We have all experienced the typical encounters with Queen’s alumni – sharing what year you were in, where you lived on campus, and what you studied (among many other things). These short encounters not only give you an opportunity to walk down memory lane and usually to share a few laughs, but also to remind you of the strong Queen’s spirit that exists long after our student days have ended.

As our dad, David McNaughton, MSc’66, PhD’69, was fighting cancer last summer at Ottawa General Hospital, he befriended a young porter named James Bickerton. When my dad figured out that James was a current student at Queen’s, (Artsci’14), they immediately bonded and spent many hours getting to know each other. These visits brought our dad great joy and comfort during his short, but brave fight at the hospital.

This remarkable young man reminded us of two things: Queen’s spirit is alive and well, and Queen’s continues to attract some remarkable young people.

Drew McNaughton, Artsci'94 and Jennifer McNaughton, Artsci'93, Ed'95, Markham, ON