‘It’s about how to lead your life’

“I try to surround myself with incredible, inspiring
individuals. It is easy to achieve success if you have the motivation and support of incredible friends and family (and I owe so much to the inspiration I have received from my “Laurier” family).”

—Adam Lawrence, manager of Laurier’s Diversity and Equity Office

“When it comes to success there is absolutely no
substitute for hard work. If you are serious about achieving something you need to be willing to put in the hours. And caffeine is necessary, lots of caffeine.”

—Laura Carlson, Editor-in-Chief of The Cord 2009-10

“A guardian angel on one shoulder and a genie on the other: some days, in some classes, with some people the wonders of the world open up to me in breathtaking ways, while other times the incessant static noise of the world is overwhelming. Success? Ha. I’m still trying to
figure out how to feed the right spirit the right type of food.”

—Michel Desjardins, Laurier professor and chair of the global studies department

“I was very fortunate to marry very, very well and, to my relief and even greater good fortune, she feels the same. The rest is details.”

—Max Blouw, president of Wilfrid Laurier University

“Surrounding myself with positive, encouraging people has been key for me when striving for my dreams. To find success, we often have to take risks, and having a strong support system of family, friends and mentors is the main reason for any success I have achieved in my life.”

—Laura Sheridan, Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union (WLUSU) president 2009-10

“By bringing people along for the ride it helps you stay grounded and helps you never forget who you are and where you came from. Having those people around you is most important in being successful, and I’ve been lucky enough to have incredible friends and an amazing family.”

—Kyle Walker, WLUSU president

“I have achieved dreams and had reasonable success
because of so many wonderful people in my life … loving, caring parents, the unyielding love and support of my best friend Jill and my four children, the lessons learned from my Laurier mentors, Tuffy Knight, Rich Newbrough, Fred
Nichols and Don Smith and finally the many talented coaches and young people I have been surrounded by over the last 41 years.”

—Gary Jeffries, Laurier football coach

“By trying new opportunities as they arise, so your dreams are always evolving to be what is possible not what might have been. Try to determine what really makes you happy, not what others think should make you happy.”

—Deborah MacLatchy, Laurier vice-president: academic and provost

“I think that athletically I just dreamed of making big plays on the field and I think that I can look back over the past couple seasons and with satisfaction say that I’ve been able to do that. I would attribute that success to a combination of a lot of off-season sacrifice and work to strengthen my weaknesses, great people around me for making the road easier and the grace of God.”

—Dillon Heap, receiver for the Laurier men’s football team and 2010 Athlete of the Year

“It’s a combination really; making productive choices, working hard, using set-backs as stepping stones and always enjoying playing the game. I remember when I got ‘released’ from the U22 team after I had made it the year before, I was able (or forced) to take a step back and ask why I play? At that point, I remembered how much joy hockey brought to my life as a kid and growing up; whenever things go ‘wrong’ I try to think about that kid.”

—Liz Knox, Laurier women’s hockey goalie and 2010
Athlete of the Year

“Surround yourself with hard-working, brilliant and
innovative people. Keep up!”

—Bryn Ossington, Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications (WLUSP) president

“Actually invest yourself in things you care about. You can’t expect to do well at things if you’re apathetic. Invest in projects because they’ll help you learn, and invest in people because they’ll surprise you. Also, I always remind
myself that I have an endless amount of knowledge to
attain, and everything can teach me.”

—Judith Brunton, Radio Laurier programming manager

“It is about having a clear vision of what success looks like to you and having the self motivation to overcome any obstacles that may get in the way. There is no better feeling than the synergy that can be accomplished by sharing your dreams with a loved one or a high character group of individuals.“

—Rick Osborne, Laurier women’s hockey head coach

“Dare to dream but don’t stop there, act to make those dreams a reality and always challenge yourself daily. I attribute my success to perceiving the various obstacles I have faced along the way as challenges I was meant to overcome.”

—Saad Aslam, WLUSU vice-president: student affairs

“It’s not about money, or status, or the job that pays well or the picket fence. Rather, it is about being a good and ethical person, however you might define that, about paying attention to what is happening around you, about
taking responsibility and trying to do something, however small. It is about doing your best to be the kind of person you’d like other people to be.”

—Penelope Ironstone-Catterall, associate professor of cultural studies

“Having a bold vision and the enduring commitment to work for it, the power of positive thinking, building and nurturing trusting relationships, valuing the strength and contributions of the team, a loving life partner and family, calling a place home and always remembering that it’s all about how you treat others.”

—David McMurray, Laurier vice-president: student affairs

“Since dreams are a moving target for me, I have
really benefited from the support of my friends, family and teachers. They remind me that it’s okay to change my mind and start again.”

—Christinia Landry, Wilfrid Laurier University Graduate Students’ Association president

“I have achieved my dreams by following my heart. There are so many things that we wish for in life but so few things that really truly matter. The love from my family and my closest friends has shaped my life and I attribute any success to those relationships.”

—Cathie Hughes Meyer, executive assistant for student affairs

“Louis Pasteur Chance said that ‘chance favours the
prepared mind.’ Achieving my dreams can be credited to a combination of good chance and hard work … and the good fortune to be able to cultivate meaningful relationships along the way.”

—Leanne Holland Brown, dean of students for the Waterloo campus

“I’ve achieved (some of) my dreams by seeking out new perspectives and ideas, being willing to constantly question things, learn, and change, and always working to make things better and more just rather than reproducing the status quo. I attribute my success to the strong and diverse communities and people I’ve worked with; there is no such thing as individual success.”

—Laura McDonald, instructional assistant