Alumni Profiles
Graduate School of Theology & Ministry alumnus finds immigration consultancy work a “life-changing experience”
Posted in Alumni Profiles Monday, January 31, 2022 @ 9:43 AM
For Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) alumnus Arisnel Mesidor (CMU '15), changing people's lives isn't an abstract hope or dream; it's the reality of his daily work.
As the owner and manager of Mesidor Canadian Immigration Services, he helps non-Canadians make the life-altering transition to becoming Canadian citizens. Daily, he meets with clients and mentors them as they navigate the complex world of the Canadian immigration system.
I Am A Mennonite investigates the past to glimpse into the future
Posted in Alumni Profiles Monday, January 17, 2022 @ 1:36 PM
Within the first five minutes of Paul Plett's (CMU 2004-05) newest documentary, I Am A Mennonite, he askes his target audience of Mennonites, "Where are we going to spiritually?"
That may be a loaded question for a community whose history is steeped in schisms, immigration, and discernment. But, It's a question Plett says is not rhetorical. "We're not going anywhere else physically. As a community, it does sort of seem that the real adventure is the spiritual one." Plett says that since Mennonite's transient disposition seems to have receded, we need to journey deeper into self-reflection, exploring inward as our spirituality is the most important odyssey of all.
CMU alumni collaborate on book featuring women in music
Posted in Alumni Profiles Wednesday, December 22, 2021 @ 8:21 AM
A vibrant children's book featuring 26 women in music will soon be hitting bookstore shelves, and it was created by two CMU alumni. Anneli Loepp Thiessen (CMU '18) first wrote The ABCs of Women in Music in fall 2020 as a creative project for a feminist theories class at the University of Ottawa, where she is a PhD student in interdisciplinary music research.
Polar bear research connects CMU alumna to the natural world
Posted in Alumni Profiles Monday, December 20, 2021 @ 1:02 PM
For Sara Wolowich Brown (CMU' 19, Environmental Studies), going to the zoo is more than just entertainment. It's become a passion.
Every year, she takes a pilgrimage to Assiniboine Park Zoo on her birthday. It's an almost ritualistic experience that connects her to the disorder of nature. "I always [been] very interested in science, and the natural world was always super fascinating to me. I always loved going to the zoo," says the alumna who graduated with Environmental Studies major.
Impactful work-integrated learning experience leads alumna to pursue decolonization efforts and Indigenous solidarity work
Posted in Alumni Profiles Tuesday, December 7, 2021 @ 9:24 AM
Ask any Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) graduate the most impactful learning experience during their undergrad, and they will most likely say their practicum placement.
As the only university in Canada that includes a work-integrated learning placement for all undergraduates, CMU's Practicum Program gives students practical, hands-on opportunities to work in their desired fields of study. Most students look at their practicum placement as a turning point in their education; they get a fully realized vision of the types of impacts they can make in the world and can be inspired to reach further heights in their academics or career.