Convocation
The 101St Annual Convocation of St. Stephen's College
Join us on Monday, October 27 for the 101st Convocation of St. Stephen’s College. We look forward to celebrating the graduating class of 2025, including honorary degree recipients Rev. Dr. Gordon Oaks and Dr. Kae Neufeld.
Graduating students, please contact Shelley Westermann to register for Convocation.
Student Research Presentations and Reception
Join the graduating class of 2025 as they present their final research projects on Monday, October 27 at 2:00 p.m. Presentations will be delivered on the ground floor of St. Stephen’s College (in the Library and Art Studio). This event is free of charge and will feature a wine and cheese reception.
Convocation Ceremony
The 101st Convocation Ceremony will be held on October 27, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at the in the Old Strathcona Theatre District. All are welcome to join the Chancellor, Principal, Faculty, Board, and Senate as we confer degrees and celebrate each student’s accomplishments. Reception to follow. Paid and unpaid parking is available in the area.
If you have any questions or require assistance, please email Sean McCauley, External Relations Officer at smccaule@ualberta.ca.
MEET THE 2025 GRADUANDS
MASTER OF PSYCHOTHERAPY AND SPIRITUALITY
Aurora Cardenas Topete (Art Therapy)
During her studies, Aurora enjoyed the opportunity to work with a variety of populations through her practicum placements, gaining valuable insight into the diverse ways art therapy can support well-being. She holds a particular passion for working with seniors and their caregivers, helping to foster connection, dignity, and emotional resilience in later life. Aurora is beginning her career as an art therapist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital and CASA Mental Health in Edmonton, where she is excited to continue making a meaningful difference through her work.
Capstone Title: What about me?: A Mental Health Resource for Caregivers of People Living with Dementia
Favourite SSC Memory: Favorite memory from St. Stephen’s College is taking in-person art therapy courses in the studio, where hours of creating alongside classmates fostered connection, inspiration, and a shared love for the creative process.
Future Ambitions: Establishing a mental health non-profit organization for seniors and their caregivers in Alberta.
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Crystal Chagnon (Art Therapy)
Crystal Chagnon is a Métis woman from rural Manitoba. She has been working in the addictions and trauma counselling for over twenty years. Her research focused on mind-body and psycho-spiritual approaches to treating clients with chronic illness. She looks forward to building a psycho-spiritual art therapy practice.
Capstone Title: Exploring a Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Healing Chronic Illness: A Creative Journal for Emotional and Spiritual Nourishment
Favourite SSC Memory: I loved the deep friendships formed and spiritual depth of my peers.
Future Ambitions: Open a unique private practice that has Spirit at the core of practice.
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Wing Yan Chan (Art Therapy)
Vivian Wing Yan Chan, originally from Hong Kong and now based in Edmonton, is completing her Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality with a focus in Art Therapy. She works primarily with children, youth, and people with disabilities, and her research explores how art therapy, neuroscience, and trauma-informed care can be woven together to support those impacted by adverse childhood experiences.
Capstone Title: UNPACK-MAN: Bridging Trauma and Resilience through Creativity - An Integrative Art Therapy Manual for Supporting Adolescents Through Bullying
Favourite SSC Memory: Being in the art therapy studio, learning, sharing, and gaining an understanding of different perspectives, knowledge, and skills.
Future Ambitions: Entering the profession with further training to support and advocate alongside marginalized communities, and pursuing potential future research on ACEs.
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Deni Leah Fitzpatrick (Counselling)
Deni Fitzpatrick lives in Edmonton, Alberta and is working in the fields of Education and Psychotherapy. Receiving her Master’s degree in counselling is a dream come true! Deni looks forward to what professional opportunities will unfold as therapist and how her community will continue to grow in the coming years.
Capstone Title: Constructing a Mosaic: The Spiritual and Sexual Integration Process of LGBTQIA+ Christians from Conservative Faith Traditions
Favourite SSC Memory: The many informal conversations with my student colleagues, studying and eating together, spontaneous dancing, and of course, talking about my scuba
diving/snorkelling metaphor.
Future Ambitions: To work in private practice as a psychotherapist.
