Academic, career, and community accomplishments represent the best and brightest of a university like no other
Athabasca University is an innovator and disruptor among universities, so it makes sense that AU alumni and students are doing their fair share as trailblazers at work, at home, and in their communities.
That's especially true of this year's recipients of the Athabasca University Alumni Awards. Four inspiring graduates and one soon-to-be grad represent the very best of a learning community like no other. Even though each journey is unique, together they illustrate the transformative impact of an open university education.
Get to know this year's award winners.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Elizabeth Wood (Bachelor of Arts '12)
📍Hamilton, Ontario
There was a time when very few people knew that Elizabeth Wood could barely leave her house. Wood spent nearly two decades as a prisoner of symptoms of severe anxiety and agoraphobia. Hiding became second nature until, in 2021, she decided it was time to speak her truth.
"I spent a long time resenting myself, being ashamed, being angry with myself, feeling like a burden," she said. "Not anymore. I forgive myself."
In the years since, the Distinguished Alumni Award recipient has become a vocal mental health advocate and source of inspiration for others seeking to escape stigma and shame. She has also continued her professional work and leadership in promoting gender equality in the workplace.
Read Wood's story
Rising Star Award
Aleksandar Golijanin (Bachelor of Commerce '21)
📍Ottawa, Ontario
As a young boy growing up in the diverse south Ottawa community of Heron Gate, Aleksandar Golijanin met people from all over the world. That experience provided an "introduction to the world," and helped the first-generation Canadian understand the impact that community can have on a person.
"It was the most stacked pool of talent anywhere in the world," he said. "There was just so much talent from all walks of life, but sometimes the potential and talent isn't realized because environments get the best of people."
Those formative experiences also fuelled Golijanin's passion for volunteerism and supporting youth through several humanitarian initiatives. Now more than ever, the AU Rising Star Award winner understands that everyone has potential-if provided an opportunity.
Read Golijanin's story
Volunteer Service Award
Lilian Amaka Okocha (Master of Business Administration '15)
📍Edmonton, Alberta
Lilian Amaka Okocha knew from an early age she wanted a better life for herself-and for others. Growing up in Nigeria, the youngest of seven children, Okocha worked hard to provide for herself, including working on a farm to help pay for her school fees. Just as she didn't shy away from hard work, she didn't back down from a challenge like having to repeat high school exams to get into her local university.
"I'm a woman of determination," she said. "Resilience is my second name."
After meeting her current husband and moving to Alberta, Okocha continued to pursue higher education through an online MBA at AU. She also advocated for others as a volunteer in her church and community.
Now the Volunteer Service Award winner is providing leadership training through her own company and helping others realize their highest contribution.
Read Okocha's story
Future Alumni Award
David Albert Newman
Doctor of Business Administration student
📍Winnipeg, Manitoba
David Albert Newman was harassed at work after speaking openly about his mental health, which eventually forced him to leave his job with the Government of Manitoba. The experience led him to file a human rights complaint, which found he had been mistreated.
In the years since, Newman hasn't stopped advocating for himself or for others in the accounting profession, to ensure organizations understand that mental health is not just an individual responsibility. His experience has led him to volunteer for organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association in Manitoba, and has also shaped the Future Alumni Award winner's doctoral research at AU.
"That's what I'm trying to focus on in my thesis," he said. "I'll present what my narrative was in terms of the bad experiences, see if there are similarities with what other people have experienced, and what is the action plan to make sure this never happens again."
Read Newman's story
Lifelong Learner Award
Anne Kustra (Bachelor of Nursing '10, Bachelor of General Studies '16, Master of Health Studies '20, Master of Arts - Interdisciplinary Studies '24)
📍 Stoney Creek, Ontario
After earning a nursing diploma in the late 1970s, Anne Kustra thrived for many years as an operating-room nurse working in a Hamilton-area hospital. But by the 2000s, she realized that a bachelor's degree would help open doors to new career opportunities, which is when she first discovered AU.
She has kept studying ever since.
"Athabasca University was one of the best paths I ever took, because I never stopped there," she said. "I just continued on."
Few graduates live up to the name of AU's Lifelong Learning Award like Kustra, now a four-time graduate. Although her studies initially started as a path toward advancement, she keeps returning to AU because of a love of learning-even well into her retirement.
Read Kustra's story
Be a dream maker for a First in Family student
Some 70% of AU students are breaking new ground without a family member having done it before them. Help support these trailblazers and make the dream of a university graduation a reality.