The Trinity Western University Alumni Spotlight
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!
Episodes
27 episodes
3.7 Jerrilyn (Jonathan, ’96) and Mark Jurgeneit (’96): Missionaries in Muskoka
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 aft...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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55:55
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3.6 Sandee Macgregor (Mudge, '95): Author, Teacher, Mom.
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 recen...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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33:40
3.5 William Sikkema ('14): Discovering Wonder in Science
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 el...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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31:36
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3.4 Brian Kerr ('00, '10): A New Vision for TWU Alumni
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...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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43:02
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3.3 Cliff Cline ('92): Holistic Worship, More Than Just Music
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 ...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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39:13
3.2 Jennifer Babcock (Dagg, '10): Public Affairs and Politics
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 gradu...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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27:05
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3.1 Alpha Bugembe: Hope to The Lost, Least, and Lonely
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 spons...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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38:49
2.11 Jacqueline Bay (Christoff, '17): Lifelong Learner Strengthened by Community During Husband's Stroke
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 T...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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1:00:49
2.10 Maria Hansen-Quine (’97): Beauty in a Diverse World
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), ...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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42:30
2.9 Michael Sprenger (‘87): Finding Hope in Times of Discouragement
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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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45:06
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2.8 Carissa Youssef (Brey, '02, '19): Eradicating Poverty – One Community at a Time
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 th...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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46:12
2.7 Owen Ingraham: Moral and Ethical Implications of Technology
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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42:00
2.6 Ken Shigematsu: Mindfulness and Meditation in Uncertain Times
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 w...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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38:45
2.5 Mowa Adeleye (’20): Spartan Athlete, Future Doctor
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 h...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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35:28
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2.4 Barry Ratzliff ('91): Life as a Teacher in Japan
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...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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49:03
2.3 Vitaliano Poletto (’18) : Soccer Player Encountered God at TWU
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 deci...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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31:40
2.2 Jacqueline Youm (’08): The Power of Language and Communication
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 terrib...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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38:42
2.1 Tim Stephenson (’87): Education, Astronomy, and Stewarding The Environment
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 recipie...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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46:21
1.9 Janice Nikkel (Johnston, '92, '08): The Parent and Family Network
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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32:10
1.8 Jonny Somers-Harris ('13): Helping Young Families in Trying Times
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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45:25
1.7 Victoria Woelders (O’Connor, ’00): Education, Empathy, and the World of Podcasting
From the time she was quite small, Victoria Woelders (O’Connor, ’00) was encouraged to be creative. Some of her earliest memories are of her and her twin sister cuddled in bed while their mother told them stories that she created for them on th...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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33:12
1.6 Nels Hawkinson (’80): The World of International University Sports
Today’s guest is Nels Hawkinson (’80), the CEO of Basketball Travellers, Inc, a company he co-founded over 34 years ago. The focus of this company has been organizing NCAA games around the world, as well as the World University Games. Because o...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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45:40
1.5 AlumNights: Real Estate Panel
2020 has been a complicated year, but that doesn’t have to mean your plans to buy or sell a house are over. For this AlumNights event, which took place over Zoom on July 23rd, 2020, we discussed the state of the Canadian real estate market.&nbs...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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49:04
1.4 Danielle Funston ('05): Business and Entrepreneurship
Danielle Funston ('05) was named one of Puget Sound Business Journal's 40 under 40 honorees in 2019. In this episode, she shares her journey at Trinity Western and her experience as an accomplished senior technology executive and entrepreneur.&...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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20:46
1.3 John Voth ('10): Comedy During Crisis
What role, if any, does comedy have during times of crisis? John Voth ('10), a graduate of the theater program at TWU, answers this question and others as he shares about his experiences as an actor, director, and improv comedian in Vancouver, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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35:10
