Seminary Student Council (TUSSA)

The Tyndale Seminary Student Council serves the Tyndale University Seminary Student Association (TUSSA), to which all current full-time and part-time students belong. The Council is comprised of students who are upper year students at the Seminary. Like the students at Tyndale Seminary, the Council members range in age, gender, race, denomination, degree program, life experience, and work history. The Council represents the Seminary student body and is present to be of service to all seminary students.

According to Section 3 in the TUSSA Constitution, the purpose and duties of the council are:

A. To encourage a healthy spiritual life among Seminary students by creating and/or promoting spiritually stimulating events such as chapels, seminars, prayer meetings.
B. To plan, organize and facilitate recreational and social events/programs for the TUSSA;
C. To refer student inquiries to the appropriate school departments;
D. To represent the institution at academic and school events;
E. To stimulate and participate in those Campus activities and meetings which will further the aims of the Seminary in intercultural endeavors, Biblical teaching, and an active Christian response to the needs of our day.

Email councils [at] tyndale [dot] ca if you have any questions.


Navis Amarnath Alexander

Antony Alexander

I am Antony Navis Amarnath Alexander from India, an International Student in the second year of the MA Clinical Counselling Program. Sixteen years of my life were spent serving the poor, destitute, orphans, mentally disabled, people affected by human trafficking, unwed mothers, prisoners, and the outcast. Life has been my best teacher, moulding me into who I am today. I love to be a seeker and learner than an achiever and performer.

Back home, I had served in various capacities like Life Coach, Executive Coach, Organizational Development Coach, NLP practitioner, Educational Management Consultant, and Counselor cum Psychotherapist at different stints. Experiences with people from various walks of life have humbled me with enriching life lessons.

Love heals (God is Love) is my motto for life. In all that I do, being Christ-like and sharing His love is my priority. I have served various institutions, teams and organisations as a Leader, but serving Tyndale in a servant leadership role would be a privilege. The community at Tyndale is very warm, welcoming and inclusive. Sharing what I have and learning what I ought to from such a dynamic and positive community will be enriching and fulfilling.

With my MBA (Strategy & Leadership) academic background and 12+ years of experience in administration dealing with Finance and Human Resources, I could contribute to the growth of TUSSA as the Student Vice President for Administration & Finance. This would be a golden opportunity to share my God-given talents with the community I love very much.

Andy Balzer

Andy Balzer

Hi, I’m Andy Balzer and I’m currently in the Master of Divinity Clinical Counselling program at Tyndale, which I started in September 2022. I’ve lived in Canada all my life but have lived in 4 different provinces: BC, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and now Ontario.

Before Tyndale, I was working as a Data Analyst at a research institute in New Brunswick. As you can imagine, my coworkers were excited but surprised to hear I was quitting my job to go back to school for counselling. What prompted the change? It was a lengthy discernment process deciding to apply for Tyndale’s counselling program, but a key part of the discernment process was looking back at deeply fulfilling experiences in my life. These were times where I could come alongside people, enter their stories, provide a listening ear, and become a source of guidance for them. This is what I believe God has called me to in life, and I believe the Tyndale counselling program is a natural fit with that calling. My story is just one of many ways God has called each of us to be here.

I’m interested in student council because I want to create opportunities for seminary students to connect with one another. Yes, the academic experience matters, but let’s make some friends along the way! Whether it’s in-person or online events, I want to do what I can to help you have a good time at Tyndale.

Corey Bergman

Corey Bergman

My name is Corey Bergman and I’m in my first year at Tyndale Seminary studying an MDiv in Clinical Counseling. The Lord has blessed me by opening the door to continue my education and seek the opportunity to support others spiritually and with their mental health. I hope to serve Tyndale’s students so they may benefit from everything the Lord has for them at Tyndale University. God commands us to be bold and courageous, and I aim to encourage others to step out for God so that we may enter the world as salt and light, giving all the praise and glory to Him. It is my pleasure to serve Tyndale students as the VP of online students.

I’m interested in engaging with online students because I’ve seen both the benefits and drawbacks of the online space. It’s incredibly useful having the technology to engage online from any place and at any time of day. However, engaging with community is a bit different online than in-person. How do we stay connected with one another? What works best for online students? Let’s figure that out together.

