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Darcy and Mark Culberson, owners of , are the kind of people who make a community feel like a home. Together, they are equal parts grit and grace, partners in life and work who have built not only a successful business, but also a legacy of kindness. As Darcy often says, “our community built us,” and in return, she and Mark have spent more than two decades pouring their skills, their generosity, and their hearts back into Woodstock, NB, the place where they were raised.

When they walked across the New Brunswick Community College (ɧ»¢tv) graduation stage in 1995, Darcy, from the Office Technology program, and Mark, from the Automotive Trades program, they drove full speed ahead into their careers. However, in their late twenties, life handed them a defining challenge. Both suddenly unemployed, with two young children at home, they had a choice: give up or take a new direction. “We made it [High Lift Auto Service] work because we had the training, and we had the determination,” Darcy recalls. “We had a baby and a toddler, and we had bills. And we both had a strong [ɧ»¢tv] education, and we put it to use.”

With determination, their ɧ»¢tv training, and a jumpstart, they opened High Lift Auto Service in a single-bay garage. Over 20 years later, the Culbersons’ one-bay dream has grown into a thriving business. Today, when you step inside their auto shop, you’ll notice the scent of motor oil and the steady hum of tools filling the air. Most of all, you’ll feel its welcoming warmth. Customers are greeted with friendly smiles, hot coffee, and conversations that turn complicated car troubles into lessons they can understand. Seven employees are proud to call High Lift Auto Service their workplace, and countless apprentices have found mentors in Mark’s calm, relatable teaching. Every tire changed and every question answered reflects the values the Culbersons nourished and honed during their time at ɧ»¢tv: belonging, developing strong relationships, and leading with integrity.

For Darcy and Mark, success has always meant more than the number of cars in their shop—it has meant giving back to their community. They’ve sponsored more than 100 free community swims, offered bursaries recognizing the grit of students entering skilled trades, volunteered with Project Linus to gift new quilts to seriously ill or traumatized children, and stood beside local shelters and recovery centers in times of need.

One of their bigger commitments to giving back is through the Joan Charlotte Galloway Memorial Fund, created in memory of Darcy’s late mother. Through this fund, it enables children with different abilities to learn, grow and heal through play: the delighted squeals of a child firing an adapted Nerf gun; the quiet concentration of a little one balancing while stacking blocks; the joy of using a speech device to shout “Look!” at sea creatures on a group trip. These moments are medicine no insurance plans cover—but the Culbersons do.

In receiving the 2025 ɧ»¢tv Alumni Recognition Award, Darcy and Mark embody what it means to be ɧ»¢tv Alumni and stand as an inspiration to students and graduates alike. Their story is a reminder that challenges can be turning points, an education is never wasted, and there’s opportunity in growing your local roots.

ɧ»¢tv’s Robertson Institute for Community Leadership proudly supports our communities through the Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this initiative, a $250 donation has been made in the Culberson’s honour to a non-profit organization of their choice, The Joan Galloway Memorial Fund - Helping Kids be Kids - facilitated through the Chalmers Foundation.

Micaela Hachey, a Behaviour Intervention Mentor with a school district in Miramichi, NB, is the kind of person who makes you feel seen the moment you meet her. Whether she’s coaxing a nervous student to try again, cheering on a rookie rugby player, or steadying a paddleboard for a hesitant first-timer, she radiates the kind of calm confidence that says, “You’ve got this, and I’ve got you.” Her career is built on advocacy, resilience, and the belief that everyone deserves to feel seen and supported.

In 2013, Micaela graduated from New Brunswick Community College’s (ɧ»¢tv) Personal Support Worker program. Like many new graduates, she was unsure where her career would lead, but one thing was clear: she wanted to help people. “My instructors pushed me past the limits I thought I had,” she reflects. That encouragement set her on a path defined by empathy, patience, and resilience, qualities that inspired her to pursue further education at university and, in time, opened the doors to Micaela’s career and community work where she’s actively involved with the well-being of youth.

As a Behaviour Intervention Mentor, Micaela advocates for students who may be struggling in or outside the classroom. She focuses on uncovering the root of behaviours and creating proactive supports that set students up for long-term success. This work is built on trust and persistence, and the results are transformative.

Her office reflects Micaela’s spirit. A mirror tattooed with positive affirmations greets every student who steps inside, and the room vibrates with comfort. Micaela’s space encourages young people to breathe, to try, and to see themselves differently.

