Student life Current Students

Julie Taylor, she/her

Email: jutaylor@tru.ca

As a student-athlete, Julie played soccer at UCC from 1998 to 2002 before completing her education at UBC with a Bachelor of Education.

She taught mostly high school PE and Social Studies for SD 73 before returning to TRU in 2010, where she oversaw certificate programming.

Julie became the coordinator of the Center for Student Engagement and later joined Student Services as a learning strategist - orientation & transitions. Now the manager of the Office of Student Life, her portfolio includes communications, events, first-year transitions and various initiatives related to student engagement and experience.

In her spare time, Julie can be found exploring the outdoors, spending time with family at the lake, watching her son play soccer, and working out.

Kayla Sanford, she/her

Email: ksanford@tru.ca

Having completed her Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) and Bachelor of Science (Co-op, Biology) at Thompson Rivers University, Kayla understands the TRU student life experience personally.

She has been supporting new-to-TRU students’ personal, social, and academic success since 2018 and is passionate about boosting student well-being and sense of belonging.

As a mental health advocate, Kayla strives to normalize mental illness, reduce stigma, and promote supports and services. She also cares deeply about workers' rights and is involved in CUPE in various capacities.

Kayla enjoys painting, making music, being outdoors, and listening to (and knowing everything about) Taylor Swift.

Emma Ferguson, she/her

Email: eferguson@tru.ca

Emma earned her BA (Hons) Kinesiology from York University and a BEd (I/S) from Western University.

She first joined TRU in April 2024 as an Assistant in the Future Students office, before accepting a Coordinator role within their team by that July.

Emma supported program development and event execution for Open House 2024 and the Student for a Day 2024 campaign.

When not reading romantasy novels, Emma enjoys laughing, being active (working out, hiking, moving her body), spending time with animals, and sharing space with good company.

“Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do Good”
- Mr. Feeny “Boy Meets World”

Dea Hanifaputri, she/her

Email: ahanifaputri@tru.ca

Holding a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Design Communications from LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Marketing from TRU, Dea has nearly a decade of international experience in marketing and communications.

Dea played an integral role at TRU during a 6-month co-op term with Career & Experiential Learning, after which she became a career ambassador. She was also a prolific storyteller for TRU Student Life and served as an admissions officer at TRU World.

Her hobbies include playing video games, travelling, going for walks, reading, and, as an introvert, hiding from people and the outside world.

Erin Pincott, she/her

Email: epincott@tru.ca

Erin received her Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from TRU in 2018; as a student, she competed on the TRU curling team and is a three-time U Sports silver medalist.

As a former student-athlete, Erin is excited to support and give back to WolfPack athletes. Having gone through this experience herself, she can relate to the unique experiences and challenges athletes face as they navigate student life.

Before starting this role in September 2023, Erin spent almost 5 years as the Sport Performance Coordinator for PacificSport Interior BC, which involved coordinating programs and workshops for diverse groups of athletes, coaches and parents. She also helped provide services, access to resources and support to high-performance athletes and coaches throughout the Interior BC region. These high-performance athletes and coaches ranged from those entering the pathway all the way to Olympians and Paralympians.

Most of Erin’s free time is spent on the curling ice. She has represented Canada on the world stage in the sport of curling and continues to compete on the World Curling Tour and chase the Olympic dream. During the off-season, she enjoys playing soccer, working out and gardening.

Alicia Ashcroft, she/her

Email: aashcroft@tru.ca

Alicia graduated from TRU in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Theatre. She lived in New Zealand and Australia post-graduation, travelling extensively with her husband Ben before returning to Kamloops, where they now live with their dog Bluebear.

She became Writer & Storyteller in 2016, winning a Distinguished Service Award for her achievements in 2025.

In her various professional and volunteer roles, Alicia has been an organizer, producer, innovator, influencer, community builder and creative force. She is passionate about mentorship, harm reduction, sexualized violence prevention and response, reducing stigma around mental health and neurodivergence awareness, and uplifting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

Madison McGregor, she/her

Email: mmcgregor@tru.ca

Madison received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, Environmental Economics and Sustainable Development with a Distinction in Cooperative Education from Thompson Rivers University.

After graduation, Madison worked for the Freshwater Fisheries Society for three years before accepting a one-year project management position with the Faculty of Arts at TRU. From there, she spent two and a half years as a Special Projects Coordinator at Trades & Technology. She joined the Faculty of Student Development in September 2022.

Madison loves hiking, photography, travelling, immersing herself in different cultures and meeting new people. Also a sports enthusiast - she spent 15 years swimming at a national level, living and breathing athletic life for a decade and a half! Madison is a dog lover and hopes to own a rehabilitation centre and shelter for neglected or homeless dogs someday.

“In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” – Emma Hadley