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Jaymie Friesen (Counselling)
Jaymie Friesen lives in Winnipeg, MB – Treaty 1 Territory. She has spent the last 8 years working with Mennonite Central Committee to prevent and respond to the realities of abuse within faith communities. Her academic and clinical interests, shaped by personal experience, focus on treating lesser-known OCD subtypes through a holistic model.
Capstone Title: Small Steps of Trust: A Holistic Approach to OCD Treatment
Favourite SSC Memory: Meeting kindred spirits – and graduating :)
Future Ambitions: Educating mental health professionals in Manitoba to better understand the full range of OCD presentations and lived experiences. Starting a group therapy practice to
support folks with OCD.
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Nova Hartman (Art Therapy)
Nova has spent the years of her masters training to help individuals use creativity as a tool to understand themselves, their values, and what they desire. She is passionate about guiding others to move forward with curiosity and providing them with the skills to create the reality that makes sense to them. Nova is dedicated to a practice that empowers individuals to break free from oppressive and unsupportive narratives and embrace their values, allowing them to engage with the world in a fulfilling and meaningful way.
Capstone Title: Nurturing the Self Through Leisure: A Postpartum Depression Protection Workshop Series for Women in Edmonton, Alberta
Favourite SSC Memory: Snack time with Leslie.
Future Ambitions: Teach self-regulation skills to up and coming psychotherapists.
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Jessica Jurgenliemk (Counselling)
Jessica Jurgenliemk is a certified music therapist (MTA) from Nova Scotia, now settled in Edmonton thanks to the unique draw of St. Stephen’s holistic, deep-dive approach to psychotherapy and spirituality. Her capstone research focused on the integration of music therapy and counselling/psychotherapy by dually-certified professionals, and other interests include somatic, trauma-informed, and attachment-based approaches to therapy.
Capstone Title: Integration of Music Therapy and Psychotherapy by Dually-Trained Professionals
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Carly Lo (Art Therapy)
Carly is at home in the prairies, and she is passionate about the power of art and play. She enjoys laughter as good medicine, connection as energy, and creativity as fuel for change.
Capstone Title: ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ in Therapy for Young Adolescents with Anxiety
Favourite SSC Memory: Every time Lianne thoughtfully made us another pot of coffee for class.
Future Ambitions: Live life in balance
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Julia Mallett (Counselling)
Juli is a psychotherapist and Anglican priest living and working on Salt Spring Island.
Capstone Title: Dream Thinking and Adaptive Leadership
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Emily Perkins (Counselling)
Emily Perkins lives in Victoria, BC and completed her thesis on impactful dreams and their ability to transform and connect. Emily has worked in supportive housing, community counselling and horticulture, and deeply believes in the therapeutic elements of nature.
Thesis Title: Dreaming Across and Between: A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Self-Study
Future Ambitions: A lifelong learner, Emily hopes to pursue further graduate studies in the field, train in dreamwork, and eventually write a book.
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Teresa Rozema (Art Therapy)
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Jennifer Saner-Harvey (Counselling)
Jennifer Saner-Harvey, residing in Winnipeg, MB, Treaty 1 Territory, is graduating with a Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality and is currently working in the field. She also holds a Masters in Conflict Transformation, and her holistic approach combines relational, imaginal, somatic, and spiritual practices to foster healing, particularly in relation to grief and trauma.
Capstone Title: Bridging: Nurturing Healing through Inviting Emergent Metaphor in Psychotherapy
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Emily Schmidt (Art Therapy)
Emily is passionate about building a holistic practice, empowering individuals of all ages to find their voices and navigate life’s challenges and aspirations through a client-centered approach that fosters emotional resilience and meaningful self-expression. Deeply rooted to her connection to nature and creativity, she integrates these values into her identity as a therapist and has cultivated a flexible and compassionate desire to further support clients.
Capstone Title: Nature As Self-Care: A Mental Health Manual to Bridging the Relationship Between Therapeutic Client and Nature
Favourite SSC Memory: Practicing expressive art interventions with classmates in the studio.
Future Ambitions: Emily hopes to build an inviting outdoor therapy practice that can utilize the healing benefits of mother nature while also creating a safe space for reflection.
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Amanda Weaver (Counselling)
Amanda Weaver has received her master’s in psychotherapy and spirituality in the counselling stream. St. Stephens has been a phenomenal building block for her to explore spirituality beyond traditional religious frameworks. She will be offering psychotherapy in Ontario where she resides with the intention of growing her own psychotherapy practice. Amanda’s future inquiry leads her to conduct research and pursue a PhD in Transpersonal Psychology.