Rob Brubacher

Rod Brubacher

I am Rod Brubacher. I am starting my first year of a MDiv program after finishing a MTS in Pentecostal studies. I live in the Kitchener Waterloo area and am married with eight children. They range in age from 15 to 28 years of age.

Seven years ago my wife and I moved to Guatemala with 6 of the children to help with a bible school for young adults. Last year we returned to Canada on home assignment so that I could finish the MTS degree and to help the youngest children transition into adult life.

Over the last year I have appreciated the work that TUSSA Student Council has done in making the on-campus experience better and would like to pass that experience on to next years grad students.

Christy Chan

Hello, my name is Christy and I am a first-year student in the MDiv Biblical Studies program. As an international student who began attending classes in person following the COVID pandemic, I am grateful for the hospitality and involvement shown by the Seminary Student Council. I believe that all students, regardless of their background, should have access to a supportive community while on their journey with God. That's why I want to help other students at Tyndale have the same positive experience that I have had.

Prior to dedicating myself to the Lord, I spent six years developing my skills in fundraising and project management. This experience was gained through working with local charities in Hong Kong that assisted underprivileged communities, as well as international development organizations based in London (UK) and Bangkok (Thailand). I view this experience as a preparation phase orchestrated by God to equip me with the necessary resources and connections to maximize my impact. In my current role, I aim to lead a diverse team of Council Committee members and provide valuable support to fellow seminary students in order to enhance their student life.

Apart from my academics, I enjoy outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking, learning Korean pop songs' choreography, and trying out new food varieties.

Cassandra Eltham

Cassandra Eltham

My name is Cassandra and I’m going into my third year in the Counselling program at Tyndale. I was born and raised in Bangalore, India and moved to Toronto a little over a year ago. I love reading books (particullarly cosy mysteries that help me unwind), cooking, taking care of my plants and playing video games.

Since coming to Toronto, Tyndale has played a major part in shaping my spiritual journey and helping me to find a home far from home. I love the deep sense of community and hospitality everywhere in the school. I especially love spending time at the chapel, and grabbing coffee from the seminary lounge on Wednesdays and meeting new people.

I’m running for VP of Communication because I would love to serve the community that played such an important role in my life. In 2019, I received my undergrad degree in communications and spent a year and a half working in social media management and narrative writing. I found my way to Tyndale through social media, and that is something I’m really grateful for. As VP of communications, I hope to share that gift with other students - past, present and future.

Angel Zhou

Angel Zhou

During my undergraduate studies, I took three courses in English-Chinese translations, and I was the Vice President of Events in the English-Chinese Studies Association, which held competitions and conferences for U of T students and students all over the world who are interested in English-Chinese translation. Through the experience, I learnt how to communicate with our Student Center, professors, my colleagues and the attendees of the events. I also learnt how to lead my team in designing suitable events for all the competitions and conferences we held. I believe these experiences will help me to fit into the team at TUSSA and contribute my part actively and properly.

As an international student, I have many chances to meet people from different countries and different cultures, and I respect everyone's culture with a humble heart. I have the asset to use both English and Mandarin fluently, and I also received training of interpretation between these two languages. This will help me reach out to the Chinese international students in our school, which is a large group.

I also volunteered at two mental health-related organizations, meeting my care receiver weekly for one year and holding mental health public lectures three times. Through these experiences, I developed good communication skills and a humble heart to serve my clients. I also have experience caring for clients who were very angry when they came to me, but I was able to calm down and finish the talk politely and invite them to come back again whenever they are comfortable. During these volunteer services, my mindset has been well exercised, and I became more and more confident communicating with others. As a member of the student council, we need to serve students of different backgrounds. I have the confidence to serve them with politeness, warmness, and honesty.

I feel confident to serve in the TUSSA as VP of Intercultural Affairs. Even though I still have a lot to improve, I have the heart to learn from others and cooperate with my teammates. Most importantly, I believe that God will help me through the duties and the journey. I'm looking forward to the next steps!


Seminary Student Council Application

Seminary Student Council Application Status: Closed