AU graduates are realizing their highest contributions locally and globally
Hats off to all 1,995 graduates in Athabasca University’s Class of 2025!
The Class of 2025 is a special group of grads who each chose AU and flexible online learning so they could realize their highest contributions near and far. Learning at AU has allowed them to advance their careers, develop as leaders and thinkers, pursue research, share their talent with others, and give back to their communities.
To celebrate their achievements, we’re proud to share a selection of inspiring stories from the Class of 2025.
In search of purpose and connection
James McInnes (Master of Business Administration ’25)
📍 Calgary, Alta.
James McInnes has spent much of his life searching for his purpose. After discovering his Métis heritage and becoming a father, he started to re-evaluate his purpose and went for his graduate degree.
He viewed his MBA like an incubator—he built his free relationship management platform, Prompty, through assignments and class discussions.
"That’s one of the challenges of being an entrepreneur. It takes risk to do it, and with this, I could tell myself, ‘Even if Prompty fails, I'm going to have an MBA.'”
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Remote study powers possibility
Kylie McKenzie (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Major ’25)
📍Blue Ridge, Alta.
For Kylie McKenzie, returning to school as a mature student was rooted in a desire to support others, especially within her community.
Living in a rural hamlet and raising five kids, aged three to 14, meant commuting or moving wasn’t an option.
“My kids are damn proud of me, and my husband is my biggest fan. He always believed I'd finish this degree—even when I doubted myself. Convocation feels like a collective achievement for our whole family.”
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Eldest grad proves it’s never too late to learn
Judy Obee (Bachelor of General Studies ’25)
📍Calgary, Alta.
At age 76, Judy Obee is the eldest member of the Class of 2025. Though her academic journey came later in life than most, she had very strong motivations when she enrolled six years ago: to keep her mental faculties sharp into her golden years.
After watching both her parents succumb to the ravages of dementia, Obee learned a lot about the various forms of cognitive decline and was determined to do whatever she could to live a healthy lifestyle.
Not only was Obee able to keep her brain tack-sharp through her studies at AU, she earned straight-As along the way!
“AU's flexibility is critical for me to achieve my brain-exercise goal. So, thanks to AU, I think that I will have a healthy future!”
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Perseverance and the power of support
Carrie Bueckert (Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Major ’25)
📍 Calgary, Alta.
When Carrie Bueckert walks across the convocation stage at Athabasca University, she’ll mark more than a degree 35 years in the making—she’ll be celebrating determination, resilience, and the power of support.
Bueckert began university in the early 1990s but paused her studies to focus on other priorities. Decades later, she returned to school and encountered learning challenges she hadn’t previously identified. A psychological assessment revealed she has ADHD and dyslexia.
With support from AU’s Accessibility Services, she received accommodations that transformed her academic experience—she’s now graduating with distinction.
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Health leader overcomes adversity
Laurie Mortimer (Master of Nursing ’25)
📍Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
After working two decades as a nurse in palliative care—in both frontline and leaderships positions—Laurie Mortimer was inspired to begin graduate studies to deepen her leadership skills and help guide the next generation of nurses.
At first, she was just like every student, juggling between work and studies, until she was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma—a type of skin cancer that had spread to other places in the body. Suddenly, she went from palliative care specialist to patient.
“My professional health-care knowledge was the driver that made me keep going.”
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Entrepreneur helps families connect with the past
Bradley Pierson (Bachelor of Management ’25)
📍 Edmonton, Alberta
Bradley Pierson always knew that he wanted to do something in the field of genealogy. The Bachelor of Management grad is the founder of Trouvay, an investigative genetic genealogy firm that helps people uncover truths about their biological families.
“There are so many families deserving answers, and I've got a long life ahead of me, hopefully. So, I'm very excited at the possibility. I’m not going to let this rest until I die.”
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‘This is my second chance at life’
Kethra Stewart (Master of Health Studies '25)
📍Kelowna, B.C.
Kethra Stewart nearly lost everything due to drug and alcohol addiction. After hitting bottom in her 20s, she made a promise to herself that she'd do whatever it takes to get better.
Now 21 years sober, Stewart, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, is living her "second life" as an Indigenous scholar, single mom, triathlete, and accomplished cellist. She became the first in her family to earn a bachelor's degree and now a master's.
“I really believe in second chances and this is my second chance—this is my second chance at life.”
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From the Olympics to Convocation
Dahria Beatty (Bachelor of Management, Marketing Major '25)
📍Whitehorse, Yukon
Dahria Beatty is pretty good at making goals and sticking with them over the long haul—in sport and in education.
On her eighth birthday just after the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Beatty set a goal of one day competing among the world's best.
Sixteen years later, Beatty achieved that goal by competing in cross-country skiing at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang—a feat she duplicated at the 2022 games in Beijing.
Her academic career at Athabasca University was a similar long game—12 years of study while she focused on her athletic career.
“I was never worried that I wasn't going to finish my degree. I've always been very comfortable in school, and I felt very okay with making the decision to prioritize skiing and have school supplement it.”
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Love of learning keeps four-time grad coming back to AU
Anne Kustra (Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies ’24)
📍Fruitland, Ontario
“Some people like to go travel. Some people like to do scrapbooking, or whatever. I love learning, and I love learning online.”
So that’s what Class of 2025 Master of Arts grad Anne Kustra did—30 years into an intense and demanding career as an operating-room nurse. The two bachelor’s degrees she earned from Athabasca University (Bachelor of Nursing ’10, Bachelor of General Studies ’16) helped her to advance her career, as she took on a clinical educator role. The two master’s degrees she has earned since she retired (Master of Health Studies ’20, Master of Arts – Interdisciplinary Studies ’24) were mostly for the joy of learning.
"At this point in my life it's not for career advancement, it's just for my own personal satisfaction," she said. "And I want to continue on."
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Convocation 2025—a celebration like no other!
Read more stories about AU students and grads as part of our Convocation 2025 coverage.