Location: Edmonton, AB

I’m currently a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Management program and have a passion for my work in representing students. I have been on AUSU council for the past two years with the majority of those as the VP External and Student Affairs. During that time I have served on the Board of Governors for AU, been a member of many committees and councils for the university, and was the Treasurer for CASA.

I’m also a member of the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve, an active volunteer/leader in my local scouting organization, and a previous executive of a university student club.

I’m committed to student success and have proven that by advocating to AU about student concerns, as well as to provincial and federal government officials on various student issues.

By working hard to preserve AUSU’s principles, I will ensure that students get the best possible university experience, and strive to lead by example. My goal is to continue to build student engagement, provide services, and guarantee that AU student voices are heard.

Location: Stoney Creek, ON

Hello fellow AU Students,

Thank you for considering my nomination for AUSU councilor; this is my second time participating in an AUSU election.  I have been a part-time student at AU for 6 years, pursuing my B. Sc. in Computing and Information Systems.  I am a single father to two lovely boys, and live near Hamilton, Ontario. In addition to school, and family, I work full-time for a large Canadian Telecommunications company. I am responsible for interconnections with other Carriers/Service Providers, as well as representing and advocating for my company’s interests on technical committees undertaken by the CRTC.  I feel my experience as a student, paired with my professional competencies provide a solid foundation to advocate on your behalf to AU.

Location: Duffield, AB

Check out my campaign video on YouTube here! 

Throughout my life I have been highly involved in my communities.  I have served on local boards, ran for municipal council, and started a charity to support the Alberta flood recovery efforts.  Along with my passion for community I bring to council a strong business background especially in the areas of governance and accounting.  I have worked as a public accountant, placed third in the CPA board governance competition, and founded a business consulting company.  Currently I serve as the AUSU VPFA and I have also served as VPEX in the past. My goal is to remain highly engaged with AUSU members, so I can truly represent you and be your voice on council. When I started at AU my wife was pregnant with our first child. Since then I have studied full time on student loans, part time while self-funding my education, and soon I will have four kids.  My AU path is not unique, but it does allow me to relate to the many varying challenges faced by our members.

Location: Orleans, ON

I grew up in the small Northern Ontario city of Timmins. Back home, I competed in the Chartered Accountants Challenge and worked with two Junior Achievement entrepreneurship companies.

I started my journey south in 2004, worked for a small business incubation company and on some contracts for the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. I eventually landed in Ottawa where I live with my rescued Border Collie. I started studies at AU in 2010, took a break for a few years but most recently completing studies in Political Science. My day job is as a security manager for the federal government. I’m also a reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces, currently working with the Army Cadet Program developing tomorrow’s leaders. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time outdoors, photography and keeping fit.

Location: South Africa

Lionel has been pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree with Athabasca University since 2015. His major is in Computing & Information Systems and his minor in Game Programming. He wants to continue his studies afterwards to obtain a master’s degree.

He is passionate about computer games and learning new things, as well as travelling and meeting new people, especially those with different cultural backgrounds. Moreover, he has keen interests in the fields of astrophysics, linguistics, and aviation.

Furthermore, Lionel also holds a TEFL certification, a private pilot license, and numerous IT certifications. He is fluent in two languages, at the intermediate level in two others, and working hard to learn a fifth language while also pursuing his degree. Lionel is also a mentor for a MOOC administered by Beijing University.

During his studies at AU (and elsewhere), Lionel has always tried to share knowledge and help other students – both with course content and procedures. Now, he’s trying to step it up a notch and do it more formally by joining the AUSU council.

Location: Edmonton, AB

I started at Athabasca University part-time in 2008, taking only one class while I was working full-time. I continued, taking only a course every year or two until 2016, when I was laid off from my management role in a construction supply company after the drop in oil prices. I took this opportunity to go back to school full-time to finish my degree and I’m now only five courses away from completing my BA in Psychology. I plan to continue my studies with the eventual goal of attaining my Master of Counselling degree. Aside from schoolwork, I have been a volunteer board member for the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services (AASAS) since 2009, and acted in the role of president since 2010. This role has provided me with experience in developing policies, procedures, and strategic planning. I look forward to working for the benefit of all Athabasca University students if elected.

Location: Toronto, ON

Hello Fellow AUSU Students,

I am a student in the BPA in Communication Studies Program, living in Toronto, Ontario.

My formative years were spent in the bustling metropolitan capital of Kenya, Nairobi. In Kenya, my passion for literature was ignited. I read anything and everything that I could get my hands on.

At 13, my mother and I immigrated to Canada. Here, my love for literature led me to social justice and community engagement initiatives. I am proud to have authored a publication that helps community service providers increase youth participation within their organizations.

I have a diploma in Broadcast Journalism from Seneca College. In addition, I am an alumnus of the Canada-China Scholars Exchange Program. Through this program, I was able to pursue language studies in Mandarin at Peking University, in Beijing.

I am an extrovert. I love interacting with people, and happiest when engaged in activities that contribute towards a positive change in society. I look forward to bringing my passion, energy, and social advocacy to the AUSU.

Location: Prince George, BC

My name is Amanda Lipinski, I am a wife, mother, full-time employee and part-time student.  I am currently working towards a Bachelor of Management with Athabasca University.  I love the Athabasca University community!

I would truly appreciate the opportunity to be re-elected as an AUSU Councillor to continue to contribute my experience, ideas and understanding of the challenges that myself and many other AUSU members face with post-secondary education.  I have actively participated on council for AUSU since October 2016 as well as participated as on the Member Engagement Committee and the Awards Committee and feel that this combined experience has given me the skills to ensure that I continue to be a positive and motivating voice for member representation.  I want the best for AUSU and would love to continue to serve AUSU members.

Thank you for your consideration.

Location: Palmer Rapids, ON

Check out my campaign video on YouTube here! 

Christine was born and raised in Barry’s Bay near Ontario’s majestic Algonquin Park. After obtaining her advanced diploma for Journalism – Print and Broadcast, Christine became the Managing Editor of her hometown community newspaper, where she remains today.

Wanting to expand on her education, she took advantage of her college’s articulation agreement with Athabasca University, and decided to work toward her Bachelor of Professional Arts in Communications Studies.

Since she is relatively new to the university, she wanted to dive in headfirst and learn about the issues facing her fellow students. Her main goals with AUSU include campaigning for fair fees and maintaining an open line of communication with students, AUSU and the university.

In her spare time, Christine volunteers as the Marketing and Communications officer with 1st Madawaska Valley Scouts, a group which is part of Scouts Canada. She currently lives in Quadeville, Ont., with her husband and two young boys. She has a quirky sense of humour and loves writing, photography and cooking.

Location: Athabasca, AB

A successful business owner who collaborates with large industrial companies throughout Western Canada, Federal and Provincial Government divisions and thousands of individuals to develop their education and training credentials.  I thrive when building teams and coordinating various projects and am looking forward to the possibility of applying these skills to promote all endeavours of the Athabasca University Student’s Union.  Accessibility to all is incredibly important to me.

After spending more than a decade, raising my 4 children and working full-time as a solopreneur, I know the value of an individual’s accessibility to higher education.  Distance learning has enabled me to pursue my career goals while supporting a growing family and I am dedicated to increasing access for potential and returning students to existing grant and funding systems.

I hold a National Construction Safety Officer designation from the Alberta Construction Safety Association, a Certificate in Occupational Health & Safety from the University of New Brunswick and am working towards my BA Psychology Major from the Athabasca University.