Have you met Kyla, Director of Development in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry? Spend the next few minutes getting to know her a little better.
Where is your favorite place on campus?
The main floor of the hospital - it's busy, there's always people, and it's a great meeting place.
Tablet or paper?
Paper. Without a doubt.
Name one thing you've brought to work from home.
This little curling rock. I got it as a gift from the World Curling Federation when I worked for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
What is the one thing you can't live without?
Coffee.
If you won airfare to anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Probably Europe… I've never been to Europe. I did work on a cruise ship in the Caribbean, though.
You can invite anyone - alive or dead, real or fictional - to dinner. Who would it be?
Victor Newman from the Young and the Restless. Eric Braeden is the actor… but he would need to come in character. I've been watching the Young and the Restless since I was twelve years old - my mom used to have it on when she was making dinner.
If you could switch jobs with someone else on campus for a week, what would you do?
Could I switch with students during Orientation? I always like the energy and the excitement.
What does "uplifting the whole people" mean to you?
Simply doing your best to help everyone.
If you could solve any problem in the world, what would it be?
Access to education. For me, it's about the opportunities that education can bring to people. Education has the power to change, and what I get to do is use philanthropy to give people access to education.
What 3 words best describe your U of A experience?
Challenge. Friends. New.
Kyla Denisuik joined the advancement team in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry in 2016. She has been working in philanthropy for 10 years - she was previously a fundraiser at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and has also worked with the University Hospital Foundation in Edmonton. Seeing the impact on research or a student's life when connecting donors with inspiring projects is what motivates Kyla to come to work every day. When not at work, Kyla enjoys adventures with her family, crafting (yes: sewing and knitting are cool at age 40), curling and the Young and the Restless.