Kim Cassar Torreggiani, 1983 Kinesiology graduate, has used her UBC degree together with her athletic background to carve a slightly different career path . . . that being marketing, publicity and fund-raising both professionally and in her extensive volunteer work.
While a student with UBC’s varsity swimming team, Kim was a top 10 diving finalist five years in a row at the CIS national championships. She was the team captain for three years and was awarded four UBC Big Blocks for her athletic achievements. Since, she has coached gymnastics, diving and soccer teams and has competed and medaled in Masters swimming and water polo competitions.
During the early 1990s Kim was director of development and communications for the BC Lions Society Easter Seals and VP Marketing and Corporate Sponsorship for the 1993 Canada Games Society in Kamloops. She has also served as promotions director for two radio stations and a television station. During the early 2000s Kim and her sister received media attention with their invention of an environmentally friendly method of wasp control. This product mimics an enemy nest keeping territorial wasps away without spraying or killing them. Kim was responsible for the product’s marketing and development resulting in world-wide distribution of this environmentally safe alternative.
Up until 2015, Kim worked in UBC’s Athletics Department as a marketing and alumni co-ordinator, part of the alumni relations and development team. Kim then transitioned and started working at Thompson Rivers University as the Director of Development for the School of Business and Economics. Kim says part of her job includes fundraising at Thompson Rivers University. This brings her back to her time when she received an athletic scholarship at UBC which allowed her to continue her education. “Without the athletic scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to complete my degree. I had deferred my tuition when it was due, and had no idea how I was going to pay for it.” From her own experiences struggling to pay for her education, Kim is more motivated to help students at TRU achieve their dreams.
Kim is especially proud of her UBC roots and the fact she has been able to create a successful marketing/management career while also having a family life.
Fred Hume
January 2018
