At the age of 76, North Deltan Ken Hahn got his first university degree.
“To be up there, it was a real honour,” Hahn said. “To my grandkids, I said ‘You’ve got to call me Dr. Pa now.’”
On May 29, Hahn walked across the stage at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to receive an honourary degree for his years of service on the board of governors and the KPU Foundation board.
Honourary degrees are bestowed in recognition of dignified achievements or outstanding service to the public. Members of the university community and the community at large are invited to nominate candidates.
Hahn has lived in North Delta for 42 years, and has volunteered in the North Delta Minor Hockey Association, the North Delta Baseball Association and the Delta Rotary Club. He has been on Kwantlen’s board of governors and the KPU Foundation board since 2001.
In his time there, he’s helped increase library services, as well as made some not-so-popular decisions.
“Some of the things you don’t like doing, as far as increasing tuition for students,” he said. “That’s always tough.”
But the goal, he said, was always to help higher education in the Lower Mainland.
“This is a good chance for us to grow in our community,” he said about his involvement in the board, and financial donations from his long-time employer Coast Capital Savings.
Hahn retired as head of Coast Capital Savings’ HR division in 2007, but kept up his involvement with KPU.
For Hahn, receiving the honourary degree was an honour after attending so many convocations as an audience member.
“Never having got a degree before, being up there, I thought this is pretty neat,” he said.
“Even though I haven’t gone for the four years and earned it like the kids out there have done, I guess I’ve earned it over forty years in the school of life.”
Correction: The print version of this story incorrectly identified Hahn’s retiring year. The error has been fixed for the online story.
grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.com
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