60 Stories for 60 Years

“The most fulfilling aspect of my career and personal life is experiencing God’s love and wisdom through his Son, Jesus Christ," said KyongJung Kim, a Mennonite pastor who serves at two churches and also works as a school bus driver for students with disabilities in the Waterloo Region. His spiritual awakening occurred after meeting Anabaptist Christians in Winnipeg from 1994 to 1997. Since then, he has continued his journey with Jesus and has remained committed to his faith no matter where life takes him.

“Holding space to have difficult conversations can be incredibly difficult,” said Samantha Coelho, an Advocacy and Networking Specialist at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada. “But I think having these conversations can lead to more intimate and fulfilling relationships, allow us to build empathy, and remind us to have humility about the positions we hold.”  Supporting marginalized communities, working for justice, and exploring creative approaches to addressing world issues have become a regular part of Samantha’s life, but her introduction to advocacy, justice, and peacebuilding began a decade ago during her undergraduate degree at the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College where she studied Arts and Business with a major in Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS).

Lori Guenther Reesor has experience as an author, speaker, and fundraising coach. After a spiritually enlightening experience during a student co-op term in Egypt, Lori has explored what it means to be generous. She also has three years of pastoral experience, and is an active member of Hamilton Mennonite Church. Her book, Growing a Generous Church, is filled with stories of how people learned generosity. The Reesor family is well known in the Grebel community; Lori met her husband, Barry, at Grebel, and both their children, Emma and Peter, also lived at Grebel. Emma followed in her parents' footsteps and met her husband, Thomas, at Grebel. 

Ian Stokes-Rees is a partner at Boston Consulting Group and previously worked as an Engineering Manager at DecisionSoft, a Research Associate at Harvard Medical School, and a Computational Scientist and Product Manager at Anaconda Inc.. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Waterloo, and did his PhD in Computational Physics at the University of Oxford. Through living abroad in England, France, and Tokyo, Ian is an advocate for lifelong learning and is constantly striving to expand his cultural perspective and identity. He has recently taken up amateur radio and enjoys connecting with people around the world, but similarly continues to enjoy the peace and solitude of nature through hiking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing with his wife Emily, a fellow Grebel alum. 

Nadia L. Hohn is a creative writer, educator, and artivist promoting diversity within children’s literature. She is author of the children’s book "Malaika’s Costume" which was awarded the 2021 TD Grade One Book Giveaway. Nadia has presented across the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Trinidad, Jamaica, and United Arab Emirates. In 2024 and 2025, Nadia will release her tenth and eleventh books, Patty Dreams and Getting to Grandma’s House respectively.  When she’s not lost in a story or concocting a tasty vegetarian dish, she is likely spending time in music and the arts, visiting family or friends, or daydreaming about her next adventure. She lives in Toronto where she teaches at an elementary school and several post-secondary institutions.  

Wali Muhammad is a Learning and Developmental Specialist at POWER-tek and a DEI Trainer at DIVERSIO. He worked in Pakistan as a lecturer in psychology and a management consultant before receiving his Master of Peace and Conflict Studies degree at the University of Waterloo in 2014. Wali’s learning programs integrate the latest research and insights from extensive consulting across North America, the Middle East, South Asia, and China. He is fluent in four languages, has led over 200 strategy sessions, and volunteers with Community Justice Initiatives as a Sulah Mediator.

Jane Ramseyer Miller graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1985 with a BA in Psychology. After working in community organizing for several years, Jane’s part-time music work began to grow and soon she was conducting three choirs.  In 1995, Jane began conducting One Voice Mixed Chorus, a 125-voice LGBTQ+ chorus in Minnesota. She received her master's degree in Choral Conducting in 2011. Today, Jane works for GALA Choruses as Artistic Director. In her free time, she is an avid biker and pickleball player. This past summer she walked around Lake Superior as part of Aat Hn Indigenous-led Water (Nibi) Walk.

Patrick Quealey completed his BES (Hons. Coop), Peace and Conflict Studies minor with an International Studies option, at the University of Waterloo in 2002. Patrick went on to complete an MSc. in Environment and Economic Development at the London School of Economics in 2004. Patrick is currently the Deputy Director for Asia within the Bilateral Affairs Division at Natural Resources Canada and the Vice-President of his condo’s Board of Directors. Patrick is especially proud of his two boys Malcolm (14) and Kyran (13). Beyond parenting, Patrick’s biggest passion is travelling and has visited many countries across the world.

