A message from Greg Medulun, vice president, External Relations:

There is no better testament to the quality of a NC education than celebrating our alumni, and the Ontario Premier’s Awards allow us to recognize the outstanding contributions of our alumni in all corners of our society.

The Alumni Relations team is requesting your help in identifying accomplished NC alumni to be considered as nominees for this year’s Colleges Ontario Premier’s Awards.

The Premier’s Awards honour the accomplishments of outstanding alumni from each of Ontario’s 24 colleges (please see criteria below). Nominations are submitted in the following seven categories:

• Apprenticeship (new in 2018);
• Business;
• Community Services;
• Creative Arts and Design;
• Health Sciences;
• Recent Graduate (within five years); and
• Technology.

We appreciate your input and ask that you forward your recommendations to Jana Boniferro, Alumni Engagement Officer, by Friday, March 1. Jana can be reached at jboniferro@niagaracollege.ca or extension 7427.

Let’s all take pride in the successes of our NC alumni, who embody the NC DNA, and celebrate their many achievements.

College’s Ontario Premier’s Awards Selection criteria

Chosen from nominations submitted by Ontario’s 24 colleges, each nominee must demonstrate outstanding career success related to his/her apprenticeship training and college experience and have made a significant contribution to his/her sector and community. The individual’s career achievements will be given top priority.

Selection panellists will be considering the following points:

Primary consideration:

Career impact

• Has the nominee made a significant impact to his/her chosen career?
• Has the nominee made a significant contribution to his/her sector?
• Has the impact been recognized by others in his/her industry and/or profession?
• Has the impact helped shape or change the lives of others?

Secondary considerations:

Community impact

• Has the nominee made a significant contribution to his/her community?

College education

• Was the decision to go into the college system a key factor in the nominee’s success?
• Is it clear that the college route provided a fairly unique contribution to the nominee’s preparation?
• Would others be inspired to enter the college system after hearing the nominee’s story?

Eligibility

Any graduate of a college program may be nominated. This includes, but is not limited to, certificate programs, accelerated programs, distance education and/or have completed the third level of in-school apprenticeship training at a college.

It is up to each college to decide under which category the nomination should be submitted. Category selection can be based on the program the nominee graduated from or on his/her career path.

Colleges may nominate only one graduate in each category. There is no limit to the number of times a graduate can be nominated over the years, provided the individual was not previously selected as a recipient.

Nominating colleges are responsible for doing their own due diligence with regards to the accuracy of the information provided in the entry form and nominee profile. Colleges Ontario will be reviewing the nomination forms after the deadline and before they are provided to the selection panel. If any questionable detail is found in the forms, the nominating college will be consulted for verification. If verification cannot be provided, the nomination will be deemed ineligible.

 

Luxury Travel Advisor featured an article about NC grad Ryan Grande, who has been appointed as resort manager of  Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo on the north Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In his new role, Grande will lead the resort’s guest experience and oversee day-to-day operations.

Grande graduated in Hospitality Management from Niagara College in 2005.

View the article, posted September 7, here.

More than 3,700 students will cross the platform and enter the next phase of their life at Niagara College’s Spring Convocation Ceremonies, to be held at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus June 19-22.

Graduates and their guests will hear from a variety of distinguished business and community leaders who will deliver convocation addresses and receive special honours from the College.

Ceremonies will begin on Tuesday, June 19 at 10 am with the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport as well as the School of Food and Wine Sciences. The convocation speaker for the morning will be Vicki Heyman,

founder of Uncharted, values-driven family office that convenes and connects a diverse group of Americans and Canadians. Heyman will receive an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies.

The 1 pm ceremony will see students in the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker Studies hear a convocation address from Daljit Singh Gujral, a first-generation entrepreneur from India and president of INSCOL, which operates a nursing institute in Toronto that trains internationally educated nurses who move to Canada. Gujral will receive an Honorary Diploma in Health Studies.

Wednesday, June 20 will begin with a ceremony celebrating graduates in the School of Community Services. Coletta McGrath, executive director of Quest Community Health Centre and a founding board member of the St. Catharines Life Lease Corporation, an organization that built two of the first not-for-profit life lease buildings for older adults in Niagara, will bring the convocation address and will receive an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies.

