Text by Lynda Chambers, editor, Inroads
Photography by loved ones

Through the lens - a future grad? Five-year-old Bria is looking through the lens at her special person - her mom, Leila Ball, who earned an MA in Leadership – Health at fall convocation. _______________

Who is your special person? I heard this more than once at fall convocation on November 6. 

Strangers, placed in congenial proximity as they sought seats or standing room, turned to one another and asked the probing but polite question.

It was only natural. They were all there for a special person.

A mother. A brother. A colleague. A friend. And, when the ceremony began and hundreds of cameras clicked, chirped or silently recorded an image, it was easy to find those special people. They were the ones in range of the lens.

There was no dearth of stories to unearth, either, by posing the simple question.

Who’s your special person?

Ask Carole Gillam of Vancouver, B.C. and she’ll tell you about Cindy Roberts who has just earned her MA in Leadership – Health. Gillam and Roberts are friends as well as work colleagues and support each other in a myriad of ways.

Gillam, for example, says she helped her busy friend meet the challenge of attending RRU while maintaining a balance in her life by listening.

Through the lens - a balanced life Cindy Roberts earned her MA in Leadership – Health at fall convocation and with the support of her friend and colleague Carole Gillam, the competitive athlete was able to train for Iron Man Canada while at her studies! _______________

“When Cindy felt the need to whine, I would listen”.

Roberts, by the way, is a competitive athlete who trained for Iron Man Canada while at her studies!
 
“She’s remarkable,” says Gillam. “I’d help by letting her off exercising once and a while but basically she worked, ran, biked and swam while she earned her degree!” 

Gillam's role as colleague and friend did not go unnoticed. Roberts, whose research project while at RRU focused on integrated health networks and strategies for stakeholder engagement, says Gillam provided amazing support during her time at school.

Ask Carolyn Martindale of Red Deer, Alberta who her special person is and she’ll answer Sheila Verwey. Verwey earned an MA - Leadership at RRU; the same degree Martindale is currently working on. She's scheduled to graduate in June 2010 and both she and Verwey stayed with Verwey's parents during their three-week residencies. 

“Sheila introduced me to the program and has been there to support me every step of the way. She is a phenomenal lady and her parents – Bruno and Catherine Friegang – have supported me as well! They have been, in fact, instrumental in both of us succeeding. They opened their home, stocked the fridge and were always truly interested in how we were doing and that’s been huge in terms of support," says Martindale who has been friends with Verwey for 16 years.

Through the lens - a learning adventure Dr. and Mrs. Freigang (insert) are the parents of recent grad Sheila Verwey, shown here with Carolyn Martindale. Martindale describes her friend's parents as an amazingly generous couple who put a huge value on education. "They have not only been generous with their time and attention, but they have delighted in being a part of our adventures in learning." ________________

Sheila Verwey says her parents (pictured inset) are experts now at supporting students. Of their four children, her convocation was the 10th university graduation they’ve attended!

"My dad himself also has many years of studying behind him - with two medical specialties of his own," says Verwey. "He'd have a glass of wine ready for me each night as I finished studying and my mom always had the coffee pot on each morning with not only a lunch made for me but treats for my classmates who lived in residence too. I was a very lucky student for sure.”

The Freigangs add that they would look forward each night to hearing how first Sheila’s and then Carolyn’s day went.

“We are proud of the young people of today with their very busy lives taking on these demanding studies. Convocation was a happy weekend and we are already looking forward to Carolyn's next year.”

Ask Sue Hanley of Vancouver, B.C. and Dawn Lindsay-Burns and Pamela Millar of Victoria, B.C. who their special person is and they’ll answer Wendy Drummond who earned an MA in Interdisciplinary Studies on November 6.

A number of others were there for Drummond including Greg Cran, director of the School of Peace and Conflict Management, Rob Cran, an upcoming graduate of the BA Communications program, Mitchell Joseph of the Yekooche First Nation and Partner Schielke, chief of the Yekooche First Nation who also made a special post-convocation presentation to Drummond.

The presentation was a moving and memorable way of saying not only congratulations but also thank you to Drummond for her role in helping bring the Learning Centre to Yekooche, a First Nation community of just over 200 people, northwest of Prince George near Fort St. James. 

Through the lens - a thank you Partner Schielke is chief of the Yekooche First Nation and came to RRU for Wendy Drummond's graduation so he could lead a special post-convocation ceremony of congratulations. _______________

The Learning Centre with its 12 high-tech computers, reliable internet and access to online courses has given the community a connection to the outside world and it has helped 24 people graduate from a Life Skills course, empowering them so that they now attend conferences and take leadership roles in their community.

“I had amazing support from so many but Greg, my partner and now husband, is the reason I made it through. He helped me through the toughest moments and, I suspect, has the scars to prove it!" says Drummond.

Ask Patrick Ball of Victoria, B.C. who his special person is and he’ll answer Leila Ball, who earned an MA in Leadership – Health. They’ve been married since 1995 and, while Leila studied, Patrick was Mr. Mom.

By staying at home and raising the kids, he says he was able to provide support such as giving Leila her space so she could study.

"I also made sure she was fed and kept the kids entertained and quiet.” 

Through the lens - a story of family Leila Ball (left) earned an MA in Leadership – Health while her husband Patrick (inset) supported her by keeping two-year-old twins, Anna and Emily, entertained and fed. Andreina Estaba’s family (right) came all the way from Venezuela for her big day and were justifiably proud of their special person who earned an BA in professional communication. "I couldn’t have done this without them. I have two kids. They helped me with them and they helped me keep going when I thought I couldn’t make it,” says Estaba who is now working in Canada. “My family kept me company - from a distance."