One story still moves her. “I had a student who was barely attending school and sent home before noon almost every day,” Micaela reflects. “Together, we built trust by learning what he liked—we played pool quite often, and slowly his resilience to be in school grew. At first, he couldn’t even look in the mirror in my classroom and say a single positive affirmation about himself. By the end, he was bringing other kids in and teaching them how to say affirmations. It was enough to build that connection where he trusted me to look out for his best interest.”

Micaela knows that growth never comes from a single formula. Some days it begins with a quiet conversation, other days with a game of pool, laughter spilling across the room as trust slowly builds.

But Micaela’s impact doesn’t stop when the school day ends. She pours the same energy into her community, leading initiatives that create belonging and opportunity. When she introduced to Miramichi, she brought with it a chance for girls to leave behind their phones, find balance on paddleboards, and gain confidence in themselves. Some arrive trembling, even in tears; by the end, they’ve fully embraced being on the water.

Micaela also revitalized the local Slammin’ Salmon Rugby Club, guiding it from a small restart to a thriving, multi-level program where more than 100 kids now play weekly, alongside senior men’s and women’s teams. Her leadership also inspired the team’s pajama drive, a grassroots initiative that delivers comfort to hospital patients across the community.

The transformation in participants, both on the water and the field, is visceral. Where insecurity once sat like a heavy jacket, confidence becomes a lighter layer.

Through her career and volunteer commitments, Micaela has built a reputation for showing up where she’s needed most. What ties it all together is her philosophy on leadership: “It’s about being the best version of yourself and encouraging others to push their limits, too.”

This year, Micaela stands as a 2025 Alumni Recognition Award recipient, celebrated for what she has accomplished and for what she inspires others to believe they can do. The Awards honour graduates who transform lives and communities, and Micaela embodies that mission wholeheartedly. She has built bridges between education and community, between sport and self-worth, and between challenge and confidence.

For the students who find courage in her office, the families who gather on the sidelines, and the girls who paddle into new confidence, Micaela’s journey is a reminder that one person’s career can ripple outward and lift a whole community along the way.

ɧ»¢tv’s Robertson Institute for Community Leadership proudly supports our communities through the Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this initiative, a $250 donation has been made in Micaela’s honour to a non-profit organization of her choice, New Tide Partners in Action Inc. in Miramichi, NB.

Step into the in Charlotte County, and you’ll find Sam Gullison at the heart of it all. She’s a steady presence with kind eyes and an attentive ear, the kind of person who leans in when you speak, whose quiet nod makes the air feel lighter, safer. As Program Director at the Willow Centre for Sexual Violence Support, Sam spends her days weaving that sanctuary of safety and trust into every corner, including direct support to clients, helping them navigate complex systems, and offering guidance. She also works to bring training to frontline workers, cultivating a trauma-informed network within organizations and services, creating spaces where survivors can rediscover trust in themselves and in others.

Sam’s journey to post-secondary education came in two chapters. Right after high school, she enrolled at New Brunswick Community College (ɧ»¢tv) in Saint John, but life’s circumstances pulled her away. Years later, determined to transform hardship into helping others, she found her way to ɧ»¢tv and enrolled in the Human Services program in St. Andrews, NB. Returning to the classroom as a mature student with two young children and a wealth of lived experience was daunting, but the encouragement of supportive family and instructors turned self-doubt into excitement. “ɧ»¢tv helped me build confidence in myself. I felt empowered and supported,” Sam shared. “I didn’t just leave with an education—I left feeling more than qualified to step out into the world and do the work I’m doing today.”

Since graduating in 2015, Sam has dedicated her career to serving vulnerable and marginalized populations. She has poured her energy into breaking down barriers that prevent people from accessing the help they need. With compassion at the core of her work, she has led the Willow Centre’s growth from a single office into a vital community hub, ensuring that anyone in crisis receives empathetic, effective, and ongoing support. She has built strong community partnerships, advocated for systemic change, and designed programs that promote both healing and empowerment. Workshops, training sessions, and educational initiatives bear her signature approach of putting empathy first, always.

Beyond her work at the Willow Centre, Sam has sparked community conversations about sexual violence, a topic too often left unspoken. Each May, the communities across Charlotte County bloom in teal during the sexual violence awareness campaign Sam spearheaded known as, Teal Day. “We wanted to raise awareness and provide education around local statistics, myths, stigma, and break some of those down,” Sam explains. Businesses, schools, and organizations find creative ways to contribute to the campaign; one storefront even dressed its mannequins in the Willow Centre’s teal shirts inked with the words “Let’s Teal with It. Listen. Believe. Support.” At the center of it all is Sam, sleeves rolled up, sharing stories, connecting with neighbours, showing up, again and again.