In the afternoon, Bryan MacCulloch, chief of the Niagara Regional Police Service, will address graduates in the School of Justice and Fitness Studies, the School of Allied Health Studies, and the School of Nursing and Support Worker Studies. Chief MacCulloch will receive an Honorary Diploma in Police Foundations.

Ceremonies will continue the morning of Thursday, June 21 with the School of Business and Management Studies hearing from Anthony J. Spiteri, who graduated from Niagara College’s Business Administration program in 1989 with honours. Spiteri, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, grew up in Niagara, and is now a leader in the consumer packaged goods industry. He has held executive level positions with Maple Leaf Foods, Thrifty Foods, Lilydale Inc., New Food Classics and is currently vice president of marketing, research and development with Pinty’s Delicious Foods Inc.

Thursday morning’s ceremonies will also honour the recipient of the 2018 Governor General’s Academic Medal, presented to Business Administration – Accounting graduate Jesse Reynders, who graduates with a grade average of 98.23 per cent.

Thursday ceremonies will conclude in the afternoon with Niagara radio host Tim Denis addressing graduates in the School of Academic and Liberal Studies, the School of English Language Studies and the School of Media Studies. Denis, who recently celebrated 40 years in radio, has been CKTB Talk Radio’s morning host for more than 23 years, and has made waves in Niagara and beyond with his work as a singer, actor, director and songwriter. He will receive an Honorary Diploma in Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film.

Spring Convocation Ceremonies conclude on  the morning of Friday, June 21.  Graduates in the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies, the School of Technological Studies and the School of Trades will hear from executive director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Sarah Watts-Rynard. An advocate of the skilled trades, Watts-Rynard works to encourage a better understanding of the high-level of competency and skill required by these careers. Watts-Rynard will receive an Honorary Diploma in Skilled Trades.

Friday will also be a milestone for the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies, as it will see the first cohort of graduates from the college’s Commercial Beekeeping program. The Graduate Certificate program is the first of its kind in Eastern Canada, and was launched in 2017 to meet a significant demand for qualified, professional beekeepers across the country.

 

Schedule of Proceedings

Tuesday, June 19 – 10 a.m.
Hospitality, Tourism and Sport; Food and Wine Sciences
Speaker: Vicki Heyman

3 p.m.
Nursing and Personal Support Worker Studies
Speaker: Daljit Singh Gujral

Wednesday, June 20 – 10 a.m.
Community Studies
Speaker: Coletta McGrath

3 p.m.
Justice and Fitness Studies; Allied Health; Nursing and Support Worker Studies
Speaker: Bryan MacCulloch

Thursday, June 21 – 10 a.m.
Business and Management Studies
Speaker: Anthony J. Spiteri

3 p.m.
Academic and Liberal Studies; English Language Studies; Media Studies
Speaker: Tim Denis

Friday, June 22 – 10 a.m.
Environmental and Horticultural Studies; Technology Studies; Trades
Speaker: Sarah Watts-Rynard

 

 

More than 3,700 students will cross the platform and enter the next phase of their life at Niagara College’s Spring Convocation Ceremonies, to be held at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus June 19-22.

Graduates and their guests will hear from a variety of distinguished business and community leaders who will deliver convocation addresses and receive special honours from the College.

Ceremonies will begin on Tuesday, June 19 at 10 am with the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Sport as well as the School of Food and Wine Sciences. The convocation speaker for the morning will be Vicki Heyman,

founder of Uncharted, values-driven family office that convenes and connects a diverse group of Americans and Canadians. Heyman will receive an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies.

The 1 pm ceremony will see students in the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker Studies hear a convocation address from Daljit Singh Gujral, a first-generation entrepreneur from India and president of INSCOL, which operates a nursing institute in Toronto that trains internationally educated nurses who move to Canada. Gujral will receive an Honorary Diploma in Health Studies.

Wednesday, June 20 will begin with a ceremony celebrating graduates in the School of Community Services. Coletta McGrath, executive director of Quest Community Health Centre and a founding board member of the St. Catharines Life Lease Corporation, an organization that built two of the first not-for-profit life lease buildings for older adults in Niagara, will bring the convocation address and will receive an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies.

