Category: Alumni Spotlight

Collaborative Vision Foundation founders and Quest alumni Matilda Taylor and Yassin Nayel, pictured above.

Quest University graduate Yassin Nayel has always been interested in the socio-economic side of medicine. In particular, he has thought a lot about who gets access to what treatments.

When he was growing up in Egypt, the son of an ophthalmologist, he volunteered with organizations working to stamp out preventable blindness and that passion has stuck with him.

Nayel graduated from Quest in 2018.

While there, his ‘question’ — which is like a major at other universities — was: “How can we ensure equal treatment of infectious diseases worldwide?”

One of the major causes of blindness in Egypt is an infectious disease called trachoma.

Nayel said while quality health care is available in Egypt, it is only accessible to those who can afford it.

“It is definitely good if you have money,” he said over the phone from Baltimore, Maryland, where he is attending medical school.

“[But Egypt] is not a big enough system to be able to accommodate the amount of people who don’t have money.”

Trachoma, therefore, is a disease of poverty.

Read the full article by the Squamish Chief.

Nadine Crowe ’13 is a Naturopath with a commitment to the Sea-to-Sky Corridor.

“When we have a sense of wellbeing as individuals, we are better able to contribute meaningfully to our communities.”

Tell us about your new business!
I’ve started my own clinical practice as a Naturopathic Family Doctor serving Squamish and Whistler.  

Where did the idea come from?

I completed my Medical Board Exams last spring and was considering my options. The lockdown gave me time to reflect on where I wanted to start my practice, and the space to put my ideas into a business plan. 

Why Squamish?

I always intended to move back to a small, mountain-based community so naturally, Squamish was high on my list (although it’s getting less small every day!). Growing up in Whistler and having family close by was an added pull. Squamish is a vibrant community with the accessibility to Vancouver yet the feeling of a small town. I have really felt the support of the community during the opening of my practice. It’s reassuring that the Squamish I came to love while I was at Quest is still very much here.

What do you hope to contribute to the community?

I hope to contribute to the framework of healthcare practitioners in the corridor and to provide care that is individualized and comprehensive. I hope to provide a clinical space for education, empowerment, and holistic healing, because when we have a sense of wellbeing as individuals, we are better able to contribute meaningfully to our communities.    

Can you list three skills you developed at Quest that helped you with this endeavour?

Adaptability. Interdisciplinary thinking. Empathy. 

What did your Question and Keystone explore?

My Question was, “What is a resilient food system?” and for my Keystone I explored how the co-operative model of community food systems can foster resilience. Although seemingly unrelated to medicine, the exploration of this question turned out to be foundational in how I have come to understand health and more importantly healing. Naturopathic medicine lies at the intersect of modern and traditional medicine and relies on evidence-based medicine alongside a holistic understanding of health. It is patient-centered, individualized medicine that supports the natural capacity for a person to evolve, very similar to what I learn in studying resilience in other natural systems.

What do you miss most about Quest?

I miss living in community. I miss the vigor and rewards of learning on the Block system. I miss the accessibility of Tutors to make sense of this world that we live in. I miss Block Breaks, and field trips, and wine & cheese!

Jake Henderson ’14 tells us about his recent acceptance to law school, and some strange things he’s seen while running maintenance on campus.

Is there anything about you that the Quest community doesn’t know?

I am adopted, and I spent some time in government care as a child. Statistically, I was more likely to end up in prison than in university—let alone law school. Two years in government care makes a child 60% more likely to be incarcerated by the time they reach 19.

Here in BC, we have almost as many families willing to adopt as we have children in care, yet we only average around 60-100 adoptions a year (out of 2000-3000 kids) because of bureaucracy and mismanagement of funds. It’s a problem people don’t talk about and they need to talk about it more. Children need a voice, especially Indigenous children who make up more than half of children in care. My background has made me passionate about this cause and I hope to make an impact in our province’s shortcomings with my legal degree.

Which brings us to your big news. You got into UVic law school. Congrats, Jake! Did you grow up dreaming about being a lawyer??

No! Law school never crossed my mind because it’s such an elite job. A lot of people have it all figured out when they get to university. My path has been a little trickier.

