Following a different path

Guided by the belief that not all learning happens in the classroom, Karen and Steve Sharlow chose to leave a gift in their will to help future SFU students embrace their own unique educational journeys.

“Following a slightly different path was always our way,” Karen reflects. “I think that’s why SFU was a good fit for us.”

In 1970, Karen and Steve, newly wed and facing a tight B.C. job market, made a bold decision to leave Burnaby and venture north to Yellowknife. They pitched their tent by a lake, and Steve set out to look for work. A gravel path literally led him to the Yellowknife Correctional Centre, where he was hired that same day and before long, became a corrections officer.

“Steve was always incredibly observant,” Karen recalls. “By watching how things worked, and being genuinely curious about the people around him, he quickly learned how to advance in the justice system.”

Knowing that a university education was vital to continue growing their careers, the couple returned to B.C. Karen had enrolled at SFU after high school and returned to her studies in commerce and economics, while Steve enrolled as a mature student. Here, Steve was struck by the energy of the newly-established School of Criminology’s founding chair, Dr. Ezzat Fattah, who encouraged him to join the inaugural cohort.

This program profoundly shaped Steve’s career and life mission—Karen notes that he was particularly inspired by the hands-on experience he gained during his co-op placement—and the Sharlows’ generous gift reflects that passion for experiential learning.

“He was not a person who really liked sitting in classrooms,” she says with a laugh. “He learned best by talking, endlessly, to people.”

After graduation, Steve made a substantial impact on the lives of many people. With his deep commitment to justice, compassion and public service, he became a probation officer, family court counsellor, and eventually an instructor at the Justice Institute of B.C., dedicating much of his work to addressing sexual abuse.

Karen, too, built an extraordinary legal career, practicing tax law in Vancouver before becoming a Federal Court judge in Ottawa in 1999. Later that same year, she was appointed to both the Court Martial Appeal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, where she served until her retirement in 2014.

Inspired by SFU’s longstanding commitment to experiential learning, in 2018 they established the Steve and Karen Sharlow Criminology Co-op Award Endowment through generous gifts both during their lifetime and in their will.

“It was Steve’s wish to express his gratitude to SFU for the support that helped shape his career,” Karen explains. “By creating this endowment, we hope to build something lasting, something that will serve as a springboard for students to achieve great things in their own lives.”

Steve passed away in 2022, and his legacy lives on through this endowment by ensuring future students can benefit from the same transformative opportunities.

“With a gift like this, you’re building something that is as permanent as anything can be in this world. Memories fade, but this is forever.”