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For Mike Stewart, who is working toward his bachelor of arts degree in history, family is a very big priority. The transfer student from UBC and Briercrest College didn't initially plan on becoming an AU student, but ended up enrolling in the BA program so that he could be there for the people most important to him.

After Stewart's father was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, his parents moved to Vancouver to be near St. Paul's Hospital. The history undergrad has a younger brother, Scott, who was enrolled in high school in Kelowna. Stewart decided to stay behind with his brother and act as a parent in whatever capacity he could. He and his fiancée, Leah, who lives in Calgary, were also busy with preparations for their upcoming wedding. "Because of these factors," Stewart explained, "I am simply unable to attend scheduled classes."

These days, the resilient student is working hard as an irrigation foreman who even finds time to "chip away at assignments during my lunch break," and preparing for his nuptials by doing marriage counselling with Leah through his church. Despite the distance between them, the couple see each other regularly because Stewart is able to write his exams in Calgary.

He's still weighing his options for the future, but is thinking about either teaching elementary school or pursuing graduate studies. With the dedication he's shown to every commitment he takes on, he'd be sure to excel at either.