Jacqueline Sookermany: "CMU taught me to expect more from the world and gave me the tools to make more happen for the people I support and care for."

Alumni in their own words - Jacqueline Sookermany (CMU '15)

Where has life taken you since you left CMU?

During my studies at CMU, I developed a deep passion for prisoner justice and prisoner abolition while working for Correctional Service Canada at Stony Mountain Institution in their Programs department for my practicum. After I graduated with my four-year Arts and Sciences degree, I took a job at EPIC Opportunities, working at one of their day service locations. I hadn't previously considered working in the disability sector, but I found that I loved the work. I was able to support people in finding connections in their communities that were meaningful to them, expanding their hopes beyond employment. In this role, I was able to learn more about the world of disability justice and advocacy, which solidified my passion for the disability sector. After a few years, I took a position at Initiatives for Just Communities (IJC) in their disability outreach program, Touchstone, and it was at IJC that I began to think about pursuing a Master of Social Work. I moved to Victoria, BC, to complete my master's degree. My work in disability and corrections had left me skeptical of the social work profession. Over the course of my studies, I had the opportunity to see that social work is making bold strides toward becoming a field where people with lived experience are directly influencing the policies that shape their services, and that many social workers are actively working to decolonize the profession. My journey has led me back to the place where I decided social work was the correct path for me—IJC—as Director of Services for their Winnipeg programs. I am currently overseeing four programs that span work in disability support and advocacy, community education, and restorative justice. It is a bit dreamy to have a role that allows me to engage in many of the sectors I am passionate about.

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CMU welcomes its largest incoming class

CMU welcomes its largest incoming class

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is celebrating its largest incoming class since the university's formation. This week, CMU welcomed 221 new undergraduate students to campus, contributing to a total student body of 775 on its main campus for the 2026/27 academic year.

The historic incoming class includes a full cohort of new Bachelor of Education after-degree students, as allocated by the Province of Manitoba, alongside 187 new students entering CMU's three- and four-year undergraduate degree programs.

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Sunday at CMU

Sunday at CMU: September 2026

With Gratitude 2026

This month on Sunday at CMU, we're broadcasting student reflections from With Gratitude, an annual CMU event where graduating students share about their journeys through CMU and express what their studies have meant to them. The following speakers graduated in April 2026.

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Jerry Buckland, CMU Vice-President Academic and Professor of Economics and International Development Studies, will host the upcoming Face2Face conversation exploring how open discussions about money can reduce shame and help build financial confidence.

Talking money, building confidence

As rising costs and economic uncertainty continue to affect households across Canada, CMU invites the public to join a candid discussion about building financial literacy and well-being, and the role that community plays in this process.

The university's upcoming Face2Face conversation, "Money and the Cost of Living: Building Financial Confidence Together," will take place on Friday, September 18 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.) on the CMU campus and via livestream. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

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Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, President Emeritus

The end of an era at CMBC

From the late 1950s, until the late 1990s, for roughly 40 years, Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) experienced a time of remarkable stability and vitality. With numbing suddenness, the last representatives of that era passed from the scene within a single month late this spring.

When I arrived at CMBC as a student in the fall of 1964, CMBC was still a young institution, having been founded only 17 years earlier. Not surprisingly, the early years had been somewhat rocky, with inconsistent leadership and faculty. And yet the CMBC I arrived at felt confident and strong, an exciting place of academic and spiritual discovery.

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