Avalanche Alumni Profiles
Curtis Stockton - (posted June 16, 2021)
Curtis Stockton travelled a long way to be a member of the Avalanche. Having previously won a gold medal and being named one of the top seven players with the men’s Under-23 Victorian indoor team, the Australia native joined the Avs for the 2012 season and enrolled in the Business program. While with the Avs he was twice named PACWEST 1st Team All-Star in addition to PACWEST Player of the Year and CCAA All-Canadian in the 2013/14 season.
After his time with the Avs, Curtis was named a member of the Australian National Volleyball Team and has gone on to play professional volleyball in Estonia, France and, currently, Japan. Though volleyball is very important to him, he has remained committed to his education. He recently completed his last semester of the College’s Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
“Education is important,” he said. “You cannot just rely on athletics.”
Though he loves to explore new countries and immerse himself in new cultures, he remains especially fond of his time at College of the Rockies.
“I built a group of friends from the Cranbrook community and also found my fiancé while at the College,” he said. “I love the volleyball program there and hope it can continue to provide amazing life-building opportunities for student athletes.
Kris Brand - (posted June 4, 2021)
Kris Brand came to College of the Rockies in 2003 primarily because of the volleyball program.
He played one year with the Avs before deciding to bring his skills to the University of Saskatchewan. His play there led to him earning a position on the Canadian National team, which then became a gateway for a professional career. He went on to play professionally in Europe and the Middle East for five years before returning to Canada.
Kris returned to College of the Rockies where he helped coach the men’s team and enrolled in the courses he required to apply for his new passion - veterinary school.
After earning the prerequisites, Kris pursued his veterinary medicine education in the Cayman Islands, before eventually completing a residency in veterinary radiology. He currently lives in Houston, Texas and continues to work as a veterinary radiologist.
“My memories of the College never fail to put a smile on my face,” he said. “Not only was I able to continue my growth and development as an athlete, but also found my path academically and made lifelong friendships in the process.”
Kieren Britton - (Posted May 19, 2021)
Kieren Britton has led an inspiring life. She first made an impact at the College when she rode her bike across Canada to raise money for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Canada, in memory of her grandfather who lost his life from the disease.
A Bachelor of Business Administration: Sustainable Business Practices student, Kieren was also a dedicated member of the women’s Avalanche team.
“The memories of my time with the Avs are countless and all hold so much significance in my life,” she said. “The thing that stands out the most is the friends that I made.”
After completing her degree, Kieren began working for a Tech company in Saskatoon but soon found that the lifestyle wasn’t for her.
“I rented out my place, renovated a school bus, and traveled North America for almost a year, mostly staying in California,” she said.
At the end of that year, Kieren created her own company called The Lady Alliance.
“We amplify womxn in adventure to create a more equitable outdoor industry,” she said. “There are now nine of us who run the business with volunteers in 30 states and provinces. We help bring free events to local communities, though due to COVID-19 we’ve been hosting our film festivals for free on The Lady Alliance TV.”
Though we’ve always been inspired by Kieren, she credits her time at the College with helping her get where she is today.
Taylor Verboom - (Posted May 5, 2021)
After graduating from the East Kootenay Teacher Education program at the College (held in partnership with UVIC) with his Bachelor of Education degree, Taylor moved to Kelowna and quickly kicked off his teaching career, teaching a design and technology class for K-5 students and acting as the Technology Coordinator for the local junior high school.
Volleyball also remains a part of Taylor’s life. After coaching grade 8s for two years, he has led the senior girls’ team for the past four, leading his team to a second-place finish at the “A” provincial championships in 2018. Taylor also acts as assistant coach for the Junior Heat club team at UBC-Okanagan. He hasn’t given up playing, though, taking part in high-competition recreation leagues, both indoor and on grass.
When looking back on his time on the Avalanche, Taylor feels that playing for a small-college team had benefits.
“It was an excellent opportunity to see a lot of playing time. Even for guys who were more serious about their volleyball careers, the College was a great stepping stone. My entire experience at the College was great. Having grown up in Radium Hot Springs, I’m a small-town guy at heart and being part of a small college really made me feel like I was at home. The profs always had time for me and took a personal interest in everyone’s development.”
Adriel Goodman - (Posted April 21, 2021)
“My experience at College of the Rockies was both chaotic and beautiful. I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted when I got there, and everything was overwhelming and new, but I had so much fun. I also met my best friends there.”
After leaving the College, Adriel went on to complete a Chemistry degree at the University of Calgary where she also played for the U of C Dinos volleyball squad. Adapting to the CIS-level of play was a challenge, but her hard work and determination led to her working her way off the bench and to eventually become a starting player.
Though her plans to travel after graduation, were derailed for now by the COVID-19 pandemic, she is loving her consolation prize – a kitten she adopted with her boyfriend. Currently using her chemistry skills as a brew master at a local micro-brewery, Adriel is determined to return to living in British Columbia at some point. And as chaotic as it may have been, she is grateful for her experience at College of the Rockies.
“There’s no way I would have been able to play university volleyball without my time at the College.”
Nik Fuess - (Posted April 7, 2021)
Nik Fuess has been going places since his time at College of the Rockies – literally! After his time with the Avs, he went on to play university-level volleyball before moving to Germany where he played for the German Second League before moving up to the First League. He’s now a commercial pilot who flies a Boeing 737 for Canadian North Airlines.
One of his most memorable experiences from his time with the Avalanche was being named to the BC All-Star team in his second year. He credits his time with the Avs with helping to learn what it takes to succeed.
“I was an unknown in my first year at the College but became a top player in the league during my second year,” he said. “That came from hard work during the off-season and believing I was going to be one of the best players.”
Though no longer playing competitively, volleyball continues to be a part of Nik’s life.
“I am a Volleyball Canada national referee and have attended four USport championships and one CCAA championship, where I refereed the men’s gold medal match,” he said.
When he’s not flying or refereeing, Nik likes to spend his time weight training and salmon fishing.
Alexa Koshman - (Posted March 24, 2021)
To say that Alexa’s life has been exciting since leaving the College would be an understatement. After graduating from the East Kootenay Teacher Education program (held in partnership with UVIC) with her Bachelor of Education, Alexa moved to Wuhan, China to teach grade 10-12 English language arts at a BC International High School. While there, she had the opportunity to travel all across Southeast Asia, falling in love with Vietnam and South Korea in particular. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, she was travelling in Bali and, of course, was not permitted to return to her apartment in China. All of her personal items were packed up and shipped to her, almost eight months later.
Alexa returned to her hometown of Lethbridge, Alberta where she was hired to teach English at a local high school. When students can return to playing organized sports, she will also be taking over coaching responsibilities for the girls’ volleyball program.
A quote which resonates with Alexa reads: “Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and the awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.”
“My time at the College was one of the happiest, toughest, ordinary packed four years and I wouldn’t have had it any other way,” she said.