With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Alumni Relations is hosting a contest that puts the ‘NC’ in ‘romance.’
NC alumni couples who met while attending the College are welcome to enter a contest, hosted by Alumni Relations, for a chance to win a $100 gift card – along with a chance to share their story in encore digital magazine!
The contest will run from January 15 until January 26 (11:59 p.m.). Winners will be announced the following week.
Fill in the required information on the ‘Share Your NC Memory’ form:
Who are you (Select ‘NC Alumni’);
Name (fill in your first and last name);
Email (fill in your email address);
Your memory (Share your ‘NC love story with us of how you and your partner met at NC);
Attach photo (upload a photo of you and your partner ‘then’ or ‘now’ … or both!
Click ‘Submit my Memory.’
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2023-01-16 08:05:362023-01-16 08:05:36NC alumni couples: Share your story for a chance to win $100 gift card
Niagara College President Sean Kennedy announced today that Gord Arbeau, an experienced senior leader in the postsecondary sector, will join Niagara College as Vice President, Advancement, leading a new portfolio that integrates communications, development and alumni relations, and community relations and events.
Arbeau comes to the College from Brock University, where he is Associate Vice President, University Advancement and External Relations.
“As we look ahead with bold and ambitious plans, buoyed by significant growth in our students, staff, faculty and facilities, we are thrilled to welcome an experienced advancement leader who will enhance our strong reputation and build the support and engagement that will sustain our momentum as a postsecondary leader in Niagara and beyond,” said Kennedy. “Gord personifies our strong student focus, and the unique trailblazing, welcoming and passionate characteristics that set our college apart, and he will be an outstanding addition to our senior leadership team.”
As Vice President, Advancement, Arbeau will be responsible for growing the College’s endowments and raising funds in support of our students and learning environments, along with enhanced alumni and partner engagement.
“It is a distinct privilege to be invited to join the Niagara College community,” said Arbeau. “Our students, faculty and staff are impactful contributors to the vibrancy of our region, province and the world. I am looking forward to working with the College’s executive team and our colleagues to continue to advance the College and its strategic plan and to build on the considerable and impressive achievements and momentum that Niagara College has earned.”
Arbeau’s current role at Brock University includes responsibility for development, donor relations, alumni engagement, and marketing and communications.
Prior to Brock, Arbeau held leadership positions at McMaster University, including Director of Communications and Community Relations and Director of Marketing and Communications at the DeGroote School of Business. A graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) Journalism BA program, he began his career in broadcast journalism before moving into leadership positions in marketing, communications and operations in the private sector.
A recognized leader in postsecondary advancement, Gord has also served as a chair and trustee for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and national conference co-chair for the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00amilanahttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngamilana2022-12-21 11:55:432022-12-21 11:55:43Gord Arbeau to join Niagara College as Vice President, Advancement
I am very pleased to share that Gord Arbeau, an experienced senior leader in the postsecondary sector, will join Niagara College as Vice President, Advancement in the new year.
Gord comes to Niagara College from Brock University, where he is Associate Vice President, University Advancement and External Relations, and he brings a wealth of communications, development, and alumni and community relations experience to NC.
As I shared at the start of the Fall term, the new Vice President, Advancement position was created to provide key support for our bold and ambitious goals for the future – from our new strategic plan, to significant growth in students and employees, new programs and facilities and an updated Master Plan.
As Vice President, Advancement, Gord will lead the communications, development and alumni relations, and community relations and events functions and he will be responsible for significantly growing our endowments and raising funds in support of our students and learning environments along with enhanced alumni and partner engagement.
In his current role at Brock, Gord is responsible for development, donor relations, alumni engagement, and marketing and communications. Since joining the university in 2019 he has increased fundraising, expanded the university’s donor base and secured transformational gifts while instituting digital communications and marketing strategies that enhance student enrolment and retention.
Prior to Brock, Arbeau held leadership positions at McMaster University, including Director of Communications and Community Relations and Director of Marketing and Communications at the DeGroote School of Business. A graduate of the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) Journalism BA program, Gord began his career in broadcast journalism before moving into leadership positions in marketing, communications and operations in the private sector.
