health, and more people are seeking help. As we continue to learn and talk and seek assistance, our demand for new strategies, services and the infrastruc-ture needed to eﬀectively execute and deliv- er increases, and as a result, the nature of our services improves and expands. We are seeing the eﬀect of this right here in our community. Some examples of this are our new Community Resource Centre, Youth Wellness Drop-In Centre and our state-of-the-art Residential Withdrawal Management facil-ities for youths and adults. There is an incredible opportunity, through a recently announced research partnership between Algoma University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, to blend both western and Indigenous medicine. By utilizing the things we have learned and will continue to learn from past Canadian-Indigenous relations and the ﬁndings of the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, we can shape and cul-tivate new ways to combat the challenges we face in mental health and addictions. As an alumnus of Algoma University and a proud Saultite, I believe that our community has an opportunity to be the authors of the positive change we want to see in our commu-nity, our province and our country. I believe that any learner who walks up the front steps of Algoma University, as I did so many years ago, is fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and grow in a place that fosters strong relationships and partnerships with all of our communities. I believe that is the only way we will be able to get to a place that will have a meaningful impact for our community and all of those within it. Thank you for this opportunity.Ross Romano, BA Law & Justice ’01Proud Alumni of Algoma UniversityMPP for Sault Ste. MarieJourney of Reﬂection in Algoma University030405SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 25SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 25 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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26 AlgomaUniversityALUMNI CULTURAL PICKSVishakhaGraduate Certiﬁcate in Human Resource ManagementI have been par-ticipating in a lot ofcommunity gatherings and promoting local businesses.Post- exams, I have been devoting my time to social services, community events, and other social activities. These include: volunteering for a back-to-school campaign by KhalsaAid, various community celebrations such as the Greek Festival, the Japan Festival, Canada Day, Indian community events such as Garba and Ganesh Mahotsav, and events organized by the India- Canada Youth Association.Ronald William MarksBA Psychology ’16I’ve been painting a lot of artwork this summer including a cool mural downtown, Sault Ste. Marie. Mitch OliverioBBA HR ’20Ater purchasing our ﬁrst trailer in the late summer of last year, my ﬁancée and I remo- delled and reﬁtted it so we could stay in it and camp as much as possible on the week- ends. This has inspired me to live a minimalis-tic lifestyle, slowing down from the rush of life and enjoying the outdoors with the best company, as much as possible. My recommended campground is Crimson Lake in Rocky Mountain House, AB. The lake is a provincial campground that contains all the necessary amenities for campers, and even more in terms of entertainment. When we camp oﬀ-road, we enjoy parking at a mountain range called Abraham Lake. The model of our trailer is a 2006 Starcrat Travel Star (28 t.).Cottage trip to Prince Edward County was only meant to be a vacation for business owners Brittany Sandie and husband Emmanuel. It was a cardinal spotting while on route to the County that inspired a change of plans. For Sandie, cardinals are a symbol that she’s heading in the right direction. Already having an admi-ration for the entrepreneurial spirit of the area, the family considered the move.When they entered the Victorian farmhouse during a viewing, a large picture of a cardinal hung on the wall. By October 2022, they called that house their home.And that wasn’t all that changed. Sandie re- named the business she began in 2021 from Britt Decor to Cardinal Farmhouse.Ater nine years working in government and as an interior design consultant on the side, Sandie was inspired to pursue a home decor busi-ness ater the birth of her son, Quentin. “Ijust changed the focus from advocacy for others to advocating for my own dream,” she explains.Today, Cardinal Farmhouse is an expand-ing success thanks to Sandie’s eye for new and vintage decor products (from soaps and blan-kets to copper pieces), her inspired work ethic (she credits Algoma for developing her voice and moral compass), and a creative instinct that is part nature and part nurture (Sandie’s mother painted and father showed her how to reﬁnish furniture). This year, she added new Sandie-designed textile products to her busi-ness oﬀerings.She hopes that her story will inspire other entrepreneurs. “You don’t need to have it all ﬁgured out to start,” says Sandie. “You should focus on where you are now and what it takes to get to the next step.” With enough steps forward, you might just take ﬂight. cardinalfarmhouse.comPhotography by Emmanuel Dowuona A Cardinal DreamMADE IT Motivated to pursue her dream, Brittany Sandie, BA Law & Sociology ’13, started her own decor business in June 2021. Since then, the business continues to reach new heights, with sales doubling each year.“You don’t need to have it all ﬁgured out to start. You should focus on where you are now and what it takes to get to the next step.”—Brittany SandieKanwaljeet SidhuCertiﬁcate in Project Management ’23My favourite book is The Secret because it has changed my life in a great way. I enjoy late night pizza and I want to explore the beautiful coun-try of Canada. I love going to beaches. I take yoga classes to feel refreshed ater complet-ing my studies.Jessica Guthrie BA Psychology ’15I started a 52-hike challenge at the beginning of the year! My hikes are getting longer and more exciting as the year goes on. Irecently did a 13-kilometre one from our interior campsite to the top of Silver Peak in Killarney Provincial Park.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 26SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 26 2024-01-05 2:09 PM2024-01-05 2:09 PM

