UNews - Jason VandenHoek

Cade Fowler honoured with 2026 VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award

trevor.kenney — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 20:54:12 +0000

Inihkatsíniskimm (Buffalo Stone Caller) Cade Fowler, a Faculty of Arts & Science student and outgoing co-chair of Q-Space is the third recipient of the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. This recognition celebrates Fowler’s commitment to supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community on campus and beyond.

Fowler was born in Fort McMurray but has lived in Lethbridge most his life. His family comes from Southern Alberta and the Lethbridge area, Kainai Nation, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. While he has been studying archaeology, he’s making the switch in programs to Indigenous studies this year. Fowler started as a volunteer coordinator with Q-Space, a 2SLGBTQIA+ student club and advocacy group in 2021 and became co-chair in 2024.

The annual award recognizes Cade Fowler's commitment to supporting the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

“Activism and advocacy work are oftentimes thankless and underappreciated jobs, especially within minority communities such as the 2SLGBTQIA+ community,” he says. “This is an award that I know students who are passionate about 2SLGBTQIA+ activism, advocacy and community, myself included, only dreamed of having in place several years ago.”

Fowler plans on donating a portion of his Pride Award to develop a bursary fund within Q-Space for transgender students on campus to access gender-affirming resources.

“This bursary fund is for students if they need gender-affirming gear like gaffs and binders or monetary assistance in purchasing HRT (gender-affirming hormone therapy) because of how expensive things are in our current climate,” says Fowler.

“I want to see this dream become a reality while I am still attending the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. I see how much my community needs this service, to have this in place for someone who might not be able to afford it, who’ve never purchased it before or maybe they can’t have it shipped due to being in a household where they might not be comfortable.”

With Q-Space, Fowler has organized events and activities including Q-Space’s annual Transgender Day of Visibility event, Trans Day of Remembrance, drag shows, clothing drives and the club’s first Mini Drag Ball. He’s worked with peers, faculty, staff and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ leadership and says he’s had the opportunity to contribute to conversations and initiatives that foster accessibility, equity and inclusion with other 2SLGBTQIA+ students, faculty and staff.

“Being a community leader for Q-Space has allowed me to advocate for my community more than I ever would have imagined and that has been an immensely rewarding experience.”

The VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award was established through a generous donation by ULethbridge alumni Jason VandenHoek (BMgt ’05) and Kurt Schlachter (BSc ’00, LLD ‘24), creating an endowment fund that recognizes ULethbridge students and their exceptional contributions to advancing equity and inclusion for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

“We are honoured to support students like Cade who are dedicated to using their voices for 2SLGBTQIA+ issues to help others feel seen, valued and included,” says VandenHoek. “Cade’s courage, authenticity and commitment to creating a more inclusive community embodies the spirit of this Pride Award and why we created this fund in the first place.”

Even though Fowler is leaving his role on the executive team of Q-Space, he’ll continue his advocacy work with the student club focused on protecting the accessibility rights and protections for transgender students attending ULethbridge.

“I’ve been in queer advocacy work ever since I came out when I was in high school,” he says. “What keeps me going is the fact that I see people around me still struggling. I had people advocating for me. We’re the next generation of those before us. We have to keep going.”

Advocacy work earns Jesson recognition as first VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award recipient

trevor.kenney — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 15:44:03 +0000

Mars Jesson, a psychology major and co-chair of Q-Space at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, is the first recipient of the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award. This recognition celebrates Jesson's commitment to supporting the 2SLGBTQ+ community on campus and beyond.

Mars Jesson is a psychology major and co-chair of Q-Space.

“I really want to express gratitude for this award, and I feel honoured that our hard work is being recognized,” says Jesson. “In today’s climate, representation is crucial. An award like this validates our efforts and encourages us to continue.”

Q-Space, under Jesson’s leadership, has significantly increased its presence at ULethbridge. Historically known as the Pride Centre, which evolved from the Gay and Lesbian Integrity Association, Q-Space has expanded its activities from social events to providing essential resources for queer students.

“Initially, we were left with just a club room and a few documents,” Jesson recalls. “We've since organized drag shows, coffee nights and game nights, and more importantly, we’ve started offering resources for students navigating university as queer individuals and accessing transition support.”

Jesson emphasized the importance of Q-Space in offering a safe space for self-exploration and community learning.

“��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is often a time when individuals explore their identities more freely than they could in high school. Q-Space facilitates this journey, providing a place to learn about the queer community and the diversity among students.”

The VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Award is part of a first-of-its-kind endowment fund established in June 2023 by ULethbridge alumni Dr. Kurt Schlachter (BSc ’00, LLD ’24) and Jason VandenHoek (BMgt ’05). The fund aims to celebrate academic achievement, reduce financial barriers, and recognize exceptional contributions to advancing equity and inclusion for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

“We are thrilled to hear that Mars Jesson is the first ULethbridge student to receive funding from the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Fund,” says VandenHoek.

“It is exactly students like Mars who we wanted to assist when we created this fund,” Schlachter adds. “We hope that the financial help provided by this award will assist Mars as they pursue their ongoing education and that they will continue to be a voice for LGBTQ2IA+ on campus and beyond.”