A recognized leader in postsecondary advancement, Gord has also served as a chair and trustee for the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and national conference co-chair for the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education.
Gord’s first day at NC will be Monday, January 16. Please join me in extending a warm Niagara College welcome to our new Vice President, Advancement.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00amilanahttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngamilana2022-12-21 10:56:222022-12-21 10:56:22Message from President Kennedy: Gord Arbeau to join NC as VP, Advancement
Giving Tuesday 2022 lived up to its name at Niagara College.
The one-day give-a-thon, held on November 29, raised $13,175 in support of students and families in need, surpassing the College’s original fundraising goal of $10,000.
As a result, $9,250 was raised for the Nourishing Minds Fund along with $3,925 for Adopt-a-Family.
“Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign,” said Vice President, Research and External Relations, Marc Nantel, PhD. “Together, our College community puts the ‘NC’ in ‘making a differeNCe’ when it comes to supporting those in need on our campuses and beyond.”
Established by NC Student Administrative Council, the Nourishing Minds Fund addresses food insecurity by supplying electronic grocery cards to help students in need, to buy food, toiletries, and other life necessities.
Donating to the fund helps alleviate the food insecurity faced by many NC students. About 100 students have been receiving a free breakfast each morning at the Welland and Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. To date, during Fall 20222 term, NCSAC has handed out 35 emergency grocery gift cards to students and has recently increased the value of the cards to be $50 for an individual student, and $100 for a student with dependents at home.
NCSAC Marketing Communications Manager Andy Hall noted that the donation will go towards funding the Rise and Shine breakfast program that happens three mornings a week, as well as providing students in emergency situations with a gift card to a local store to buy their groceries.
“Time and time again, we are shown how incredible the NC community, staff, faculty, and students are. This is a prime example of that,” said Hall. “The funds raised through this campaign will go directly to helping students each and every week.”
Each year, during the holiday season, NC’s Give Back Committee organizes the Adopt a Family program in support of student families in need. Some families will receive gifts for each child, food, Christmas dinner, gifts for mom and/or dad, as well as some gift cards for groceries, gifts, and other necessities.
About Giving Tuesday
Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is a global movement that started with a simple idea: ‘what if there was a day that encourages people to do good.’ This message has since reached over 73 countries, with $36 million collectively raised in Canada last year alone.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-12-12 10:29:462022-12-12 10:29:46NC Giving Tuesday campaign raises more than $13,000
They graduated from Niagara College decades apart, but on the evening of November 28, two NC alumni made history as outstanding Ontario college graduates who were announced as winners of 2022 Premier’s Awards.
Multi-award-winning journalist Murray Brewster (Ottawa), who graduated from NC’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program in 1985, and Founder of Erica’s Embrace, Erica Williams (St. Catharines), who has been supporting Black women across Southwestern Ontario since she graduated from NC’s Social Service Worker program in 2018, were among seven winners of this year’s prestigious Premier’s Awards announced by Colleges Ontario during its Higher Education Summit in Toronto.
It was the first time that two NC alumni have won Premier’s Awards during the same year.
“We are very excited that two of our amazing NC alumni have won Premier’s Awards this year, for the first time in our College history,” said NC President Sean Kennedy. “We are immensely proud of Murray and Erica who are both exemplary members of our alumni community of more than 100,000 graduates who are making a difference throughout Niagara, across Ontario and around the world.”
Brewster, who is a Parliamentary Defence and Foreign Policy Reporter for CBC News, won in the Creative Arts and Design category. Since he graduated from the College in1985, he has built a world-class career which has helped Canadians, as well as victims of conflict around the world.
“My experience at Niagara College was more than courses and textbooks; it was the people who stuck with me,” said Brewster.
Brewster, who grew up in Welland, built a successful career in broadcasting and print journalism which has taken him around the world, including 15 months in Afghanistan travelling with troops during the five-year Kandahar combat mission. That experience was the subject of his book, The Savage War: The Untold Battles of Afghanistan, (2011), and he was the lead writer on the documentary Kandahar Journals.
