Student Alumnus of the Year Award winner Daniel Cryderman on what he learned at Laurier, inside and outside the classroom

April 12, 2021

The Student Alumna/Alumnus of the Year Award, given by the Wilfrid Laurier University Alumni Association, acknowledges the outstanding achievements of a student who works to fulfill the mission of the Laurier Student Alumni Association. Lazaridis School of Business and Economics graduate Daniel Cryderman (BA Econ & FinMath ’20) was the 2020 recipient.

If Daniel Cryderman could give advice to new undergraduate students at Wilfrid Laurier University, it would be this: “If you want to have a great four years, try to meet as many people as possible and get as involved as you possibly can.”

That mindset served him well during his own time at Laurier, which culminated in a term as president of the Student Alumni Association (SAA) during his final year. Cryderman, who graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Financial Management from the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics in April 2020, first joined the SAA in 2016.

“I’m a pretty social guy, so in my first year I joined probably 10 different clubs and played intramural sports since I figured that was the best way to meet people,” says Cryderman. “I spoke to someone at a Student Alumni Association booth on campus one day and thought their cause sounded interesting. I joined as a general member and stuck around for four years.”

The SAA’s mission is to strengthen relationships between current students, alumni and the community, and to foster a culture of philanthropy throughout the university. Cryderman enjoyed organizing and participating in their signature events, which include Laurier Tag Day, during which students write handwritten thank you notes to donors, and an annual pancake breakfast on Laurier homecoming weekend.

“Daniel is a kind and diligent leader who focuses on fostering community and always seeks opportunities for improvement,” says Danielle Braun Carlin, who worked closely with Cryderman in her position on Laurier’s Alumni Relations team. “I was thrilled when Daniel decided to apply to become president of the Student Alumni Association, and he went on to surpass my expectations in the role. Daniel's achievements complement his enthusiasm and compassion, and I know that they will continue to serve him well in the future.”

The highlight of Cryderman’s tenure with SAA was participating in the Coffee Connections program, which invited Laurier alumni to come chat with small groups of students about their professional journeys.

“I got to speak to many different alumni with different degrees, which opened my horizons to all of the interesting paths I could take in my career,” says Cryderman. “You never know where a conversation will lead to or how it might change your perception.”

Equally formative for Cryderman was his education at the Lazaridis School.

“I loved my program and the courses I took,” says Cryderman. “As a math lover, I enjoyed my economics courses, while the finance courses gave me lots of applicable skills. It was a nice balance of both.”

Cryderman’s time at Laurier came to a disappointing close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had planned to go backpacking in Europe with some buddies, but those plans evaporated pretty quickly,” he says. “Job searching was also difficult because a lot of people were being laid off and there weren’t many postings. It was definitely not the easiest time to graduate.”

Even still, Cryderman landed on his feet with a full-time job as a sales coordinator at CI Global Asset Management in Toronto. As he begins his career and accumulates experience, he is already looking forward to sharing it.

“Now as an alumnus myself, the Enactus club reached out to me and asked me to be a panelist for an event,” says Cryderman. “I am happy to give back to Laurier because I had such a great time there. Helping out when I can is something I believe in.”