Following graduation, Jesson plans to pursue a master’s in clinical psychology. They hope to become a role model and advocate in the field, as many trans and queer individuals are still stigmatized and dehumanized in the psychiatric system. In addition, Jesson wants to help trans and queer people navigate the system, as many often do not have social supports and struggle with poor mental health.

“I really want to be a voice of advocacy,” says Jesson. “I can stand my ground as a trans person for other trans people in that system. It should be helpful for you, especially if you're a queer person and you already don't have a lot of social supports. Change needs to happen within that system, and I want to be part of that change.”

Jesson highlighted the broader impact of the award, noting its potential to encourage more individuals to engage in advocacy and drive change.

“Visibility is crucial,” says Jesson. “It shows that people are working to make this a better place and inspires others to join. This award helps attract more volunteers, making progressive change possible. The more people involved, the more biases are challenged, leading to an exponential shift in attitudes.”

The establishment of the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Fund was inspired by the Board of Governors’ recent announcement of $10-million in matching funds to help grow endowed student scholarships at ULethbridge.

Alumni donors establish first-of-its-kind endowment fund to support 2SLGBTQ+ students

trevor.kenney — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 16:41:13 +0000

A first-of-its-kind endowment fund for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will provide support for 2SLGBTQ+ students and those who advance equity and inclusion, thanks to a generous donation from two ULethbridge alumni.

Kurt Schlachter (BSc ’00) and Jason VandenHoek (BMgt ’05) have established the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Fund. Announced during ULethbridge’s Progress Pride flag raising ceremony, the $200,000 endowment fund will support a suite of awards aimed at reducing barriers for 2SLGBTQ+ students.

Jason VandenHoek, left, and Kurt Schlachter at the ULethbridge Pride Flag Raising Ceremony.

“With some of the incredibly high rates of addiction, homelessness and suicide among 2SLGBTQ+ youth, we wanted to support students from this community by providing access to education that they may not otherwise have, especially those who don't come from supportive families like we do or who may have financial barriers,” says Schlachter. “It was clear to us there is a gap for this segment of the student population. We also felt it was really important for us to support students who are demonstrating leadership and allyship for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.”

The awards will celebrate academic achievement, remove financial barriers to education and recognize exceptional contributions to advancing equity and inclusion for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, both on campus and beyond. While a first for ULethbridge, it is also among only a handful of post-secondary institutions across Canada to offer awards for 2SLGBTQ+ students.

“These awards will provide much-needed support for 2SLGBTQ+ students at ULethbridge, and it is a great honour to announce them as we celebrate Pride Month under this year’s theme of Solidarity, Strength and Community,” says Martha Mathurin-Moe, vice-provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. “As we work to build a more inclusive and welcoming campus, this significant gift sends a powerful message to our students and the broader community that by working together, we can create the culture shift we all seek – a truly safe and welcoming campus space for everyone.”

Schlachter and VandenHoek are notable in the community for their volunteerism and philanthropy. Schlachter is a Lethbridge-based lawyer, who served as Chair of the ULethbridge Board of Governors from 2016 to 2022. He is currently the chief executive officer of Stringam LLP, a regional law firm in Western Canada, and was appointed as Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) last year. VandenHoek spent over a decade as executive director of the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation before becoming the chief operating officer of the pair’s real estate holding company. Both are former ULethbridge Senators.

While they had been considering ways to support ULethbridge for several years, Schlachter says the announcement of The Campaign for Students, with $10-million in matching funds pledged by ULethbridge’s Board of Governors, confirmed that the timing was right to create an even bigger impact.

“It resonated with us deeply that this was the right time, and that we could leverage our gift to have double the impact — it just really, really brought it home for us,” says Schlachter. “We consider our time at ULethbridge to be a huge part of our lives and we’ve continued to stay very connected. We both recognize that our lives would be totally different if we had not had the opportunity to obtain a university education.”

Schlachter and VandenHoek both grew up in small rural southern Alberta communities. While grateful for their agricultural upbringing and supportive families, Schlachter recognizes the challenges for those who cannot access vital supports or have limited opportunities to grow in a diverse environment. A portion of the endowment fund will provide support for students growing up in rural communities to allow them to experience something different.

“While there has been some progress, there are still significant barriers to accessing resources and support for 2SLGBTQ+ students,” says Schlachter. “With a smaller population, these students are less likely to be exposed to diversity of perspective, thought and individual circumstances in the same way as when you can come to a larger centre, and especially to a university campus. It opens your eyes in different ways. It’s important for students to see themselves represented and to feel that they are not alone.”

For VandenHoek and Schlachter, the power of representation is critical to building confidence on the pathway to success, especially for 2SLGBTQ+ students.

“For those with similar backgrounds to us to see that they too can achieve success and reach their dreams if they work hard and focus is essential,” says Schlachter. “In some cases, they may need more support to get there. So, we're hoping to provide that to them.”

The first award from the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Fund will be presented in June 2024.

VandenHoek and Schlachter are challenging their fellow ULethbridge alumni to make a donation to this fund or to any of the other student funds that have been established so far, or to explore establishing a fund that supports future ULethbridge students in a way that aligns with their personal values, by taking advantage of the opportunity to participate in The Campaign for Students.

Those interested in donating can give by visiting the VandenHoek Schlachter Pride Fund webpage. All donations will be matched 1:1.

UNews - Jason VandenHoek

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