Brewster has built a reputation as a trusted journalist on military-security matters. Wherever he’s reporting from — Ottawa, Africa, Ukraine or the Arctic Circle — his journey as one of this country’s impactful journalists has made him a familiar and reassuring voice to millions of Canadians. His consistent reporting for CBC News – after more than a decade at The Canadian Press – helps Canadians grasp their country’s ability to protect its sovereignty in this tense era of global wars and threatening geopolitical ambitions.
Brewster’s excellence and impact have been recognized by over a dozen prestigious national awards, including 14 national Radio and Television News Director Awards; two Atlantic Journalism Awards; the Ross Munro Award for defence writing; the prestigious Michener Award Certificate of Merit for public service in journalism; and a finalist citation in the prominent National Newspaper Awards. He was also recognized with NC’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017 when he addressed graduating students from NC’s schools of Media, Trades and Technology during a Spring Convocation ceremony at the Welland Campus in June 2017, which marked his first return to his alma mater since he graduated in1985.
St. Catharines resident Erica Williams won the award in the Recent Graduate category.
A dedicated social service worker and savvy non-profit entrepreneur, Williams created necessary and otherwise overlooked support services for racialized individuals since graduating with her diploma only four years ago. Through her organization, Erica’s Embrace Support Services, Williams and her team gather and distribute Black hair care and beauty products to women’s shelters across Southwestern Ontario. It is the only known service of this kind in the area.
Her years in school and the various hands-on experiences she gained allowed her to see this gap in the field and gave her the push she needed to pursue such a meaningful venture.
“Sometimes change starts with an idea and, sometimes, change starts with you,” said Williams. “I thank Niagara College for giving me the knowledge and confidence I needed to pursue my dreams.”
In April 2022, Williams connected with current NC students as a featured guest of the College’s virtual Ask an Alumni Anything event.
2014 winner Royal Canadian Navy Capt. Rebecca Patterson (Nursing grad, 1987);
• 2012 winner David Pratt (Greenhouse Technician grad, 2007);
• 2011 winner Jerry Howell (Computer Engineering Technology grad, 1988);
• 2008 winner Jordan Harris (Winery and Viticulture Technician grad, 2004);
• 2003 winner Heather Kilty (Social Welfare Worker grad, 1969); and
• 1995 winner Carol Alaimo (Journalism-Print grad, 1984).
Presented annually by Colleges Ontario, the Premier’s Awards honour the important social and economic contributions of Ontario college graduates in seven categories – Apprenticeship, Business, Community Services, Creative Arts and Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate, and Technology.
Colleges Ontario’s 2022 Premier’s Awards presentation was held on November 28 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. Visit co-awards.org.
: Niagara College President Sean Kennedy (middle) stands with alumni Murray Brewster (left) and Erica Williams (right) at Colleges Ontario’s 2022 Premier’s Awards presentation on November 28 in Toronto.
A NC group shot from Colleges Ontario’s awards presentation.
Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to give back during the holiday season and support NC students and families in need.
NC will participate in the one day give-a-thon, to be held on November 29, by raising funds for two College initiatives: the Nourishing Minds Fund and the Give Back Committee’s Adopt a Family program. The college community is encouraged to participate by making a donation on Giving Tuesday via NC’s Giving Tuesday page via Charity Village here.
Established by NC Student Administrative Council, the Nourishing Minds Fund addresses food insecurity by supplying electronic grocery cards to help students in need, to buy food, toiletries, and other life necessities.
Donating to the fund helps alleviate the food insecurity faced by many NC students. About 100 students have been receiving a free breakfast each morning at the Welland and Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake. To date, during Fall 20222 term, NCSAC has handed out 35 emergency grocery gift cards to students and has recently increased the value of the cards to be $50 for an individual student, and $100 for a student with dependants at home.
“We encourage donations to be made each year. The more money raised, directly translates to more students being helped,” said Andy Hall, NCSAC Marketing Communications Manager. “Each week, between both campuses, hundreds of students start their mornings off with a free breakfast. We also see around a dozen students each month receive an emergency grocery gift card to help with food at home.
“Fundraising initiatives like ‘Giving Tuesday’ tremendously help by enabling us to continue to offer our supportive services each and every month.”
The cards are e-gift cards for Walmart which enables the student to get a very wide range of items to help them during difficult times.