What began as one office is now a network of care, training, and awareness initiatives reshaping how Charlotte County responds to trauma and supports survivors. Sam’s leadership has led to a place where people can heal, find safety, and believe in possibility again. By naming Sam Gullison as one of the 2025 Alumni Recognition Award recipients, ɧ»¢tv proudly honours a graduate whose leadership is rooted in empathy and has ignited a movement. Her journey is proof that one alumna with vision can grow a willow whose roots run deep, and branches lift others.

ɧ»¢tv’s Robertson Institute for Community Leadership proudly supports our communities through the Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this initiative, a $250 donation has been made in Sam’s honour to a non-profit organization of her choice, Neighbourhood Works in St. Stephen, NB.

Marlene Thompson, a Human Resources professional, brings a laugh that warms a room and a smile that could quickly put anyone at ease. She is the kind of person who fills a room with welcome, someone who has built a life around opening doors and creating belonging, a trait Marlene witnessed from her parents again and again. Growing up in a bustling home in the heart of Quispamsis, NB, filled with siblings, cousins, and friends, Marlene watched her parents stretch meals for anyone who knocked on their door. “Although financially challenged, they gave back when they didn’t have anything to give,” she recalls. Marlene carries that same spirit that was built into every corner of her childhood home, shaping the foundation of her values, and encouraging kindness in every facet of her life.

After more than a decade with Pier 1 imports, Marlene found herself at a crossroads when the store closed indefinitely. At 51, she felt like her whole life was turned upside down. But instead of shying away from the challenge, she found opportunity. In almost the same beat, as Marlene walked out of Pier 1’s closed doors, she walked through open doors, directly into New Brunswick Community College’s (ɧ»¢tv) Human Resource Management program in Saint John, NB.

When Marlene first entered the classroom, after three decades in the workforce, she felt terrified. Questions of uncertainty held her mind captive, “Can I, at 51, learn?” Marlene asked herself. “It was intimidating,” she admits. “I was nervous, but I knew I had more to give.” Instructors met her nerves with encouragement, while her Indigenous Success Coach offered steady support. Classmates became collaborators, and the classroom itself became a community of diverse perspectives. “ɧ»¢tv didn’t just give me skills,” she reflects. “It reminded me that my experience mattered and that I had something to offer.” For Marlene, ɧ»¢tv was also a place of personal transformation. “When I first started, I didn’t tell anyone I was Indigenous,” she admits. “There was still hesitation. But being immersed in a diverse classroom changed that. When Orange Shirt Day came, I knew it was time to embrace my roots. For the first time, I felt proud.”

Graduating in 2022, Marlene carried that blend of professional knowledge and personal conviction into her role as a Human Resources professional. In her experience, one of Marlene’s moments that she is most proud of is when she noticed highly trained international professionals working far below their qualifications. Engineers driving cabs. Accountants serving coffee. Skilled workers juggling multiple part-time roles without benefits. In her work, she was able to connect this untapped talent to meaningful employment. Marlene has also made strides to provide equitable employment opportunities and sponsorship to Permanent Residency for international professionals. And she continuously works with her colleagues to explore innovative ways to support Indigenous and International learners, fostering pathways to culturally sensitive and responsive workplaces.

Her leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion doesn’t stop at her desk. Her tenacity and passion for helping students have made a lasting impact, particularly on Indigenous and International learners at ɧ»¢tv. Marlene mentors ɧ»¢tv students through industry projects, hosts HR Management learners during their practicums, and donates her time and resources to prepare them for careers. She has secured scholarships, supported culturally responsive programming, and even provided PPE for Indigenous and international students in the trades. She attends cultural events, from Ribbon Skirt Celebrations to Mi’kmaq language classes, showing up as an alumna and mentor.

This year, ɧ»¢tv proudly named Marlene as a 2025 Alumni Recognition Award recipient. Her dedication, generosity, and advocacy have left a profound impact on the community, helping to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.

ɧ»¢tv’s Robertson Institute for Community Leadership proudly supports our communities through the Community Engagement Fund. Thanks to this initiative, a $250 donation has been made in Marlene’s honour to a non-profit organization of her choice, the ɧ»¢tv Student Critical Aid Fund.