Alumni Spotlight
Life is an Adventure for Holly Gray
Thursday, April 24, 2025 / Online
“In the fall of 2016, I was bemoaning to my husband and my daughter that although I’d been exercising my body, my mind was in the parking lot,” says recent Lakehead grad Holly Gray. “My daughter said, ‘Oh, mom! Just take a course.’ I said, ‘Great idea, but what course?’ and she replied, ‘Anthropology.’”
Music is in the Air
Thursday, April 24, 2025 / Online
As a teenager, music educator and conductor Dr. Laurel Forshaw (HBMus’98) spent many of her lunch and after-school hours hanging out in the music room of her Thunder Bay high school. Since Laurel was a member of the school band and an accomplished flutist and pianist, this wasn’t surprising—but there was another reason she spent so much time cloistered in the music room.
Grit, Vision, and Talent
Monday, December 16, 2024 / Online
Steve Barkhouse has always been a man with a clear vision of what he wants.
Justice Julie Blackhawk is Setting New Precedents
Friday, November 8, 2024 / Online
“I’m extremely proud to be the first Indigenous woman appointed to the Federal Court,” says Lakehead alum (BA '95) Justice Julie Blackhawk.
Rising Star
Tuesday, September 24, 2024 / Online
Although Lakehead grad Jamie Klomp spent over 15 years working in human resources (HR)—not a profession known for its lightheartedness—Jamie’s idols have always been Laurel and Hardy.
From the Far North to War-Torn Ukraine
Monday, March 4, 2024 / Online
“Growing up, I knew many First Nations people who didn’t have access to basic health care,” Michaela Parenteau says, “and these inequities inspired me to study nursing at Lakehead.”
Into the Forest
Thursday, February 15, 2024 / Online
When Faye Johnson (née Verheggen) was a Lakehead student, she spent her summers doing fieldwork like tree planting for the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).
Climb Every Mountain
Monday, December 11, 2023 / Online
Carlin Val was only 14 years old when he went on his first climb, but he knew that he’d found his calling—even though he’s afraid of heights. “The strength and the integrity of the equipment reassures me that I’m safe and that I’m having fun,” Carlin says.
The Bear Whisperer
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 / Online
“Bears—especially grizzlies and polar bears—have a reputation as man-eating beasts, but that’s a myth,” says wildlife expert Kim Titchener. “Bears are gracious to the humans living in their territories.”
A Man of Conviction
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 / Online
Omer Belisle has been shaping the minds and spirits of youngsters for almost 30 years. He’s been a committed coach, teacher, vice-principal, and principal with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) and, for the past 12 years, he’s been superintendent of education overseeing the TBCDSB’s Kindergarten - Grade 8 and Student Achievement departments.