Keyword: Alumni in Their Own Words

Alumni in their own words - Marnie Klassen (CMU '21)

Monday, April 6, 2026 @ 10:42 AM

Where has your life taken you since you left CMU?

After graduating I very quickly got a job doing communications and admin support with A Rocha Manitoba, a Christian nature conservation organization. I was eager to explore volunteer and service opportunities elsewhere, and through some encouragement I applied and was accepted to the worker program at Romero House in Toronto. Taking this step felt so big for me, in a wonderful way. In the one-year term, I lived and worked with refugee claimants in Toronto's west end. I was the volunteer coordinator for the organization, which had me managing a team of over 140 volunteers, and was a settlement case worker for several claimant families. I learned a lot about the refugee claimant system in Canada, and a lot about interfaith and intercultural relationships. During my time in Toronto, I made connections at Eglinton Saint George United Church and ended up getting a job with that congregation as the Growth Initiatives Project Coordinator, which meant I was coordinating and running food justice-based events and programs through the church. All during this time I began freelance writing and preaching for organizations and churches, mostly exploring the themes of faith and climate. When the contract at the church came to an end, I decided to move back to Winnipeg and focus on developing a podcast called 'The Schism Between Us', which explores religious polarization in Canada, particularly within the Mennonite community. I've also recently taken on work as communications assistant for a worship resource hub called "Together in Worship."

Continue Reading

Alumni in their own words - Nathan Loewen (CMBC '94)

Monday, June 16, 2025 @ 9:00 AM

Where has life taken you since you left CMU?

Today, I'm a professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama (UA). I moved to Alabama in 2013 and was hired by UA in 2015. I really enjoy working here! It's a very different context from Canada's that I've come to really enjoy. It's the perfect mix of nature and academia!

Continue Reading

Alumni in their own words - J.D. Penner (CMBC '92)

Thursday, April 10, 2025 @ 10:39 AM

Where has life taken you since you left CMU?

My journey since graduating from CMU (formerly Canadian Mennonite Bible College) has been anything but conventional. While I earned a Bachelor of Church Music with a concentration in vocal performance, and minors in piano and violin, my professional path took a dramatic turn into the world of finance and banking. Early on, I discovered an unexpected interest in administration and finance during summer jobs in Toronto.

Continue Reading

Alumni in Their Own Words - Nicole Richard Williams

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 @ 9:45 AM

Nicole Richard graduated from CMU in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music Therapy.

Where has your life taken you since you left CMU?

After finishing my Bachelor of Music Therapy at CMU, I worked as a music therapist in Winnipeg for about three years. During this time, I started working with many clients on the autism spectrum and noticed that doing rhythmic and drumming interventions with these folks really seemed to help them reach some of their therapeutic goals. I wanted to deepen my understanding of how exactly music therapy could help autistic children. Going to grad school had always been a dream of mine, and so I decided to take some time off working to do a Master's in Music and Health Science at the University of Toronto. During that degree, I decided I wanted to continue on and do a PhD and was accepted again at the Music and Health Science Research Collaboratory (the lab out of which the master's and PhD are based) at the University of Toronto.

Continue Reading