Keyword: alumni

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

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."

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Sunday at CMU: March 2026

Broadening Our Capacity to Love

This month on Sunday at CMU, we are hearing from Jeff Friesen, Director of Leadership Ministries for Mennonite Church Manitoba. Jeff is an alumnus of CMU's undergraduate and graduate programs, and he spent almost 20 years as a pastor. In this sermon series we're rebroadcasting, he focuses on the politics of God's love as seen in 1 John and Acts and he explores how we can broaden our capacity to love.

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Winter 2025/26 alumni updates

Readers of CMU's The Blazer magazine often say they flip right to the Alumni News section before reading anything else.

In the most recent, 25th anniversary issue of The Blazer, we were unable to squeeze in alumni news. Below is a compilation of updates provided to CMU by alumni.

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Brewing purpose: Stephen Kang builds Prairie Solar Café

Throughout Manitoba's milder seasons, you can find Stephen Kang pulling shots of espresso, brewing tea, and pouring kombucha on tap from his small solar-powered trailer, Prairie Solar Café.

His inspiration for this mobile coffee shop stems from a young age. "I really love food trucks," he says. "Growing up, I would go to some of the food truck festivals as a kid and be like, this is the coolest thing ever, and the food is amazing!" What he didn't love were the trucks' generators—noisy, smelly, and overstimulating. He wanted to maintain the joy of the food truck, while also creating a quieter, more relaxing experience that prioritizes sustainability.

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Alumni in their own words - Alex Tiessen (CMU '16)

This installment of Alumni in their own words features Alex Tiessen who graduated from CMU in 2016 with majors in English and Counselling Studies. In March 2026, Alex will return to CMU as its new Director of Advancement.

Where has your life taken you since you left CMU?

Right after I graduated from CMU, my life brought me straight back to campus. I took a role at CMU as an Admissions Counsellor, an opportunity that opened up in part because I had been a student ambassador. That work really set me up well. It allowed me to lean into my natural ability to connect with people—working with churches, meeting families, and inviting students into CMU. I quickly fell in love with that work and discovered that admissions and advancement were places where my skills and interests aligned.

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Sunday at CMU: February 2026

Faith and Technology

This month on Sunday at CMU, we are featuring a new sermon series from Lizzie Wipf, pastor at Elim Mennonite Church in Grunthal, MB. Lizzie is an alumna of CMU, where she completed both a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical and Theological Studies and a Master of Divinity. In this four-part series, she is questioning the intersection of faith and technology, and how scripture can help us navigate our rapidly changing world.

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Alumni in their own words - Tania Mulki (CMU ’23)

Where has your life taken you since you left CMU?

I completed my coursework at CMU in 2022, and after finishing the 1,000-hour internship required for my Bachelor of Music Therapy degree, I officially graduated in 2023. I did my internship in Calgary with JB Music Therapy, a well-established organization that offered a strong and varied clinical experience. It was a great place to learn and gain confidence as a new therapist, and I felt well prepared thanks to the training and support I received at CMU.

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From student to teacher: A journey of faith, learning, and community

Kenny Wollmann is a high school educator, teaching primarily Bible, theology, and world religions—but not in a typical classroom. Wollmann teaches students online in Hutterite communities across Manitoba and even into the northern United States.

Hutterites are communal Anabaptist Christian groups who live in rural colonies, share belongings and resources, and often sustain themselves through agriculture. With only small groups of students in each community, sharing resources, like teachers who are each experts in their subjects, helps ensure a robust learning program.

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Rigour, curiosity, and the arts: A CMU story of leadership

CMU was a place of transition, community, and discovery for Evan Klassen, Executive Director of the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (MTC).

"My first gig was on this stage here in the ... [Laudamus Auditorium]," he says, explaining that he helped organize a theatre production of A Man for All Seasons with a small group of fellow students. He stage-managed, ran sound cues, and discovered the kind of collaborative, behind-the-scenes work that would eventually define his career.

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Sunday at CMU: October 2025

Peace with Creation

This month on Sunday at CMU, we hear from CMU alumna Zoe Matties. Zoe is Manitoba Program Manager for A Rocha Canada, a Christian environmental organization dedicated to caring for creation through conservation research, education, and community engagement. In this new series of reflections, Zoe is exploring Peace with Creation, the theme of this year's Season of Creation—a period in the liturgical calendar dedicated to prayer, education, and action to protect the gift of God's creation.

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