Here is how it happened. I wanted to help adoptive families like mine, so I started volunteering at the Adoptive Family Association of British Columbia, working on policy changes in adoption legislation/laws to get some experience. What I found was the ability of adoption agencies, non-profits, and social workers to enact change in the system was always hindered by the inaccessibility of the law.

At the end of every project, I would find myself on the phone with the Ministry of Child and Family Development, who would invariably suggest I call a lawyer to solve the problem. And I figured getting a law degree was cheaper than the price of calling a lawyer whenever I got stuck!

That’s a great story! What did you do once you knew you wanted to apply to law school?

Last year, I started studying for the LSAT and went back to take a half-semester of courses to bump up my GPA. By taking a series of difficult classes where I performed well, I was able to provide evidence that even after being away from university for four years, I could excel in a rigorous academic program. After that, it was six months of laborious studying for the LSAT, which is its own monster.

Needless to say, I didn’t have an enjoyable summer, but the hard work paid off! If anyone is thinking of the law school route, leave enough time to study for the LSAT! In fact, if anyone wants advice on law school admissions and LSAT, I have a breadth of now useless knowledge I am looking to do something with, so don’t hesitate to contact me!

People see you around campus and know you’re in Facilities, but what does that actually involve?

I joined Facilities right after graduation, and I’m now Team Lead for our maintenance crew. Along with my daily duties, I manage work-study students and summer students, participate in the Occupational Health & Safety Committee, help manage the Loading Bay, head off-hour snow removal, and do tons of other stuff nobody would even realize needs doing. I also run my own business in town, Green Truck Management, and I look after the Coast Mountain Academy facility, along with a few other residential homes in town. I stay pretty busy!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen while making the maintenance rounds on campus?

I have pulled out iPhones and student ID cards from clogged toilets and had to remove the entire toilet. I feel especially bad for those who flush their student ID cards: I know exactly who caused me the pain since I see their name! In fact, this is a perfect PSA opportunity: IF YOU DROP SOMETHING IN THE TOILET BY MISTAKE, DON’T FLUSH!

I have had the weirdest requests. People have asked to have bidets installed in their bathrooms. I’ve been asked when Custodial is going to be by to clean their rooms. I’ve also been asked to retrieve a wallet from a light fixture that was 10 ft. off the ground… How do people get into these situations?

Aside from “don’t flush weird things down the toilet,” do you have any tips for students who have big goals post-grad?

The difference between a ‘B’ paper and an ‘A’ paper is a trip to the Learning Commons. I was too lazy to head up the hill after every essay during undergrad and I have had to jump through so many hoops because of my past laziness. So…get good grades!

Also, make connections with your Tutors. The support they provide is a level above most universities. Shout-out to Shira Weidenbaum for playing such an important role in my journey!

And finally, take advantage of the Quest degree. Keystone and Experiential Learning provide unique experiences to put on CVs and grad applications. Volunteer if you can and participate in clubs to get involved. It will separate you from the pack when it’s application time. With a little foresight, the Quest degree really sets you up for success. And dream big! Don’t let hard work or a difficult path keep you from taking your life to the next level. Fear is subtle and pervasive; don’t let it dictate your future.

Finally, how did Quest help prepare you for what’s to come?

Given the intensity of the Block Plan, Quest has shown me what I am capable of. No matter how daunting the project or how short of a deadline, I was able to complete seemingly impossible tasks over and over again. This has improved my life in every setting.

Jordan Larson ‘16 tells us about being accepted to University of Michigan’s graduate program in the School for the Environment and Sustainability (SEAS).

Congrats! Tell us about being accepted at SEAS.

Since graduating from Quest, I’ve been working for EcoWorks, a non-profit in Detroit. As a coordinator in EcoWorks’ youth program, I facilitate groups of students called Green Teams in schools across the Detroit Public Schools district.

I’m especially interested in the topic of energy justice/democracy, and SEAS houses a research initiative focused on those issues, called The Urban Energy Justice Lab.

Also, the SEAS program is known for having an incredibly tight-knit, supportive and engaged community of students, which I value highly after my experience at Quest. I can’t wait to start in the fall, and who knows, maybe I’ll decide to pursue a PhD in the program as well!