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28 AlgomaUniversityAlgoma University Alumni can receive exclusive savings on home and car insurance through our ocial insurance partner, belairdirect.Certain conditions, eligibility requirements, limitations and exclusions apply to all offers. Visit belairdirect.com for more details. Offers may change without notice. We offer car insurance and home insurance in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island and home insurance only in British Columbia. © 2023, Belair Insurance Company Inc. All rights reserved.ALUMNI AWARDS Alumni Achievement Award The Algoma University Alumni Achievement Award acknowledges the professional, civic, and personal accomplishments of an Algoma U Alumni who has graduated within the last 10 years.Recipients of this award will have successfully demonstrated achievement in their chosen eld, leadership abilities, and/or a commitment to their community through active involvement.Recipients of the Alumni Achievement Award have truly distinguished themselves since grad-uating from Algoma University, and have become a source of pride and inspiration to the Algoma University community.Dr. Jenna CongdonDr. Jenna Congdon, a celebrated psych- ology academic, graduated from Algoma University in 2013 with an Honours Bachelor of Science, Psychology (Cum Laude). She credits Algoma for propel-ling her to the University of Alberta where she studied songbird communication and desert ant navigation. Ater completing her Master’s of Science in Psychology in 2015, she earned her PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Comparative Cognition and Behaviour in 2019. Congdon focused her postdoctoral fellow-ship at York University and the Toronto Zoo, training artificial intelligence to monitor the welfare of orangutans.Now, Congdon is an Assistant Professor at Concordia University of Edmonton where she ignites the excitement of scientific discovery and psychology among her students. She has authored 26 publications.Congdon has earned a number of awards during her academic career. A few of these include the Algoma University Award of Excellence (Silver) for all four years, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship— Doctoral Program (2016–2019), and two internal grants from Concordia University of Edmonton to initiate her research collab-oration with the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Distinguished Alumni Award The Algoma University Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the accomplishments of an Algoma University Alumni who has reached a pin-nacle of personal and professional achievement in their chosen eld.Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award will have successfully demonstrated outstanding leadership in business and industry, community service, or public life. They bring distinction to Algoma University through endeavours which have been heralded within their profession or commu-nity, or even beyond it.Meaghan KentAward-winning photographer Meaghan Kent graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Art, History & English (Cum Laude) in 2011 from Algoma, and earned a Master of Arts in History from Western University in 2012. Using the vast skills from her education and her passion for art history, Kent is a successful self-taught photographer and owner of Meaghan Kent Photography Inc., one of the leading photography businesses in the Algoma region. This past year, Kent worked on her largest project to date for Algoma Country and Superior Country. She pho-tographed couples and families participat- ing in tourist activities along Lake Superior to highlight 2SLGBTQ+ communities in the North. Kent discussed with her sub-jects how the North can be made safer for 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and what pho-tographers in particular can do to promote safety. Kent is a mentor to regional photogra- phers and has given presentations on her work. She holds fundraisers, including one for the Sault Area Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where she has do- nated over $7,400 through photo initia-tives. Additionally, Kent is a proud sup-porter of the Canadian Armed Forces, and holds a free portrait opportunity for past and present military personnel and Veterans every Remembrance Day.Celebrating Exceptional AlumniThe accomplishments and achievements of Algoma University’s Alumni are recognized through two annual awards; the Alumni Achievement Award andthe Distinguished Alumni Award. These awards are given out at the Spring Convocation.algomau.ca/alumni/alumni-awardsSM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 28SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 28 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: Algoma Universityc/o Department of Strategic Advancement and Alumni Affairs 1520 Queen Street EastSault Ste. Marie, OntarioCanada P6A 2G4 Makwa Waakaa’igan will serve as a hub for promoting cross-cultural under- standing, education, the pursuit of knowledge, truth, and healing. Read the story on Page 24.Algoma University Tri-Campus Land AcknowledgementAlgoma University respectfully acknowledges that its three cam- puses are located on the inherent and treaty lands of First Nations and within traditional lands of Indigenous peoples. For thou- sands of years, Indigenous peo- ples inhabited and cared for this land, and continue to do so today.The Sault Ste. Marie campus is located in an area known as Baawaating on sacred lands set aside for education as envisioned by Chief Shingwauk for our child- ren and for those as yet unborn. Located in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory, this land is the traditional territory of the Anishinaabek, specifically the Garden River and Batchewana First Nations, as well as Métis People. Sault Ste. Marie is also home to several urban Indige-nous peoples. We also acknowledge that; The Brampton campus is part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. In particular we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabeg particularly the, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Ojibway/Chippewa peoples; the land that is home to the Métis; and most recently, the territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who are direct descen-dants of the Mississaugas of the Credit.We also acknowledge that; The Timmins campus is located on Treaty #9 territory, also known as the James Bay Treaty. It is the traditional territory of the Ojibwe/Chippewa, including the Mattagami First Nation, as well as the Mushkegowuk (Cree), Algonquin, and Métis Peoples.SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 4SM5756_AU Almni Magazine 2023_7.875x10.indd 4 2023-12-19 3:49 PM2023-12-19 3:49 PM

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