On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, the KPU community gathered at the Cedar Conference Centre on the Surrey campus for the inaugural Community Impact Career Showcase (CICS), an energizing day of learning, connection, and career exploration.
The event was hosted by the Career Development Centre and brought together a vibrant crowd of students, alumni, faculty, and industry partners. Employers from non-profit, private, public-sector, and social-purpose organizations joined us, including Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, Canadian Blood Services, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, and many more. Together, they showed students how rewarding careers can also make a difference in the communities they call home.
The day kicked off with a one-hour faculty and student showcase for our community partners, open to employers and faculty members. Faculty and student presenters gave employers a clear, inspiring look at how KPU collaborates with industry partners to build meaningful, high-impact projects while bringing hands-on learning to students. This year’s showcase featured:
Dr. Carroll Boydell, Criminology, with student Milan Virk. They presented a Group Action Project from CRIM 4112, in which students design a product or resource that aims to reduce criminal offending or victimization and is grounded in an empirically supported psychological explanation of crime.
Dr. Gordon Cobb, Music, with student Ari Dignall. They presented the Wake Up Social Justice Music Festival, a third-year course students take as part of KPU’s Music Minor, along with the new COHORT program.
Dr. Kyle Jackson, Department of History, with students Tracey Macatangay and Thomas Komusi. Dr. Jackson presented a practicum project by Tracey Macatangay, a KPU Applied Geography graduate. Using her geography/GIS and urban-planning skills, she partnered with Universal Access Design Inc. to assess intersection and sidewalk accessibility in Cloverdale. History student Thomas Komusi then presented his current practicum project with City of Surrey Heritage Services. He is researching, writing, and testing a brand-new walking tour of historic Surrey Centre and Christ Church Cemetery in Cloverdale, using original archival research and the digital tool StoryMaps.
When the showcase wrapped up, the doors opened to students and alumni. Attendees moved from table to table, asking questions, sharing their goals, and exploring part-time, full-time, co-op, and volunteer opportunities. Employers, in turn, enjoyed rich, engaging conversations and discovered KPU’s top talent. Many students left energized, with new industry connections, co-op possibilities, and volunteer opportunities to follow up on.
This year’s participating employers were:
- Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver
- Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland
- Brella Community Services Society
- Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
- CoDevelopment Canada
- Canadian Blood Services
- Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit - BC (CFSEU-BC)
- Community Living BC
- Delta Police Department
- Inclusion Langley Society
- Liberty Tax
- Public Service Commission of Canada
- Public Safety Canada
- KidStart (PLEA Community Services)
- Sources Community Resources Centre
- Shelter Movers Vancouver
- Options Community Services Society
- Girl Guides of Canada
- Vancouver Region Educational Services
- Official Languages Programs
- PLEA Community Services
- Pacific Community Resources Society (PCRS)
- Sherwin-Williams Canada
- The Salvation Army – Surrey Ministries
- Rainbow Greenhouses
- New Westminster Police Department
Students who met with at least five employers earned a chance to win one of the event’s door prizes.
Preparation played a big part in the day’s success. In the weeks leading up to CICS, the Career Development Centre’s Kickoff Series offered webinars on resumes and cover letters, networking, and interviews. It also included an in-person Career Clinic workshop, where students had their materials reviewed by career coaches and could get a professional LinkedIn photo taken. Students arrived at CICS with polished materials and the confidence to start conversations.
A heartfelt thank-you to Dr. Boydell, Dr. Cobb, Dr. Jackson, and their student presenters for sharing their work, and to all the students, alumni, faculty, employers, and the Career Services and Employer Relations teams whose collaboration and dedication made this event possible.
Missed it? Don’t worry! We have two more career fairs coming up in February and March 2027. Visit the Career Development Centre website to explore all of our upcoming events.