We heard you also received a merit scholarship and were told you stood out as a passionate applicant!

In my acceptance letter, they said I stood out as one of the most talented and passionate applicants in the most competitive applicant pool they have ever seen. It felt really great to know that my hard work, passion, and unique academic background came through in my application and that I am the type of applicant the program is looking for. And regarding merit-based funding, I have been awarded a fellowship scholarship that will cover the majority of my tuition for my first year in the program, so I’m pretty happy about that, too!

That’s awesome! Do you think Quest helped prepare you for your application to SEAS?

Quest helped me in more ways than I can count.

I am a much better writer now, thanks to the priority Quest puts on written assignments, and I’m sure that helped me craft a more compelling application. Additionally, having research and formal presentation experience stemming from my Keystone project, being published in Quest’s peer-reviewed academic journal Momenta, and having two stellar letters of recommendation from Quest faculty members also helped make my application very strong.

But on a much deeper level, I feel confident saying that I likely wouldn’t have applied to SEAS at all, much less worked in Detroit Public Schools doing environmental justice work, if I had not attended Quest.

My entire experience at Quest instilled and reinforced in me that pursuing an education is truly about searching for meaning, fostering fascination, and asking the hard questions that need to be asked in your life and in the world at large. It’s not about getting a certain job or setting yourself up for some blanket and impersonal definition of “success.”

I will acknowledge that I’ve made very little money through the work I’ve been doing the past two years, but I now feel more like a human being, more alive, and more excited and motivated to live an intentional and impactful life than I would be if I hadn’t attended Quest.

What would you say to anyone thinking about applying to Quest?
Take a leap of faith and apply! There isn’t any other university like Quest, and while it isn’t perfect, after nearly three years of reflecting on my experience there, I still believe there isn’t a better or more engaged learning environment.

It’s hard to put into words what it’s like living in a community of people that are so passionate about what they are doing and studying. Not only will you make the best friends of your life, you will also get to work remarkably closely and develop meaningful relationships with your tutors, which is so incredibly valuable!

Maya Broeke ’17 talks about Quest, her love for sailing and her next big globe-spanning adventure.

Maya’s Question: How can nature inspire us?

Of all the schools…why Quest?

I really wanted a university education that would help me navigate my own unique path in the world. When I applied to Quest, I didn’t really know what that path would be yet––but I knew I wanted the ability to make things happen for myself. Quest seemed to promise that sort of learning more than other schools.

Okay, tell us about this awesome sailing expedition you’re embarking on!

My partner and I plan to sail around the world. Last winter we met a couple who spent 22 years sailing around the world. They saw every single island, made friends in every harbour, and sailed in every ocean on Earth. That’s our goal. We started last summer in the Mediterranean and explored the French canals, Sardinia, Corsica, Minorca, and the coast of Spain.

Next, we want to explore a bit more of the Mediterranean, and then maybe head up north to see Holland, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden…there’s a lot to see! In a few years, we’ll cross over the Atlantic and start exploring along the East Coast.

That’s so cool! What made you decide to start sailing?

The sailing dream has been a long time in the making. I dreamed about sailing around the world all throughout high school, which is a bit funny since I barely knew anything about sailing. In my second year at Quest, I got a sailboat given to me for $1 by some random strangers who I still haven’t met. I fixed that boat up and lived on it during my last year at Quest. After graduating, I got a job on a tall ship sailing around the Mediterranean. There, I met my partner, and now together we’re beginning our long-term sailing trip.

So, what’s the game plan?

Right now, we’re focusing on financing the trip. I’m creating short films about our voyage and the huge boat restoration we underwent, which I share with our audience on YouTube. That’s actually proving to be quite successful, and we now have enough viewers to support the journey financially. We’re also spending the winter in Switzerland working “real jobs” to save up. Boats can present you with a lot of unpredictable and large bills, so figuring out the finance side is a necessary part of a journey like this. After this winter is over, we’ll move onboard full-time.

