It may have been a while since you’ve had your ID checked, but we thought this would be a great time to remind ourselves of our Lakehead student days.
Over the decades, our hair may have gotten longer or shorter and our clothing choices may have changed just a little, but we are all proud Lakehead alumni.
Thank you to the grads who shared their old student cards, and photos of a more recent vintage, with us.
Mike Walton (HBOR'83)
Mike Walton graduated in 1983 with an Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation. He’s stayed true to his roots. He’s worked in parks for over 30 years, including 23 with Parks Canada. In 2017, Mike earned his PhD from the University of Victoria studying protected area governance. He currently runs his own company, Michael Walton Consulting - Parks and Protected Areas Governance, Strategic Planning and Development. He’s also served as the executive director of the Yukon Conservation Society and is a Lakehead Alumni Association board member.
Lynne Brown (HBEd'87)
Lynne (née Brown) Johnson played on the women’s basketball team and she also enjoyed hiking and skiing when she was a student between 1982 and 1986. She received her Honours Bachelor of Physical Education in 1987 and later worked for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. She now lives in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Karyn Pelkie (BA/BEd'07)
Karyn Pelkie earned her Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts in Geography in 2007. She is currently a teacher with the Peel District School Board in Brampton, Ontario.
Victor Phyllis (HBK'84)
Victor Phyllis earned an Honours Bachelor of Physical Education (now known as Kinesiology) in 1984. His love of sports and athletics has stayed strong over the decades. After coaching track and field at York University, Vic became a physical education teacher with the Peel District School Board. He is now an account manager in the GTA and Southern Ontario region for Impact Promotions.
Douglas Brown (BA'65)
When Douglas Brown started his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Lakehead was still known as the Lakehead College of Arts, Science & Technology. After graduating in 1965, he completed a master’s degree at the University of Western. He had a distinguished career that included working with the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Research Foundation, the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital in Toronto, the Kitchener and District Public School Board, and 34 years with the Waterloo County Board of Education. Douglas retired in 2002 and today makes his home in Collingwood, Ontario.
Danielle James (BAdmin'09)
Danielle James has put her Bachelor of Administration in Business to good use since graduating in 2009. She’s been an analyst with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and for the past six years, she’s worked with the Chubb Insurance Company of Europe, based in Manchester, England. She started as an underwriting service associate with Chubb before becoming a construction and engineering underwriter in 2016.
Karen Boz (BAdmin'92)
Karen Boz, who was born and raised in Thunder Bay, completed a Bachelor of Administration with a major in Personnel and Industrial Relations. She moved to Toronto after graduating from Lakehead in 1992 and joined the Royal Bank of Canada where she’s now the RBC Internal Audit Senior Director of Operations, Personal & Commercial Banking. Karen has maintained her Lakehead ties – she is the past president of the Lakehead Alumni GTA Chapter and continues to be an active chapter and Alumni Association board member.
Vince Riccio (BA'06)
Vince Riccio earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Education from Lakehead in 2006. He also has a Master of Public Administration in Leadership from Norwich University and a certificate in Automotive Law and Ethics from Georgian College. Vince is the service manager of Lakehead Motors in Thunder Bay. He has also worked with Summit Learning Centres in the Niagara Region and taught with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.