Capstone Title: Educating Clinicians on the Spiritual and Transpersonal Effect of Meditation
Favourite SSC Memory: The time spent with faculty and peers now friends in presence while expanding consciousness.
Future Ambitions: Completing my PhD at California Institute of Integral Studies in Transpersonal Psychology and growing her psychotherapy practice.
MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES
Jeremiah Ellis (Faith and Culture Specialization)
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Yo’vella Mizrahii
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Rachel Nadon (Diaconal Ministry)
Rev. Rachel Nadon is a Diaconal Minister for the United Church of Canada serving in congregational ministry at Knox United Church in Drumheller. Rachel has persevered through many challenges in her academic learning experience which will enhance and inform her ministry work in the future.
Integrative Theology Paper Title: Emergent Theologies from Colonization
Favourite SSC Memory: Rachel had a conversation with the administration staff at St Stephen’s college when she was attending an in person intensive course. With the encouragement of the staff she enrolled in the joint program St. Stephen’s College has with the Centre for Christian Studies to earn a University Degree, which is something she believed she would never be capable of achieving but was excited of the possibility of working towards that achievement.
Future Ambitions: To continue to serve in Congregational Ministry for the United Church of Canada as a Diaconal Minister.
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Caroline Ann Nelson (Spiritual Care Specialization)
Graduate Certificate in Spiritually-Informed Psychotherapy
Cheuk Ling Chan
Leanna is philosophical counsellor and a Vipassana meditator who has been researching on the intersection of cultural and religious worldviews to help clients make sense of today’s global society. She lives in Toronto where she enjoys the vibrance and the diversity.
Favourite SSC Memory: Practicing counselling techniques with classmates.
Future Ambitions: Leanna wishes to promote the “fitness and nutrition” side on the mental health spectrum as opposed to the illness side through her own business ventures
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Chelsea Miller
Chelsea Miller lives in St. Albert, Alberta. Her primary background is in the education field with a special interest in providing mental health support for children and adolescents.
Future Ambitions: To become a school-based certified counsellor.
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Christina Tait
Graduate Certificate in Spiritually-Informed Creative Arts
Gagandeep Passi
Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies
Mary Faith Blackburn
Mary Faith is a Recognized Designated Lay Minister in The United Church of Canada. Mary Faith lives in Grande Prairie, Alberta. Now retired, she still leads worship a couple of times a month, which delights her and keeps her brain active. Mary Faith’s studies in the Master of Theology programme dovetailed nicely with her practice of ministry. She enjoyed all her courses, as well as how supportive everyone at St. Stephen’s has been throughout her years of study! Happily spending time now with 3 grown children, 2 amazing grandchildren, 4 pseudo-grandchildren, her god-daughter, and occasionally helping in her daughter-in-law’s grade 4 classroom. Mary Faith has a 14 month old rescued puppy that helps keep her fit!
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Lorajoy Tira Dimangondayao
Lorajoy is most interested in religion vis-à-vis migration, particularly in how the shared meal serves as a counter-cultural platform for nurturing spiritual friendships in the Canadian context.
Favourite SSC Memory: I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with faculty on campus. There is a warmth to the building that exudes welcome and friendship.
Future Ambitions: I hope to deepen roots in my Edmonton community and to use my St. Stephen’s education to continue inviting people to the table.
ABOUT CONVOCATION
The annual Convocation at St. Stephen's College is held in late October or early November, normally at Convocation Hall on the ¶®É«µÛ campus. Convocation is a public celebration of the life and work of the College. It is an opportunity to gather students and their loved ones together with the broader community of St. Stephen's and the general public to celebrate each student's academic accomplishments. Convocation is also an opportunity to confer honorary degrees and awards upon persons who have made exceptional contributions of leadership or ministry in their faith community or to the broader public.
Convocation at St. Stephen's College is a full day event. In the afternoon, students deliver a public research presentation detailing their graduate work and their journey at the College.
The Convocation ceremony happens in the evening. Donned in full academic regalia, each graduating student and honorary degree recipient has their degree or certificate conferred upon them.