A Magazine for Alumni and Friends
Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association President Ryan Smith
In the midst of such difficult times, it is a true privilege for me to continue serving as the president of your alumni association.
During what has been such a hard year for so many, a highlight for me was serving as emcee during the alumni association’s annual Alumni Awards of Excellence. I was honoured and humbled as we came together (virtually, of course) to celebrate the successes of some of our exceptional alumni.
Hearing about the varied ways in which these alumni – like so many of you – continue to lead lives of leadership and purpose is both gratifying and inspiring. As a fiercely proud Laurier alumnus, celebrating fellow Golden Hawks is a great pleasure.
Another point of great pride for me is how strong the Laurier alumni family has remained throughout these difficult times. As we continue to face uncertainty, I want to remind you of the many resources available to us as Laurier grads. I encourage you to tap into that network, connect with fellow Golden Hawks through our LinkedIn group, or through our Ten Thousand Coffees platform. If your organization is currently hiring, you can also post job opportunities.
In addition, we have access to Laurier's Career Centre services, including online appointments, workshops and the Alumni Employment Service. There are also a number of ongoing career-related webinars. Check out more at wlu.ca/community.
The Wilfrid Laurier Univesity Alumni Association strives to offer a wide variety of events, as well as professional and personal development opportunities, which are often free. As a Laurier alum, you also qualify for services and benefits. We like to call them your “GradVantages.” The GradVantages program not only provides great benefits to you, but also allows us as alumni to support important initiatives on campus. You can learn more at laurieralumni.ca/benefits. Initiatives we’ve recently supported include the Laurier Library’s MakerSpace and the new Indigenous Student Center at the Waterloo campus.
Finally, I want to thank you for all of the ways you celebrate and share your Golden Hawk pride. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to lead such a caring, resilient alumni community.
Be well, stay golden, stay connected.
Ryan Smith (BBA ’98)
President, WLUAA