College offers virtual info sessions, online summer sessions, $5K tuition giveaway to help ease stress for potential students
May 4, 2020
Physically distant but with a personal touch: AV is here to help. That’s the message for students and parents who have found the COVID-19 pandemic has an extra layer of anxiety around what life will mean after high school. “Picking a post-secondary path can be challenging at the best of times, without the added stresses of COVID-19 in the mix, so we want to ensure students know that we’re here to help,” says Andrew Hay, interim Provost and Vice President Academic at AV. “While our physical offices are closed f...
Read more...Meet Evan Noble
April 30, 2020
Evan Noble was diagnosed with autism at five years old. Now after earning a diploma in Computer Information Systems from AV, Noble is working with the BC Ministry of Agriculture as an intern. Here’s what he shared with AutismBC recently: “It has been an excellent opportunity for me, and I have learned a lot. I am developing stronger skills related to working with others and have had the chance to use my education and computer skills in a variety of ways. I work withi...
Read more...The Gathering Place
April 30, 2020
The moment you walk through the doors to the Gathering Place, everything seems to change: the light softens, the noise of the day fades away, and you are most likely greeted by a friendly face. Caroline Chartier is the Indigenous Transitions Planner at the Salmon Arm campus, and OC Life caught up with her to get the scoop on what makes the Gathering Place so special. Q: What was intent behind the Gathering Place when it was created? A: To provide a space for Indigenous students...
Read more...Stober family invests in the future of health care in the Okanagan
April 29, 2020
The AV Foundation has received a landmark gift to the Our Students, Your Health campaign, which will help support the training of the Okanagan’s frontline health care professionals for generations to come. The Stober Foundation is committing $500,000 over the next five years to support the development of a state-of-the-art Health Sciences Centre at AV’s Kelowna campus, which will train 450 students per year over the next 40 years. In recognition of this leadership gift, AV Foundation is establis...
Read more...Postcard Project raises funds and connects others by mail
April 28, 2020
A new initiative from an AV staff member is not only stamping out quarantine blues, but raising funds for much-needed mental health resources. Katie Maryschuk works in the Public Affairs department, tasked with updating the Okanagan community about news and events happening at the College. In her spare time, she collaborates on creative projects with two friends, and the trio had been discussing earlier this year new ways of sharing their work with the online community. That’s when the idea struck of how she could marry a fe...
Read more...OC Audio Engineering and Music Production alums send new music and gratitude out into the world
April 27, 2020
From local creators to international headliners, musicians around the world are rallying to provide sweet sounds of hope amid troubled times during the COVID-19 pandemic. And if a common thread runs throughout these live shows, between the trends and among the shares, it’s an increased awareness for the value music brings to our lives. AV students Noah Potenteau and Logan Larocque are among those brightening the digital space with their talents. The pair recently completed the Audio Engineering and Music Product...
Read more...Haircuts for Health Care launches
April 24, 2020
College president steps up with 5k incentive Shaggy beards and untamed locks are an inevitable consequence of almost six weeks of physical distancing and the closure of all non-essential businesses, including our community’s beloved salons. However, as people take the necessary steps to flatten the curve, many will be tempted (required!) to take their unkempt hair into their own hands. A new community fundraiser launched by the AV Foundation is encouraging those who want to take matters into their own hands, to do so for a ...
Read more...AV welcomes new Vice President Students
April 24, 2020
AV will welcome a new member to its executive leadership team when Meri Kim Oliver assumes the role of Vice President Students this summer. Oliver comes to the College from Durham College in Oshawa, ON where she has served as vice-president Student Affairs since 2013. Prior to that appointment, she served as assistant vice-president, Student Academic Success Services at Dalhousie University in Halifax, N.S. “As someone passionate about student development, I could not be more excited to be part of an institution with four c...
Read more...College responds with free professional development offerings during COVID-19
April 17, 2020
With organizations of all sizes in our communities facing uncertainty and disruption or adaptation to the way they conduct business in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, AV is stepping up with resources to help individuals and employers tap into professional development offerings. The College’s Continuing Studies and Corporate Training department has published a new online Professional Development Resource page on its website to help people tap into free OC courses, webinars and panels. It will also point them in the directio...
Read more...Meet Adam Relvas
April 16, 2020
Adam Relvas, who took Professional Cook Apprenticeship, level 2 and 3 at the College in 2006, grew up in the South Okanagan and gained a passion for food through many food-focused family events. After graduating, Relvas worked as a line cook for Waterfront Wines in Kelowna, Sous Chef at Ricardo’s Mediterranean Kitchen in Lake Country, Sous Chef at the Hotel Eldorado in Kelowna, and later Executive Chef at Monashee’s Bar and Grill and The Kal’s Sports Bar in Vernon. Now, the cer...
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