What's New with VIU's Alumni?

Alumni Social Event in Calgary

All VIU alumni in Calgary and the surrounding area are invited to the kick off event to celebrate the non-stop air service between Nanaimo and Calgary. This is an excellent networking opportunity for alumni. Community leaders from a wide variety of organizations and businesses will be attending, including VIU Alumni Association President Jacqualine Johnson. The reception is on Monday, June 24th, 2013 at the Delta Bow Valley Hotel, 209 4th Avenue S.E. from 5 pm to 7 pm. Please RSVP as soon as possible to Jenn.Houtby@tourismnanaimo.com or call 250-824-0155.

Calgary Alumni Networking Opportunity June 24 2013

Chief Douglas White III Receives VIU's Distinguished Alumni Award

On June 3rd, 2013 at Vancouver Island University's convocation ceremony, member and Chief of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, Douglas White III, received VIU's Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes the outstanding accomplishment of an alumnus who has earned provincial or national prominence as a result of their exceptional professional achievements and/or service to society. Chief Douglas White III

White is being recognized for the exceptional leadership role he's taken on First Nations issues both in his community and at provincial and national levels. It's a role he takes very seriously thanks to lessons he learned from his family as a young boy.

VIU Alumni Association is very pleased to have Chief Douglas White III as the Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. To read the full article published by VIU Communications, please visit Esteemed First Nations Leader to Receive VIU's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Alumni Accept Positions with VIU

Congratulations to VIU alumnus Carl Butterworth and alumna Danielle Alphonse for accepting positions at the University. Carl accepted the position of Manager, Learning Technologies - Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning. Danielle accepted the position as B.C.'s Regional Innovation Chair in Aboriginal Early Childhood Development. You can read Danielle's story at VIU News.

Have you accepted a new position or been promoted? Let us know so we can share your success stories in the Class Notes section of our alumni magazine - Journey. Please send your news to janina.stajic@viu.ca.

Class Notes

We're hard at work putting together the next issue of Journey, our alumni magazine. Now we need your help with our Class Notes section, where we include short updates and photos on what our alumni are up to. Did you start a new job, get married, have an adventure, expand your family? If so let us know and we'll include your update in the magazine.

GrandKids University

On July 3 & 4, 2013, VIU is holding its GrandKids University! This is a great event for our more mature alum who have grandchildren in the area. This is an exciting and fun program for you and your grandchildren to participate in. GrandKids University is for children 7 to 13 years of age. Over the course of two days, they will earn a "degree" in one of the majors. For further details on the program, visit GrandKids University.

Alumni Connect Campaign

Grad Stock Image The VIU Alumni Association is doing a iPad little spring cleaning and needs your help cleaning its alumni database. We're reaching out to all alumni to make sure your alumni profile is up-to-date and to also make sure we know how you want to connect with us. Updating is easy, just visit the Connect Campaign to update your alumni profile by June 30th and you'll be entered in a draw to win great prizes, including an iPad 4!

Don't forget, for every alum who lists you as the 'referred by an alum' when updating, you will be entered into the draw again! So pass the word around and get your fellow alum to update.

VIU Foundation Charity Golf Classic

The VIU Foundation's Charity Golf Classic will take place on Wednesday, June 19th, 2013 at Fairwinds Golf Course. Fairwinds Bridge Event information and online registration is now available. This is a fun event for alumni to participate in. More than $50,000 in prizes up for grabs and participants also get to enjoy lunch and dinner, 18 holes of golf and use of a golf cart. The Charity Golf Classic event raises funds to improve spaces for learning, provide leading edge technologies and increase awards, bursaries and scholarships for VIU students. Please visit the VIU Foundation Charity Golf Classic website for more information.

VIU Welcomes New Advancement Manager

Braving a prairie snowstorm to get here, Jason Coates joined the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office in late March as our new Advancement Manager of Major Gifts and Legacies. As a member of the team, he'll be working with the VIU community to build a broad base of support for priority projects and students.

With a strong background in educational advancement, Jason brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to VIU. He's a former Alberta private school headmaster, and, most recently, served as a major gift development officer at the University of Manitoba. He's keen to get to know the VIU community and help build its exciting future.

An active community volunteer, Jason sits on several boards and volunteers as a youth soccer coach. He's an avid paddler and is eager to explore the Nanaimo area. "I'm excited to be at VIU at such an exciting time in its development and I'm looking forward to getting involved in the local community," reports Jason.

Journey Magazine Now Available Online

For those of you who prefer to view Journey online, the Spring 2013 issue is now available. This issue is focused on the eclectic mix of career and life paths our alumni have taken. There are stories on a Paralympic athlete, a successful computer app creator, and an alumna who's devoted her life to researching birds of prey. If you did not receive your Journey magazine in the mail and would like to, please update your address at Get Connected.

VIU Alumni T-Shirts Now Available

VIU Alumni L-R: Brent Senini (owner of Senini Graphics), Neil Spiers, Sarita Meilke (logo designer), and Terence Fitzgerald (Alumni Association Board Member) model VIU's newest alumni merchandise which is now available for sale! You can now show your pride in your VIU accomplishments by wearing our new alumni t-shirts. Alumna Sarita Mielke designed the logos and alumnus Brent Senini, owner of Senini Graphics, printed the t-shirts.

The Alumni Association has two styles available - traditional block and script. Sizes range from men's and women's small to xxl and are $20 each, including tax and shipping. T-shirts can be ordered through the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office. Contact Kamala Paton to order yours today. Shipping or pick-up at the office is available.

Fairwinds Golf Club Announces New Program in Support of Students

Fairwinds Golf Club, an established VIU donor, is proud to announce a new program supporting VIU students. All VIU employees and alumni are now eligible to receive a $10 discount off any green free at Fairwinds Golf Club. Fairwinds will also contribute $10 from every green fee purchased by VIU employees and alumni to the "Adopt at Student Fund" for student awards, scholarships and bursaries. One guest of VIU employees and alumni will also be eligible to receive the $10 discount. Employees and alumni must present their staff or alumni privilege cards at the Pro Shop in order to receive the discount. For golf information and reservations please call the Pro Shop at 250.468.7666. For information on this great program please contact David Forrester, 250.740.6214.

Alumnus presents $50,000 donation to Shq'apthut, A Gathering Place

calder_donation_gathering_place VIU Alumnus Graham Calder of Great-West Life and its subsidiary company London Life presents VIU's Chancellor Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, and Director of Aboringial Education Sharon Hobenshield, with a $50,000 donation to the second phase of the Shq’apthut, A Gathering Place. The first phase of the new Aboriginal cultural and community centre recently opened on the Nanaimo campus and donations are still being sought for the second phase of the project.

Updated June 18, 2013