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Kristin Reimer graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1998 with a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies before attaining her Bachelor’s, Master's, and PhD in Education from the University of Ottawa. Today, she is married with a son, and uses her degrees to teach restorative justice, a movement she has been a part of since the ‘90s, at Monash University in Australia as a Senior Lecturer. Kristin is known in Grebel lore for her grand 10-year party where she hosted 500 people on her farm for a day of reunion and celebration.  

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Kaylee Perez is a passionate refugee advocate who holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies and has worked in the settlement sector since 2013. Add being raised in a Cuban-Colombian-Palestinian family in Canada, and you learn what has fueled her dedication to peace work both locally and abroad. Kaylee currently serves as the National Migration and Resettlement Operations Coordinator with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Candace Bustard graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2020 with a BA in Joint Honours Biology and Music with a Music Intensive Specialization and a minor in Medical Physiology. A musician at her core, she went on to pursue a Master’s in Music Composition from the University of Ottawa, studying with Dr. Kelly-Marie Murphy, and is currently in a Doctorate of Music, Composition program at the University of Toronto, working with Gary Kulesha. An accomplished musician, Candace won first place in Jâca’s Emerging Composer Competition with her piece, Melodies from my Mother. She recently received an honourable mention in the Grand Philharmonic Composer Competition for her poignant piece, It’s All Love. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Rudy and Beverly Neufeld met during their undergraduate studies at Grebel and married in the winter of 1968. Both enjoyed long, illustrious careers as teachers spanning over three decades before founding Neufeld Learning Systems - home to the Understanding Math software. For the last 20 years, the Neufelds have been traveling the world to grow and develop their business. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Kenny Hildebrand graduated from the Peace and Conflict Studies program at the University of Waterloo in 2015 and now lives in New York City. Since 2020, Kenny has worked as an Associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. In his free time, Kenny enjoys traveling, baking, comedy shows, trivia nights, golfing, board games, and spending time with his friends at his local dive bar.

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Greg Culp graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2006 with a degree in Fine Arts. He now lives in Burbank, California with his wife Andrea and three daughters. Since 2012, Greg has worked at Disney Animation Studios in Cinematography Lighting. In his free time, Greg enjoys plein-air digital painting and sketching, photography, and taking the family to Disneyland or to Malibu for a beach day. 

Brad is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. In his distinguished career as a lawyer spanning more than 25 years, he was part of the legal team that successfully defended a challenge to a First Nation’s tax laws under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, is a Partner for Maurice Law in Winnipeg, and is the first Indigenous lawyer to hold office as President of the Canadian Bar Association. Brad is also the Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group for United College at the University of Waterloo and was recently appointed King’s Counsel by the Province of Manitoba.

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Hannah Redekop lived at Grebel from 2007-2010 and graduated from the Global Studies and Spanish Language and Literature programs at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2011. In 2013, she started full-time accompaniment and human rights documentation work with Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Colombia. Hannah celebrated her 10th anniversary with CPT in 2023, working as a Communications Associate. She lives in Amman, Jordan with her partner Alaeddin Rahmeh. Together they founded Underground Amman, an arts and culture initiative that seeks to support and develop the hip hop and street art cultures in Amman through community-building events, activities, and jams, as well as a street art and graffiti walking tour. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Max lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario with his partner Amy and their two dogs. Since 2021, Max has worked as director of Pandora Press. He is also a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Social Accountability at NOSM University. Max is working on a trilogy of books on social critique including Postsecular History (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), Ontologies of Violence (Brill, 2023), and Critique of Conspiracism (Routledge, under contract). In his spare time, Max enjoys a good cup of coffee with an interesting book, walking his dogs in the forest, and getting out on the water during the sailboat racing season. 

Grebel's 60 Stories Project | Erin Brandenburg lived at Grebel in 1997 and graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2001 with a degree in Drama and Arts Management. She now works as a director and writer and lives in Toronto. Erin will be directing her first short film this summer on Pelee Island.