1911-2011 | Wilfrid LaurierUniversity | Ontario, Canada

100years inspiring lives of leadership and purpose.

DR. MAX BLOUW President & Vice-Chancellor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier established the foundation for the values Canadians cherish, and he

expressed his vision with passion, clarity and vigour.

Wilfrid Laurier University’s centennial year is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how the spirit of

our extraordinary namesake continues to be reflected in the lives of our faculty, staff, students and alumni.

Laurier is dedicated to excellence in human development. I believe the most important benefit

universities can provide to society is an educated, motivated, capable and engaged citizen who has a

global perspective. Laurier’s graduates have an awareness of, and the courage to embrace complexity –

the world’s greatest and most intricate challenges. They do so productively, and with passion, because

they have the intellectual and personal tools that will enable them to succeed. In that sense, our vision

is also our mission – to inspire lives of leadership and purpose.

The more we can do as a university, and a society, to elevate the individual, the more we will serve

the needs of future generations.

As Laurier prepares to embark on its second century, I am delighted to introduce you to eight

individuals who embody the qualities of our namesake. Exceptional citizens and members of the

Wilfrid Laurier University family, they reflect the qualities of thousands more in our wonderful

learning and personal development community.

2 1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University | LAURIER100.CA

When Jon Krohn arrived at Wilfrid Laurier University

he had every intention of pursuing medicine after

completing his undergraduate degree. But things would

change as Jon developed relationships with new

mentors – including two Canada Research Chairs –

and an extremely supportive network of friends and

study partners at Laurier. Suddenly, Jon was faced with

a world of new possibilities and ideas, and he set his

sights on Oxford.

Consider his time at Laurier:

founder of the Science Faculty’s

student mentorship program,

Editor-in-Chief of a science

newspaper, active member of the

boxing club, Executive Producer

of the musical theatre club, and a Teaching and

Research Assistant. To these accomplishments, Jon

would add a truly peerless academic record and earn

the highest grade point average of his graduating class

(a perfect 12.0).

Today, Jon is completing his PhD in neuroscience

at Oxford University on a prestigious Wellcome Trust

Doctoral Research Scholarship. His research focuses

on the genetics of anxiety and depression, because of

the high prevalence of these diseases and their massive

impact on an individual’s quality of life. He has

established Oxford’s first student-run business

incubator – a wildly successful venture that has the

distinction of helping facilitate Google’s first UK

acquisition.

“My work needs to have real world applications.

There’s no better benefit to society than to be able

to take science research and transform it into

a product that can actually impact people’s lives.”

“I didn't know that coming to Oxford was a possibility in my life. Laurier made me feel like I could go out and achieve almostanything I set my mind to.”

JON KROHN Alumnus 2007

3 100 Years Insp ir ing L ives of Leadersh ip and Purpose

Growing up in Mumbai, Bharati Sethi would escape life’s

difficulties by retreating to a pipal tree near a tiny stream.

She named this special place the “crossroads” and she

would later return to this memory many times throughout

her seven-year struggle as a new immigrant in Canada.

This stressful chapter in her life came to a close when

she received her Canadian landed immigrant status.

With that newfound standing, and a dream of earning

a PhD, Bharati approached Wilfrid Laurier University

where a compassionate admissions officer showed her

how she could leverage her Mumbai university

experience and fast-track her undergraduate degree.

She hasn’t looked back since. Her master’s thesis,

Exploring Newcomer Settlement and Immigration Supports

in Brantford and Brant-Haldimand and Norfolk Counties,

has garnered recognition in government, academic

and local community circles. Bharati also received the

prestigious $150,000 Vanier Canada Graduate

Scholarship to complete her PhD. As a core member

of the newcomer task force Immigrant Settlement

Transition Employment and Partnership in Brantford,

Ontario, Bharati continues to be an inspiration to

many local immigrants.

“A lot of people ask: ‘How did you manage alone?’

I knew that if I stopped walking, I was never going to

get there. If I kept walking I knew there was a chance

for me to get there.”

BHARATI SETHI Alumna 2007, 2009

“I really had to struggle to be here... Laurier took a chance on me and I pay itback by promising to do the best that I canfor the university and for the community.”

Liz Knox still tears up when she thinks back to the

first time she wore the maple leaf as a goalie for Team

Canada in an exhibition hockey game against Team

USA. “I was standing on the blue line and looking

down at my jersey as they played the national anthem

and I was so happy and emotional.”

