Allan Kotanen

Ask Allan Kotanen about his 35 years of impacting students’ lives at Trinity Western, and he will sooner tell you stories about students who have impacted his life. Allan draws his motivation from the rich tapestry of success stories that comprise the history of TWU. As a director of Student Life, Allan has mentored myriad students. And, whether or not a student was directly involved in Student Life during their time at TWU, there is a good chance they were invited to Allan’s home in Fort Langley to share a meal with him and his wife, Sylvia. A hot dinner and a warm household have been Allan’s ministry methods of choice since his first month at TWU. But more than his warm hospitality, Allan is known for his profound humility. “When I need to step up and take charge, I can,” says Allan, “but I’m better at helping someone else succeed.” Throughout his years of caring for others, Allan has seen the school evolve from Trinity Junior College with a student body totalling 350 to a university with 10 times that number. Remarkably, Allan underscores how much TWU hasn’t changed. “The people here have embodied the mission statement since before it was even crafted,” reminisces Allan. “Our goals haven’t changed. We are still in the people-development business. We still want to change lives for the better.”