Category: Alumni Spotlight

#BVGAlumni Lauren Shannan ’09 is the founder of NextGen Immigration and a regulated Immigration Consultant as well as a licensed Paralegal with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and Notary Public. She started NextGen Immigration, an immigration consulting firm in 2019 after working in the industry for multiple law firms since 2014. She was also an Immigration Instructor with Herzing College Toronto Campus. With a wealth of knowledge and experience across the corporate and individual sectors, she has represented thousands of clients in all types of unique matters, thriving in the fast-paced and ever-changing world of Canadian immigration. Lauren also recently went to Nepal in March/April 2022 for the base camp trek to Mt. Everest, trekking from 6-12 hours per day for three weeks. She is looking forward to summiting a mountain in the near future. We wish Lauren all the best in her future endeavours.

#BVGAlumni Capt Jake Herrmann ’15 attended the Royal Military College of Canada after graduated from Bayview Glen, where he studied political science. After his degree, he spent a year in Gagetown New Brunswick to finish training as an Artillery Officer. From there, he was posted to CFB Valcartier as a Artillery Troop Commander. After about a year, he deployed to Kuwait in November on Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve. CJTF OIR is a US-led military coalition with the mission to militarily defeat Daesh (more commonly known as ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. For the past 6 months Capt Herrmann worked in OIR’s planning directorate as the CJ5 Contributing Nations Coordination Cell planner, working on force management projects and joint manning documents as the coalition transitioned to it’s current “Advise, Assist, Enable” mandate. Capt Herrmann was promoted to the rank of Captain during his time in the Middle East. Capt Herrmann is returning to his home base in Quebec as the X battery Gun Position Officer at the 5e Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada, and will soon become a forward observer officer after his next phase of training. We wish Jake all the best in his future endeavours.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Aaron Davis ’19 on being elected as the new President of the Commercial Aviation Management Student Council at Western University. Aaron is currently studying Commercial Aviation Management at Western in the Management and Organizational Studies division of the Social Science faculty. In addition, Aaron is a Hangar Maintenance and Stores Technician at Smart Aviation Maintenance Solutions, and he is a private pilot working towards his Commercial Pilots License with Multi-Engine and Instrument Flight Ratings. We wish Aaron all the best in his future endeavours.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Sasha Mostafavi ’07 on his new role with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP as an Associate. Sasha’s practice is concentrated in the areas of tax litigation and dispute resolution in the tax audit, appeals and collection processes. Previously, he worked at a tax boutique law firm in Toronto. After graduating Bayview Glen, Sasha completed a Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics from York University, followed by a Masters of Law degree and Juris Doctor degree from Bond University. We wish Sasha continued success in his career journey.

#BVGAlumni Rachel Aizen ’07 graduated from UBC Okanagan with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in history and minor in geography. The Parent Association Community Service Scholarship award that Rachel received from Bayview Glen in her graduating year has had so much influence in her life that she often volunteers with different national well-established organizations. After graduation, Rachel wanted to be giving back to the UBC Okanagan community where she now works for the TYDE project (transitions youth with disabilities to employment) as an Office Assistant. At the time that she received this job, it was a provincial centre, and through funding and donations, it is now a national institute. Check out the UBC website if you are interested in learning more about this unique project.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Robert Robitu ’17 on his new position as a Media Analysis trainee at the European Central Bank’s Global Media Relations Division in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. Robert graduated from University College London (UCL) in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and obtained his Master of Science degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2021 specializing in European and International Political Economy. We wish Robert all the best in his future endeavours. #alumnispotlight #bvgforever #5years #milestonecelebration

#BVGAlumni Suzanne Pickard Duquette ’02 and her partner Jason founded JS Quarter Horses in 2004 near London, Ontario and their operation includes training, lessons, sales and a small breeding programme focussing on Western and English horses. They also established JS Doodles in 2013 where they help to pair families with puppies for their forever homes. More than the many wins and awards, Suzanne and Jason treasure their daughter Erin and the lasting friendships they have made over the years. Suzanne is proud that Erin competed in the US and Canada and showed their two horses in 2021. We wish Suzanne and her family all the best in their future endeavours.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Rebecca Steckham ’07 on her recent promotion as Director of Social Media and Strategic Partnerships at Tag, which is the preferred creative production partner for brands and agencies globally. Rebecca has been working at Tag since 2017 and has previous work experience at Cundari and Postmedia Network. Rebecca obtained her Bachelor of Arts, English and Communications degree from McMaster University in 2011 and completed the Advanced Diploma, Journalism from Centennial College in 2013. We wish Rebecca continued success in her career journey.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Sara Alimardani ’02 on her new position as Government Relations Lead for Peel Regional Police. Previously, Sara worked as a Senior Advisor to Mayor Bonnie Crombie, and as the Director of Stakeholder Relations in six ministerial portfolios for the Ontario Government. She has managed a number of municipal, provincial and federal campaigns including a leadership contest. She currently sits on the Steering Committee for the Toronto Chapter of Equal Voice and is the past-president of the Iranian Women’s Organization of Ontario. Sara completed her Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and Government from University of Toronto in 2007, and obtained her Master of Science in International Relations from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in 2008. We wish Sara all the best in her future endeavours.

Congratulations to #BVGAlumni Amar Gupta ’07 on co-founding the Brüst Beverage Company in 2018 and developed brüst – a protein coffee drink designed for professional athletes, Olympians, busy parents, young professionals, and thousands of other individuals looking for a healthy alternative to fuel their day. Amar graduated from Cornell University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Sciences with Honours, Applied Economics and Management, and he obtained his MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University in 2017. Prior to being the CEO and Co-Founder at Brüst, Amar has previous experience working as Vice President, Sales at NMI Group of Companies and as Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. We wish Amar continued success in his business journey.