In this issue, our 13th, you’ll find the longest story we’ve printed since we initially published Wider Horizons
in the fall of 2007. At more than 3,000 words, it’s about three times the length of most of our pieces, but we felt such a moving, human story as that of our Veronica Turcotte, alumna and employee, and her family required, and deserved, telling in detail.
In her story, you’ll discover several human elements: courage, faith, grace, fear, love. These are not the sole domain of one person, one teenage boy, one family. We encounter them in life, and discover them in our pages, regularly. Seldom, though, are that many found in one telling.
For me, our magazine’s strength is its recounting of stories of people: their dreams, their academic and professional achievements, their triumphs over adversity. Their tales are the heart and muscle of Lethbridge College. If they were not a part of what we write in Wider Horizons, our publication would be but a dry husk, a sheaf of glossy paper made dull by their absence.
Last issue, I boasted of the people who make Lethbridge College an outstanding institution at which to gain an education. This time, I’d like to draw our readers’ attention to the folks who, by their willingness to be part of Wider Horizons, make its pages come alive with their stories.
I’ll let their own words prove my point, which is that it is they who make us come alive. You’ll read all of these quotes in this issue:
“I didn’t do it for the money. I think earning the doctorate has made me a better instructor; I can teach to a much greater depth.” – Ron Solinski.
“I would have loved vacations the last seven summers. Wherever [my wife and daughter] want to go on this planet, that’s where we’re going.” – Terry Kowalchuk.
“I moved out of my bedroom and into the kitchen. That was a big step for me.” – Calin Yablonski.
“I have a little education, but not enough to get a job to support both of us. I told myself I needed to get this done so I can give Logan a life.” – Amber Willis.
“I’d like to think I’m the conduit for young aspiring coaches to advance in their goals. We need to develop pathways to certification for coaches other than just relying on parents.” – Dawn Keith.
“Here I was leading five young female students into the bowels of a prison with only one guard as an escort.” – Earl Nilsson.
Amazing people, amazing stories.
In this issue, you’ll read why our alumni who run businesses often turn to our grads when they hire. You’ll hear about three grads who took different routes, but all in the fast lane, to success. We’ll take you inside a prison in Ecuador, gliding in a sailplane, and through the straits of student finances.
If you’re picking up this issue at our 2011 Convocation ceremonies, I’d like to note that with each April, Lethbridge College sends out another 600-plus “stories” into the world, yet unwritten but sure to be thrillers when they are.