Each year, during the holiday season, NC’s Give Back Committee organizes the Adopt a Family program in support of student families in need. Some families will receive gifts for each child, food, Christmas dinner, gifts for mom and/or dad, as well as some gift cards for groceries, gifts, and other necessities.
“The need to support our NC families during the holidays is incredibly important and very near and dear to my heart,” said Valerie Regehr, who has led the initiative at NC for the past 15 years with assistance from her co-workers at the NC Libraries and Learning Commons.
“Seeing the difference that this generosity makes for these families is what motivates me to continue these important initiatives that have become such a big part of our College community.”
About Giving Tuesday
Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is a global movement that started with a simple idea: what if there was a day that encourages people to do good. This message has since reached over 73 countries, with $36 million collectively raised in Canada last year alone.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-11-25 16:17:322022-11-25 16:17:32Giving Tuesday: Support NC students, families in need on Nov. 29
Alumni and their families gathered at the Welland Campus on November 11 to kick off ReuKnighted 2022.
The event, organized by Alumni Relations, offered alumni and their families a chance to connect at an exclusive indoor tailgate party at The Core where guests enjoyed appetizers and refreshments. The action continued in the gym that evening with women’s and men’s Knights volleyball and on November 12 with women’s and men’s basketball games against Sheridan College.
“It was great to see our alumni back on campus with their families to help us cheer on the Knights,
said Jana Boniferro. “I’m looking forward to next year already!”
This was NC’s second ReuKnighted event since it originally debuted in 2019.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-11-15 14:44:202022-11-15 14:44:20One-of-a-kind reunion offers alumni a ‘knight’ to remember
As fundraising and charitable work enters the spotlight for National Philanthropy Day (November 15), Niagara College recognizes the impact of its donors who support student success.
“We are tremendously grateful for the support of our many generous donors who help Niagara College students achieve their dreams,” said Vice President, Research and External Relations, Marc Nantel. “Our donors make a real difference in the lives of our students by funding scholarships, bursaries, instructional equipment, learning resources, and Be World Ready travel bursaries, all of which help our students reach their academic goals.”
During the past year alone (2021-2022), more than 800 awards (including scholarships and bursaries) have been distributed to NC students. Seven-hundred-and-thirty-eight NC students benefitted from $1-million (total) in financial assistance at the College during the last academic year – thanks to the generosity of 160 unique donors.
“For many students, financial challenge is the greatest barrier to college success,” said Development Officer Erica Walters. “On Philanthropy Day and every day, we are truly thankful to all of our donors. Whether their gift was a few dollars or thousands of dollars, their gifts help transform lives.”
For full-time student and single mother Laila Karami, receiving the Dorothy Doyle Memorial Nursing scholarship is something she described as “no less than a miracle” when she completed her nursing education at Niagara College last year.
“Receiving this award motivates me to maintain my honor roll and complete my Practical Nursing diploma,” said Karami. “One day, I hope I will be able to pay it forward and do this for future students who grew up in a less privileged community and may not have a financial advantage.”
“This scholarship will have an impact beyond explanation and will definitely improve my quality of life,” said Isabelle Wartabedian, a student in the Business – Sales and Marketing program who received a CIBC International Student scholarship in March.
“I am proud to be the first person in my family to go to college and am working extremely hard,” said Koby Jeffery, 2021 recipient of the Gene Haas Scholarship for students in the College’s Mechanical Techniques (General Machinist) program. “I am doing this on my own, both physically and financially. Just being selected for this scholarship is an honour and financially has relieved a lot of stress.
“I am trying to complete my program without any debt and this will definitely help toward that goal.”
Giving back is second nature for NC social worker and counsellor Trina Washington. Washington, who has been working within the College’s Health, Wellness and Accessibility department for more than 20 years, feels passionate about helping to level the playing field for students with disabilities and she created two Washington Family bursaries at NC to help. View article in encore magazine here.
Information from the Association of Fundraising Professionals:
National Philanthropy Day (NPD) is a special day set aside on the fifteenth of November to recognize the great contributions of philanthropy–and those people active in the philanthropic community–to the enrichment of our world.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-11-14 16:25:022022-11-14 16:25:02Niagara College thanks donors on National Philanthropy Day
Niagara College’s one-of -kind reunion is back for 2022, with an alumni mixer and two days of Knights sports excitement at the Welland Campus.
