Dr. Richard and Linda Jussaume, seen here at the St. Paul's golf tournament, have been tremendous supporters of St. Paul's and our students.
Shining the spotlight on St. Paul's donors
Dr. Richard and Linda Jussaume were first introduced to St. Paul’s nearly ten years ago when their friend and alumnus Bill Watson invited them to a presentation highlighting on-going and planned developments at the college and they have been loyal supporters ever since.
Initially compelled by the case for support which included Aboriginal education as one of the top priorities they now firmly believe in the importance of St. Paul’s mission and vision: “a strong focus on environmental and social justice issues is vital to Canada’s (and other nations) success and progress, now and in the future. This depends on entrepreneurial efforts and we believe St. Paul’s is a leader in attracting and developing the talents that will be required. We have already witnessed examples of success in the remarkable accomplishments of some of the young students/grads.”
In addition to being generous major donors, Richard and Linda have sponsored and attended the annual golf tournament every year since it started in 2008. “The tournament is one of the highlights of our year, providing countless opportunities to enjoy the energy and friendship of alumni, staff, and students. It is an opportunity to hear about great achievements and meet the students. We get to hear first- hand their experiences and accomplishments and have learned that they are dedicated and motivated with a social conscience.” They were so inspired by GreenHouse alumna and FullSoul Canada founder Christina Marchand’s talk at this year’s tournament that they gave an additional gift to support the GreenHouse program.
Richard and Linda say they feel motivated to support St. Paul’s because “Dr. Brown and his team’s leadership have shaped the college and brought it to a new level, every year. We frequently talk about University of Waterloo/St. Paul’s in social and professional settings and people always become interested, we hope we have encouraged some to become involved in a concrete way. We feel and share with others that it’s a worthy cause to develop leaders in this field of social innovation in addressing global development problems.”
Shining the spotlight on St. Paul's alumni
Beginning in the fall of 2013, St. Paul’s began showcasing some of the interesting and unique accomplishments of our alumni to the broader St. Paul’s community through the Alumni Spotlight section of our website. The Spotlight has featured stories of world class athleticism, inspiring philanthropy and remarkable career success.
Most recently, Victoria Alleyne (BES ’12) was featured for her work founding and growing the Career Skills Incubator (CSCI) a unique approach to mentorship that is helping underemployed and unemployed recent grads to establish toe-holds in their new careers. Read on to learn more about CSCI and why Victoria thinks you could be a great mentor.
There are approximately 3,500 individuals who make up the St. Paul's alumni community and you have all done great things. Help us inspire others, including current students by sharing your story or that of one of your former classmates by submitting your spotlight ideas to stp.alumni@uwaterloo.ca
INDEV student’s proposal accepted by the UN
As the Sector Coordinator for Conservation and Livelihoods with the Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organizations (NCONGO) in Botswana, Tomm Mandryk has already met that goal in his first three months on the job, working on a range of activities from project design and coordination, to stakeholder consultation and advising on the uptake of community-based natural resource management.
To top it off, though, the United Nations has accepted a proposal that Tomm had submitted, which involves funding a project concerned with environmental protection, sustainable natural resource use, promotion of livelihoods, and the removal of invasive alien species (flora and fauna). The proposal has resulted in a full-time job offer to remain with NCONGO to oversee the implementation of this large macro project that is estimated to cost more than US $1 million.
Great work, Tomm!