
How you can change the world
ݮƵ alumni share practical advice that can help us all achieve our goals.
ݮƵ alumni share practical advice that can help us all achieve our goals.
By Manreet Birdi (BA in progress) StudentDrawing on the insights of others can be a valuable step towards creating positive change. See what four ݮƵ alumni have learned as they’ve worked to make a difference in the world.
When searching for opportunities to support causes we care about, accounting alumnus Alice Madolciu (BA ’07) encourages us to explore options outside the office.
“These days we often look at our career as what defines us, but I don’t think we should be limited to that,” she says. “We have all kinds of interests and do all kinds of things with our time, and all of those things can lead to positive change.”
When Scott Ste. Marie (BES ’13) started his website , his goal was to help one person through a difficult time.
“I wanted students to have a down-to-earth resource for when they are in pretty painful situations,” he recalls. So he uploaded a YouTube video about his diagnoses of clinical depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
That was six years ago. Today, his YouTube channel features nearly 600 videos, which reach more than 20 million people around the world.
Mohsen Shahini (PhD ’11), whose company Top Hat ranked 200 on Deloitte’s Fast 500 list of growing businesses last fall, says that it’s important to solve problems in collaboration with people from a variety of backgrounds.
“When you’re not developing skills from new cultures, that becomes your enemy,” he says. Having come to ݮƵ as an international student, he’s seen first-hand that drawing on diverse perspectives can transform a single idea into a life-changing venture.
Alumni who have transformed their lives to pursue their passions admit that it isn’t easy.
“Taking a leap of faith takes courage, especially when the future path isn’t clear,” says Katherine Forster (BES ’93), who gave up a career in environmental planningto carve out a path as an urban biophilic entrepreneur, “but following what you love never steers you wrong in the end.”
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More than 100,000 children and youth from across the region are discovering the wonders of science and technology through the University of ݮƵ
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From non-invasive health care solutions to sustainable construction material and AI-driven coaching, the funding supports future-centric ventures
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Velocity and Socratica’s builder communities help ݮƵ students find their people and build their entrepreneurship side
The University of ݮƵ acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.