The event will kick off on Friday, November 11 with an exclusive indoor tailgate party for NC alumni, including former Knights athletes, to begin at 4 p.m. at The Core. The action will transition to the gym for an evening of Knights volleyball, featuring women’s (6 p.m.) and men’s (8 p.m.) teams playing Sheridan College. NC alumni will also be welcome to stay for post-game festivities.
The games will continue on November 12 with Knights basketball, as NC’s women’s (1 p.m.) and men’s (3.p.m.) teams compete against Fanshawe College.
“Our inaugural 2019 event was a slam dunk and we’re excited to be back,” said Jana Boniferro, Alumni Engagement Officer. “ReuKnighted is the perfect opportunity for our NC alumni community to return to campus and show their school spirit by reconnecting with their former classmates, teammates, faculty and friends, and cheering on our amazing NC Knights!”
“We’re excited to welcome alumni back to Niagara College,” said Michele O’Keefe, Director, Athletics and Student Engagement. “Alumni are integral to NC Knights tradition and ReuKnighted is our way to celebrate and engage them.”
Adult tickets are $5 each and include VIP access to The Core, appetizers, and refreshments, as well as admission to Friday volleyball and Saturday basketball games.
Youth tickets (ages 12 and younger) are free for this family-friendly event and include the same perks as adult tickets as well as activities for ‘mini Knights.’
Tickets may be online via Eventbrite or at the door, first come, first served (limited capacity).
The first 100 alumni to register will receive a ReuKnighted scarf, courtesy of NC Alumni Relations.
This will be the second ReuKnighted event the College has hosted since it originally debuted in 2019.
ReuKnighted 2022 schedule
Friday, November 11, 2022
4 p.m. Kickoff Tailgate Party in The Core (indoor)
6 p.m. Women’s Volleyball (vs. Sheridan)
8 p.m. Men’s Volleyball (vs. Sheridan)
Saturday, November 12, 2022
1 p.m. Women’s Basketball (vs. Fanshawe)
3 p.m. Men’s Basketball (vs. Fanshawe)
Alumni gather in the gym following the tailgate party to cheer on men’s and women’s basketball teams at ReuKnighted 2019.
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-11-07 09:52:222022-11-07 09:52:22Niagara College to welcome alumni for ReuKnighted Nov. 11-12
Alumni: mark your calendar for November 11 and 12; NC’s one-of -kind reunion is back for 2022!
ReuKnighted will kick off on November 11 with an exclusive tailgate party for NC alumni and former Knights athletes to begin at 4 p.m. at The Core. Then, action moves to the gym for an evening of Knights volleyball, with the women’s team (6 p.m.) and the men’s team (8 p.m.) playing Sheridan College. NC alumni will also be welcome to stay for post-game festivities.
The games will continue on November 12 with Knights basketball. NC’s women’s (1 p.m.) and men’s (3.p.m.) basketball teams will compete against Fanshawe College.
Tickets
Adult tickets are $5 each and include VIP access to The Core, appetizers and refreshments, as well as admission to Friday volleyball and Saturday basketball games, and post-game fun.
Youth tickets, for ages 12 and younger, are free and will include the same perks as adult tickets as well as activities for ‘mini Knights.’
The first 100 alumni to register will receive a ReuKnighted scarf, courtesy of Alumni Relations.
This will be the second ReuKnighted event to be held since it originally debuted in 2019.
Schedule
Friday, November 11, 2022
4 p.m. Kickoff Tailgate Party in The Core (indoor)
6 p.m. Women’s Volleyball (vs. Sheridan)
8 p.m. Men’s Volleyball (vs. Sheridan)
Saturday, November 12, 2022
1 p.m. Women’s Basketball (vs. Fanshawe)
3 p.m. Men’s Basketball (vs. Fanshawe)
http://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.png00Julie Grecohttp://donate.niagaracollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ncc-campign-logo-300x138.pngJulie Greco2022-11-02 11:37:402022-11-02 11:37:40Alumni: Stay ahead of the game, save the date for ReuKnighted