One of Wilfrid Laurier University’s most storied

athletes, ‘Knoxy’ has an impressive list of athletic

accomplishments, from four Ontario University Athletics

titles to Canadian University Hockey Player of the Year in

2009/2010. Despite stiff competition from three more-

experienced players (who happened to play on Canada’s

2010 Olympic gold medal team), Liz has set her sights on

playing for Team Canada in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

And she hasn’t ruled out turning professional before then.

An inspiration to the community, her Golden Hawk

teammates and the young players who are fortunate

enough to have her as a coach, Liz strongly believes

in giving back to the sport that has given her so much.

“When I was growing up I was lucky to have girls in

my community who were willing to put time into us.

I hope to give my players someone to look up to and

to see them get the best experience possible. Hockey

is so much more than just competition – it’s about

building friendships and having fun, too. Sport has

entirely made me who I am.”

4 1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University | LAURIER100.CA

LIZ KNOX Alumna 2010

“There’s nothing better than coming through foryour team. Being a Golden Hawk and winningfour championships are highlights of my life. I will carry those wins – and these friends – wherever I go.”

5 100 Years Insp ir ing L ives of Leadersh ip and Purpose

While he was an accomplished student – winning

the Scotiabank scholarship for academic achievement

in his first year – it wasn’t until an encounter in second

year with Wilfrid Laurier University President Max

Blouw that Kory Jeffrey really considered what he

wanted to do with his life.

It was after this meeting that Kory ramped up his

studies and his volunteer

activities and developed

a passion for student

governance. Kory’s

inspiring journey includes

a term as the student

representative on Laurier’s

Board of Governors and work with the Pave the Way

Scholarship Fund, an organization he helped start that

raises money and enables foster children to gain a post-

secondary education.

As a volunteer teacher in a small town in rural

South Africa, Kory was both humbled and motivated

by the children he met. He found a way to contribute

and help people, and consequently give his life

purpose. Indeed, in the process Kory gained much

more than an impressive curriculum vitae – he gained

experiences and an outlook that continue to inform

the person he is today.

Kory is pursuing graduate studies and has a strong

belief in the power of education to help and change

lives. His goal is to pursue his PhD in Ethical

Philosophy and then eventually apply his experience

and passion in university administration. “I want to

stay in institutions where I can do a lot of good.”

KORY JEFFREY Alumnus 2010

“Laurier helped me stretch my wings. The moreinvolved I got, the more inspired I became.I believe in the power of change and educationand I am committed to making a difference.”

6 1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University | LAURIER100.CA

When Romeo Dallaire spoke at a conference at

Wilfrid Laurier University, international student TK

Mawuli Azaglo used this opportunity to ask the retired

Lieutenant-General about his thoughts on the future

of Africa. Dallaire spoke about the critical role children

and youth have to play in

order to tackle Africa’s

challenges head on.

“I am the future of Africa,”

TK declared to his own

amazement and the applause

of the crowd. He had taken a

stand and shortly afterwards he and his friend, John

Tsirimbis, went on to establish the Future of Africa,

a campus club dedicated to raising awareness and

supporting worthwhile development initiatives in Africa.

His homeland remains an inspiration, and TK is proud

to shatter stereotypes and open people’s minds to entirely

new values and ways of living. “A lot of people don’t see

life beyond their own perspectives... many people in

Africa live on so little and yet they are so happy to be

alive, to have family and to have community.”

With another non-Laurier branch already in place

and plans for expansion to other institutions,

the Future of Africa has clearly taken root and will

carry on long after TK has graduated. “It has been

great to find something you love to do and can

dedicate your life to. Life isn’t all about money;

life is about humanity and the legacy you leave.”

TK MAWULI AZAGLO Class of 2011

“Laurier has a very supportive environment.People were very, very interested in my storyand this made me realize that I was on theright path. It inspired me to keep going.”

7 100 Years Insp ir ing L ives of Leadersh ip and Purpose

Joanna Harries comes from what she describes as

“development stock.” The women in her family have a

deep history in, and passion for, societal work. But she

was very interested in pursuing a business degree.

Following graduation from Wilfrid Laurier University,

she worked as a successful marketing executive for

a global consumer goods company for seven years.