One of my big goals is to get involved with some conservation work. I’m in touch with a couple of marine biologists who own a sailboat in the Mediterranean that they use for research, and I hope to start collaborating with them on a few of their projects. We have the unique opportunity to see a lot of places that are only accessible by boat, and I hope to use those opportunities to contribute to marine conservation related projects, either by collecting data or by offering our boat as a platform for other scientists or students to visit some of these places.

Any challenges you expect to face?

The biggest challenge most sailors face is weather. Our plans are constantly changing according to the whims of the wind. This summer we did a three-day crossing with extremely rough weather. We couldn’t even stand up in the boat without being thrown against the walls! Forget about cooking. When we tried to sleep, we were lifted from our bunk every time we crashed down a wave. The tiniest of tasks becomes a colossal effort in conditions like that. We were just focussed on keeping ourselves and the boat safe…and on trying to throw up over the side instead of all of the boat. Yup. Fun.

What’s something special that Quest taught you about life?

Quest taught me how much it’s possible to learn in 30 days. I can’t even begin to explain how invaluable that is. Sailing requires an incredible amount of diverse skills. You need knowledge in woodworking, fibreglass, electrical engineering, diesel mechanics, sewing, plumbing, sail handling, anchoring techniques, storm techniques, weather forecasting, and navigation.

When you sail to different places, you need to learn new languages quickly. And when you want to sail long-term like we do, you need to figure out the financial side, which in my case involves learning about business, filmmaking, website design, writing, and even how to self-produce an album. Quest taught me how to learn quickly, efficiently, accurately, but still with a great deal of depth. Those are very important skills.

Cello Lukey ’17 explains how Quest helped her pursue a career in midwifery. 

What was your question?

“How do people become parents?”

What path have you been on since graduation? How do you like the career you chose (midwifery)?

After graduating from Quest, I continued into the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) at Ryerson University. Throughout my degree, I was driven to pursue this career and tailored my question to prepare me for a health science profession. After so many years of dreaming about this program, it feels surreal to be living it.

How did your experience at Quest help prepare you for your path?

My years at Quest provided me with a maturity, both academically and socially, that has proven integral to my current path. The intimacy of the Quest community was a gift, in that my learning did not stop when I left the classroom. I was encouraged to collaborate on assignments, so our entire class could succeed. The high level of engagement I saw in my peers encouraged my own enthusiasm for digging into the uncomfortable aspects of my learning.

Are there any specific things about Quest that you thought were especially useful?

The biggest gift of studying at Quest was the proximity to the land. Right from the start, I felt encouraged to build a relationship with the surrounding forest, rivers and mountains. Now that I have moved to a city, I am able to recognize how invaluable this relationship continues to be for my health and education.

Upon applying to the MEP, the Quest alumni network became a great resource. During my final year at Quest, I was put in touch with an alum who was enrolled in a midwifery program like I was hoping to be. I received more dedicated counseling and friendship from this graduate than I would have ever expected. I sincerely believe this support in my admissions process to the MEP made my acceptance a reality.

Any life lessons learned at Quest?

The interdisciplinary approach of liberal arts, specifically, has been a strength for my current pursuits. In midwifery, we are encouraged to hold multiple perspectives to provide client-centred care. Quest challenged me to confront my strongly held beliefs and hold tension between my personal values and the value held by others. I gained an understanding of different disciplines, which has offered me lenses through which I can better listen to what my colleagues or clients are sharing with me.

Additionally, the self-determination that was expected at Quest fostered my deep belief that people deserve the right to make their own life decisions. Treating my education as something I was responsible for, rather than a path that was handed to me, taught me to be a better advocate. In midwifery, this means that I value informed-choice care, so clients may participate in shaping their care plan. And I believe in advocating for their decisions to change cultural habits around pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. I feel confident in taking a radical approach to my practice while holding a deep respect for the people around me.

Is there any moment or growing experience at Quest, academic or non-academic, that still stands out to you?

Over the four years I was at Quest, I witnessed a lot of powerful growth in my peers. Because our community is so small, the space seems saturated with friendship, love, conflict, stress, illness… the list goes on. What continues to stand out for me about my Quest experience, is how much I cared. A year later, I am appreciating how much I still care for the stories we made. It certainly sets a high bar for the expectations I hold when I join new community.