In the afternoon, Bryan MacCulloch, chief of the Niagara Regional Police Service, will address graduates in the School of Justice and Fitness Studies, the School of Allied Health Studies, and the School of Nursing and Support Worker Studies. Chief MacCulloch will receive an Honorary Diploma in Police Foundations.

Ceremonies will continue the morning of Thursday, June 21 with the School of Business and Management Studies hearing from Anthony J. Spiteri, who graduated from Niagara College’s Business Administration program in 1989 with honours. Spiteri, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, grew up in Niagara, and is now a leader in the consumer packaged goods industry. He has held executive level positions with Maple Leaf Foods, Thrifty Foods, Lilydale Inc., New Food Classics and is currently vice president of marketing, research and development with Pinty’s Delicious Foods Inc.

Thursday morning’s ceremonies will also honour the recipient of the 2018 Governor General’s Academic Medal, presented to Business Administration – Accounting graduate Jesse Reynders, who graduates with a grade average of 98.23 per cent.

Thursday ceremonies will conclude in the afternoon with Niagara radio host Tim Denis addressing graduates in the School of Academic and Liberal Studies, the School of English Language Studies and the School of Media Studies. Denis, who recently celebrated 40 years in radio, has been CKTB Talk Radio’s morning host for more than 23 years, and has made waves in Niagara and beyond with his work as a singer, actor, director and songwriter. He will receive an Honorary Diploma in Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film.

Spring Convocation Ceremonies conclude on  the morning of Friday, June 21.  Graduates in the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies, the School of Technological Studies and the School of Trades will hear from executive director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum Sarah Watts-Rynard. An advocate of the skilled trades, Watts-Rynard works to encourage a better understanding of the high-level of competency and skill required by these careers. Watts-Rynard will receive an Honorary Diploma in Skilled Trades.

Friday will also be a milestone for the School of Environmental and Horticultural Studies, as it will see the first cohort of graduates from the college’s Commercial Beekeeping program. The Graduate Certificate program is the first of its kind in Eastern Canada, and was launched in 2017 to meet a significant demand for qualified, professional beekeepers across the country.

 

Schedule of Proceedings

Tuesday, June 19 – 10 a.m.
Hospitality, Tourism and Sport; Food and Wine Sciences
Speaker: Vicki Heyman

3 p.m.
Nursing and Personal Support Worker Studies
Speaker: Daljit Singh Gujral

Wednesday, June 20 – 10 a.m.
Community Studies
Speaker: Coletta McGrath

3 p.m.
Justice and Fitness Studies; Allied Health; Nursing and Support Worker Studies
Speaker: Bryan MacCulloch

Thursday, June 21 – 10 a.m.
Business and Management Studies
Speaker: Anthony J. Spiteri

3 p.m.
Academic and Liberal Studies; English Language Studies; Media Studies
Speaker: Tim Denis

Friday, June 22 – 10 a.m.
Environmental and Horticultural Studies; Technology Studies; Trades
Speaker: Sarah Watts-Rynard

 

 

A message from Wendy Dueck, director of Development and Alumni Relations:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jana Boniferro as alumni engagement officer in the Development and Alumni Relations department. Jana joined the NC family on May 23.

Jana has a Business Communications degree from Brock University and over 10 years of experience in both the not-for-profit and corporate community. For the past five years she worked in the Advancement department at Brock University, most recently as senior major gifts officer focusing on the Goodman School of Business expansion; prior to that she worked on the fundraising efforts for the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. Both roles required her to create meaningful engagement and trusting relationships with key alumni – experience which will be instrumental in helping build a robust alumni community for Niagara College.

The primary focus of Jana’s role is fostering relationships and strengthening alumni affiliation that results in alumni having a lifelong relationship with the College. This includes presenting opportunities for meaningful continual engagement, such as sharing their talents and experience with students, and the ability to continue to learn from and with exceptional faculty members and talented peers.

Recognizing the existing effort and attention given within each College department to enrich the experience of students, both prior and beyond graduation, in the coming months Jana will be reaching out to the NC community to identify opportunities to engage, and strengthen the College’s relationships, with alumni.

In the interim, if you would like to reach out to Jana to discuss alumni engagement opportunities, she can be reached at extension 7427 or jboniferro@niagaracollege.ca.

Please join me in giving Jana a warm NC welcome!