It was after attending a Laurier MBA class on

competitive business models for a sustainable world

that Joanna discovered the inventive development idea

of encouraging big business to treat low-income

populations worldwide as customers, and not just

recipients of charitable aid. This wasn’t finance,

marketing or accounting, but it couldn’t be more ideal

for Joanna. As she says, “I believe in the power of this

concept. I knew that I wanted to work to advance social

businesses globally. Everything clicked into place.”

From that point on, Joanna pursued opportunities

where she could apply her business skills to

development. She applied for and won the prestigious

Acumen Fellowship and spent a year in Mumbai.

She then moved on to Endeavor Global, an

organization committed to “establishing high

impact entrepreneurship for sustainable economic

development.” Based in Manhattan, she is currently

Director of International Expansion.

JOANNA HARRIES Alumna 2003, 2008

“Success is about recognizing an opportunityand having the guts to follow through.Laurier presented me with the opportunityand they enabled me to customize mystudies so that I could pursue it.”

8 1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier University | LAURIER100.CA

“I’m a Mohawk from the Tyendinaga Mohawk

Territory and I’m the first person from my family

to attend and graduate from university.”

That’s how Kandice Baptiste proudly introduces

herself, yet that description doesn’t even begin to cover

her inspiring story. Kandice graduated from high

school as an Ontario Scholar and was recruited by

several universities for basketball, including Laurier.

Living off the reserve was a big adjustment.

Fortunately, Kandice found support in her basketball

team and the faculty at Laurier, but she always felt

that something was missing. In her fifth year, she

founded the university’s first Aboriginal Student

Association – an organization aimed at raising

awareness and helping Aboriginal Peoples realize

their dreams of a higher education.

Kandice declined the opportunity to pursue

a master’s degree at another university in favour

of a full-time position as a recruiter for Laurier with

a special emphasis on Aboriginal Peoples. She has

chosen to focus on helping the community that

is closest to her heart.

“Aboriginal Peoples face so many challenges and

I’m proud to serve as a role model to show people

that they can do it and that there is something more.”

KANDICE BAPTISTE Class of 2011

“Being at Laurier has taught me so muchabout my identity and my passion. I am astrong Mohawk woman and I now knowwhat I want to do for the rest of my life.”

9 100 Years Insp ir ing L ives of Leadersh ip and Purpose

After graduating from high school, Reuben DeBoer

spent two years volunteering, first across Canada and then

in Bolivia, New Zealand and Australia. It could be said that

by the time he came to Wilfrid Laurier University, he had

very specific ideas about what he wanted to do with his life.

At Laurier’s Brantford campus, Reuben found in the

faculty and students a unique community that enabled

him to fully explore his passion for volunteerism and

the environment. Among other activities, Reuben has

been the Coordinator of the Laurier EcoHawks, the

Assistant Sustainability Coordinator and the Associate

Vice-President of Services for the Students’ Union.

Reuben also found faculty at Laurier who were willing

to indulge his passion for helping people by offering him

course credit for a 3-month volunteer project in Ghana.

Focused on community water and sanitation, this project

saw Reuben meeting with tribal elders, hiking up to

27 kilometres between villages and learning first-hand

what it means to take a “bucket shower.”“There’s a

community feel that you get in Africa that we’ve lost

in Canada. Nobody knows their neighbours anymore.

There’s a sense of common purpose that is very stirring.”

Reuben looks forward to making the most of his

studies and volunteer activities by leading sustainability

initiatives in the public or private sector. But before then,

he’d like to work on a project in Asia so that he can say

he’s volunteered on every continent before he’s 25.

“When I was a kid I loved Dr. Seuss and onequote stuck with me: ‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’ I still believe that. And so does everyone you meet at Laurier.”

REUBEN DEBOER Class of 2012

1911-2011 | Wilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterloo | Brantford | Kitchener | TorontoOntario, Canada

At Laurier, we live and walk in the shadows of giants.

Yet there are few opportunities to pause and acknowledge

the journey of those who came before us. Or to celebrate

the fact that we too are casting shadows that will shape

the next century of Wilfrid Laurier University and the

world. Throughout 2011, we will acknowledge and

celebrate both what has passed and what is to come.

LAURIER100.CA

Photos: Max Blouw by Dean Palmer; page 2 by Brett Tully; pages 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 by John Beebe; page 8 by Sophie Forbes. Creative: STCworks.ca