Vancouver Community College is the oldest of its kind in British Columbia – this fact is not lost on Ajay Patel, who appreciates his role as its president every day. While a lot of his work is managing the institution’s operations, it is the idea of influencing the future generations of students that excites him.

“I suffered as a child,” David Chalk says. That is why his work is all about helping others get through life, specifically related to education and learning. He is very blunt – being told that he is “stupid” throughout his life is what drives him to come up with new ways to improve and help others improve as well. He doesn’t believe in writing people off; after all, he was written off by others during his youth and committed to prove people wrong.

Helen is committed to building a strong community and active in several local organizations and boards. She also serves as a mentor and life coach to youth and new immigrants.

In the world of postgraduate education, someone has to develop the classes and programs that lead to degrees. The challenge, however, is who? Who has the experience and insight into the topic and at the same time can design a structured education?