Meet Bella Cotton, OC Engineering student
September 20, 2022
Q: How did you end up at AV? A: I was debating between UVic, UBCO and OC. I was accepted into all of these programs, and UVic with a scholarship, but a few teachers and UBCO students persuaded me into coming to OC. They said that the teachers are great, the class sizes small, and it’s cheaper! Q: How did you choose your program? A: I am doing the General Engineering Transfer Program that transfers to UBCO in second year. I’ve always loved math and physics and wante...
Read more...AV alumni Emily McKay made a lot of connections while studying at OC’s School of Business
September 20, 2022
Those connections led her to where she is today, as a social entrepreneur with a fashion business aimed at sustainability in an industry that produces greenhouse gases at twice the rate of the airline industry. “I went to AV because I was interested in the marketing world and possibly one day owning my own business,” says McKay. “Looking back, I made so many amazing connections at AV that led me in the direction of all of my most critical work experiences and special life experiences. It led me to my study abroa...
Read more...Evening marking 15 years of OC Writing and Publishing program celebrates creative community
September 12, 2022
Writers and fine artists in the North Okanagan have found a lot of reasons to celebrate this fall. Fifteen years’ worth of reasons, to be exact. The community of poets, fiction and creative non-fiction writers are coming together for Celebrating 15 Years of Writing and Publishing, an evening devoted to the collective showcase of students, alumni, instructors and former faculty members. “We have such a dedicated and talented community of writers, with a long history of promoting creativity in the region. This is a significant milestone fo...
Read more...Hoopla Fundraiser for AV Coyotes to be hosted by Sportsnet’s Brad Fay
September 7, 2022
After a two-year hiatus, the Kelowna College Basketball Society is bringing back its much-anticipated and popular Hoopla event, raising awareness and support for the OC Coyotes basketball teams. The evening fundraiser takes place on September 28th from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at the Centre for Learning on AV’s K.L.O. Road campus. Tickets for Hoopla are $50 and can be purchased https://occoyotes.eventbrite.com. “We are looking forward to connecting with the community in-person for the first time since 2019, as we cele...
Read more...The Market at AV serving up locally produced food to fuel back-to-school
September 7, 2022
Move over, cafeteria lunch trays: locally produced foods and goods are sliding into the spotlight at AV this September. The Market at AV launched Sept. 6 in the former cafeteria space in Kelowna, and will be a source of healthy, local food that supports the holistic health and well-being of the campus community. Offering local, fresh food on campus celebrates the incredible diversity of Okanagan food and agriculture and furthers OC’s commitment to Feed BC. “Sustainability is vital for all aspects of student l...
Read more...OC pathways pilot provides better access, supports students needing prerequisites
September 2, 2022
People considering health care and trades careers have new options thanks to a pilot program at AV that offers applicants help with course prerequisites. The pathways program supports students interested in going back to school to receive training in high-demand fields, but do not have the requirements needed for their desired program. Whether students need Adult Upgrading or English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction, they’ll be able to receive educational supports. “By investing in new programs such as this one at Oka...
Read more...Thomas Klein
September 1, 2022
Even as a kid I knew I would go into the trades. An office job wouldn’t work for me because my ADHD makes it hard for me to sit still for too long, and my reading and writing aren’t the best.” “One of my high school teachers got me into sheet metal. The school helped me enroll in AV’s Sheet Metal Worker Foundation Certificate program. The program allowed me to learn a lot of new techniques, test out ideas, and try new things. When I first found out that I got th...
Read more...Sophie Wilson
September 1, 2022
“I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to study at AV’s Penticton campus. My professors were fantastic, and learning close to home allowed me to spend more time with my daughter. I completed a Business Administration diploma this past fall. I’ve tried to go to school before, but financial insecurity always ended up holding me back. I would end up having to work part-time, and then I would end up working full time and then I would end up having to leave school alto...
Read more...Caylee Donovan
September 1, 2022
"I found out I’d received the Marcia J. Aitkens Memorial Bursary in Practical Nursing in the middle of lab. I was so shocked I pretty much dropped to the floor. At the time, I was a full-time student in AV’s Practical Nursing program, and I was working up to five days a week. The workload was just too much to handle, especially as a mother of a child with special needs. My eleven-year-old had recently been diagnosed with autism and needed more of my time. ...
Read more...New ‘Step into Steel Toes’ course invites women to try carpentry
August 29, 2022
Home renovations on your to-do list? Curious about power tools and considering a project? AV is launching a new trades exploratory program this fall – exclusively for women. “More and more women are expressing an interest in learning skills related to carpentry, electrical, plumbing, automotive and sheet metal projects,” says Teresa Kisilevich, associate dean, Trades and Apprenticeship at AV. “Step into Steel Toes is designed to make it easier for women of all ages to feel comfortable trying out various tools...
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