Few alumni lives are as intertwined with UFV in all its stages as Stacey Irwin’s.

She’s been a student, a founder and chair of the Alumni Association, and a UFV board member and vice chair. She’s sat on committees and helped draft strategic plans. She was a member of the UFV Foundation board and a key part of the Friends of UFV, which lobbied for university status for UFV when it was still a university-college. Recently, she has been part of a group helping the university create a framework for community engagement.

Stacey has said “yes” enthusiastically every time UFV has come calling for her participation and has been a generous donor to the university. In recognition of her many contributions at the university, professionally, and in the community, she was named one of UFV’s Top 40 alumni in 2014 and one 50 Remarkable Alumni in 2024.

Already the recipient of a Ripplemaker loyalty paddle award for her more than two decades of being a UFV donor, Stacey received a second legacy paddle at UFV’s President’s Reception on March 3 in recognition of her decision to include UFV as a beneficiary in her estate planning. “UFV has felt like an extension of me ever since I was a student,” Stacey recalls. “The connection has been strong and constant. I believe strongly that I’ve received so much from the university in the form of education, ongoing relationships, and deep friendships that it’s important to give back. “I give to UFV to ensure the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders have the same opportunity that was once mine,” says Irwin. “Together, we can be a great force to shape the future.” Stacey leans toward supporting bursaries that help people who are not necessarily the top students, but whose lives will be changed for the better through education.After graduating with her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from what was then the University College of the Fraser Valley in 1997, she reached out for ways to stay involved, asking Bob Warick, who was the director of community relations and development, for ideas. He suggested that she volunteer for the strategic planning process that new president Skip Bassford launched when he started in 1998. And that was the start of her involvement as an alumna.

She was also the first chair of the Alumni Association when it was incorporated as a society in 2001 and will be celebrating along with many others as the association marks 25 years in 2026.

UFV means a lot to Stacey. When she was a student in the mid-90s, UFV was known as the University College of the Fraser Valley. It had just recently received university-college status, allowing the addition of third- and fourth-year programming and the development of bachelor’s degrees, in partnership with established universities. She was a member of one of the early grad classes in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program and took advantage of the co-op education option to gain valuable experience. As one of the first generation of co-op grads, she carved a path for others to follow by building a good reputation for UCFV students. Stacey recalls taking six courses a semester and being very busy with schoolwork but also making time to hang out with friends. She was part of the Business Administration Student Association, which helped her make valuable connections.

During her student days, there was no student residence, no gym, no student union building, and limited food services. The library in Building G had recently opened so she and her friends did have a place to study. Stacey had moved down from Kelowna after taking her first two years of business studies at Okanagan University College and was the first member of her family to graduate from post-secondary.
Living in an apartment off campus, she really valued the connections and lifelong friends she made at UCFV. Since there was no pub, she and her friends would hang out at Finnegan’s adjacent to campus, located where UFV’s Building K is today, and other Abbotsford establishments, sometimes even venturing into Langley and Vancouver.

And as a student on a limited income, she always appreciated invitations to dinner from her new friends and their families, some of whom have remained her friends for 30 years.

Stacey found work fairly quickly after graduation, joining Fraser Valley Credit Union as a human resources officer in 1997 after completing a co-op work term there. The organization is now known as Prospera, and Stacey is still there, most recently in the role of director of digital payments and business partnerships.

In addition to her UFV volunteer roles, she has been heavily involved in the Abbotsford community, serving as president of the Rotary Club of Abbotsford, captain of crew hosting at the Abbotsford Airshow, and board chair of the Abbotsford airshow.