TWU 2023 Alumni Awards celebrate and recognize alumni who exemplify the vision of the University to equip graduates to pursue their calling and participate in God’s renewal of the world through their lives and careers.
A special gala to honour award recipients
At a special gala during Homecoming 2023, TWU celebrated alumni who are contributing to the good of the world. Their stories encourage the greater TWU community with a testament of God’s work through their lives as alumni, and inspire us to honour the Lord in all that we do.
In line with the University’s vision to see every graduate equipped to think truthfully, act justly, and live faithfully, for the good of the world and the glory of God, the three awards presented at the gala evening were in the categories of Thinking Truthfully, Acting Justly, and Living Faithfully.
Thinking Truthfully Award
Dr. Hanna Lucas is this year’s Think Truthfully Alumni Award recipient, an award to recognize exemplary commitment to pursue truth through excellence in Christian research, ministry, and the formation of the Christian mind.
Dr. Lucas has made significant contributions to the academic field and has shown a dedication to using her expertise to promote truth and integrity in her work.
Originally hailing from Abbotsford, B.C., Hanna graduated from TWU in 2008 with a BA in Christianity and Culture and again in 2015 with an MA in Biblical Studies.
Choosing to pursue a PhD in Theology at Durham University in the north of England, she moved to the UK with her husband and four children. Since completing her doctoral studies in 2022 focusing on two main areas—Christian initiation in the early Church and systematic theology—Dr. Lucas has become a published author of a book called Sensing the Sacred. She has lectured at Durham University and at the College of the Resurrection (both in the UK) and has become a Research Fellow at the Catechesis Institute at Baylor University. She has presented several papers at academic conferences in the UK, the Netherlands, and the US, and has also written a chapter for a book called Early Christian Mystagogy and The Body.
Due to her rich knowledge and deeply informed writings, Dr. Lucas has recently been invited to become a member of a group of 10 global Anglican clergy and theologians who are collaborating on a new catechism for the worldwide Anglican Communion. She has become known for her scholarship and writing about the early church fathers and her clear understanding of biblical truth and its foundation in Christ.
Congratulations Dr. Hanna Lucas!
Acting Justly Award
Nikki Whaites is this year’s Act Justly Alumni Award recipient.
This award recognizes a Trinity Western University graduate who is making a significant impact in the world by promoting justice, caring for the marginalized, and advocating for the oppressed. The award honours those who demonstrate commitment to social justice through work, activism, and service to their communities.
Nikki graduated from TWU in 2000 with a BA in Communication and went on to the University of Guelph to complete her MSc in Rural Extension Studies, examining the role of media and communication in international aid and development.
She credits her time at Trinity Western for reinforcing her belief in Corinthians 13:13 “…and the greatest of these is love”—a conviction that led her into an impactful career that has focused on ensuring equity and equality for all. Nikki can count many challenging, dangerous, yet deeply satisfying times in her career, including her role leading the development of legal aid programming for women in Afghanistan, allowing them to seek legal recourse against abusers; or when she interviewed Yazidi women who escaped ISIS in Northern Iraq as part of an effort to document ISIS abuses. She can tell of a time she helped with journalism training in post-war Sierra Leone and Liberia to ensure the development of a free and fair press, or when she designed and launched a radio-based school for girls in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of efforts to help them avoid early and forced marriage.
Her work has taken her to dozens of conflict zones, including Darfur in Sudan, Malakal in South Sudan, Jalalabad and Kabul in Afghanistan; Dohuk, just outside of Mosul in Iraq while it was still ISIS occupied, and post-earthquake Haiti, to name a few.
A regular public speaker, Nikki has spoken at the NATO Association of Canada on girls’ education in armed conflict environments and was featured in ELLE Magazine and at the ELLE Canada Elle Inspires series as a female influencer who has changed the landscape for women.
Congratulations to Nikki Whaites!
Living Faithfully Award
Kory Sorensen is this year’s Live Faithfully Alumni Award recipient.
The Living Faithfully Alumni Award recognizes a Trinity Western University graduate who embodies the university's commitment to equipping graduates to faithfully participate in God’s renewal of the world. This award honours alumni who have given of themselves time and time again, demonstrating a commitment to serving others and spreading the love of Christ in the places they live and work. The award honours someone with a steadfast devotion to living out their faith, inspiring others to do the same.
Korey is a local B.C. alumnus who graduated from Trinity Western in 1992 with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Korey has served in ministry as a pastor and church administrator for thirty years. He spent five years in the denominational head office as a leader in a missions agency, working to modernize and implement missions funding. With a heart for missions, a love for people, and an understanding of the value of education, he co-founded Classrooms for Africa with his late father-in-law, which has built more than 100 classrooms in Uganda, South Africa, and other countries.
Being mission and business minded, our award recipient serves as chair and board member on dozens of charities, doing work both locally and internationally. He worked with Summit Pacific College to create a not-for-profit organizational leadership program that has helped ministry-minded young adults find new ways to serve locally and overseas. Not only that, but he teaches and leads the program and serves as a senior leader for the college. His impact on education is felt here at Trinity Western where he teaches business as mission, providing personal insight to his students as they prepare to live faithfully in the field themselves.
Korey’s personal and business life constantly reflect his commitment to Christ and to sharing the good news of the gospel in whatever location, circumstance, or setting he’s in.
Congratulations to Kory Sorensen!
About TWU Alumni
Whether you’re a recent graduate or one of TWU’s original alumni pioneers, you belong here. Our desire is to nurture an engaged and flourishing global community of alumni who are serving God and people in the various marketplaces of life. We invite you to stay connected, proudly represent TWU, and participate in the University’s vision to equip graduates for life. Learn more at TWU Alumni.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.