OC Business students triumph at national case competition
February 11, 2020
It was a golden weekend for a trio of AVĚěĚĂ business students. Kevin Heller, Nora Glanzner, and Spencer McIntosh, all third-year students at the Kelowna campus, took top spot on the podium at the Scotiabank Canadian Case Challenge at Vanier College in Montreal. The annual competition saw 27 of the country’s top business schools represented this year. The high-pressure competition challenges students to apply their business strategy, marketing and management savvy to a live business case in three hours while in total lockdown...
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Community, industry support propels College’s Tourism Management program
February 11, 2020
For Julia Dorrius, born and raised in Revelstoke, the College’s new Tourism Management (TMD) diploma has done far more than just open her eyes to the booming demand for skilled tourism professionals – it’s also opened doors, giving her a chance to gain work experience with local employers. “I graduated high school last June and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” explains Dorrius. “My dad sent me a link to the program and suggested I take a look at it. I just finished my first semester and, so far, I’ve found it to be a great way to get th...
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Coble earns doctoral degree, shines light on Indigenous students’ post-secondary experiences
February 11, 2020
When James Coble crossed the stage to pick up his doctoral degree from the University of Calgary he was overcome with many emotions. But for AVĚěĚĂ’s Director of Student Services and father of two, there was no emotion greater than the pride of setting a positive example for his children. “For me, it was the completion of a seven-year journey,” explains Coble. “At the end, as I did at every stage, I reminded myself that my kids were always at the top of the list of reasons why I was doing this.” Coble graduated with a Doctor of...
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Mapping a world-wide worry: OC student charts coronavirus spread in real-time
February 4, 2020
Sean Heddle was looking for a career change after an injury left him unable to work as a concrete construction foreman. He could never have imagined that his foray into the study of geographic information systems (GIS) would see him building a real-time map of a global public health emergency. Heddle, who hails from Kelowna, is currently enrolled in the GIS Certificate course at AVĚěĚĂ in Salmon Arm. His professor, Shelley Desautels, recently issued an assignment to her class, inviting students to build a digital map of a place ...
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College spotlights health care assistant training across the region
February 4, 2020
Amid surging demand for health care assistants (HCAs) across the Southern Interior, AVĚěĚĂ and Interior Health are spotlighting training opportunities in February. The College has intakes of its Health Care Assistant program starting in April at the Kelowna, Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses. Those interested in learning more about the training and career opportunities can attend upcoming info sessions: Kelowna campus – Feb. 12, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., Room E103 (E building), 1000 KLO Rd. Penticton campus – Feb. 18, 6:30 – 7:30 p....
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Swinging clubs to hammers: How a golf pro’s home renos inspired his program choice at AVĚěĚĂ
January 30, 2020
It’s easy to say that Greg Forbes went from looking for a hole in one, to drilling several holes in many. After growing up playing golf in Oakville, Forbes earned a golf scholarship to study at Coastal Carolina University, playing at storied courses at Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. He completed his Bachelor of Business Science degree with a major in marketing, returning to Canada to tee off a career with retail giant Golf Town that ultimately brought him to Kelowna. “I had been opening stores across Ontario, and the opportunity came up ...
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Gateway graduation showcases student transformation
January 29, 2020
This is the second time Caleb Wykes has graduated from Gateway to Trades, but it's hard to say which time has been more impactful. The first time Wykes took the 10-week program that introduces high school students to the skilled trades, he graduated with a desire to “straighten up.” In the past Wykes would skip school, but after Gateway he started showing up regularly and working hard. The seventeen year old completed his Grade 11 and 12 and graduated early. The second time through the program Wykes benefited from getting an opportunity t...
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Pushor Mitchell invests in mental health
January 28, 2020
Pushor Mitchell is donating $30,000 to aid AVĚěĚĂ students who in their careers will support people facing mental health issues, homelessness and community isolation. The law firm that has been serving the Okanagan for more than 45 years is creating two annual awards valued at $2,000 each for students taking the College’s Human Service Work program. Human Service Work professionals help people navigate through crisis or chronic situations where the person feels they need external help and guidance to move forward with their life...
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Enjoy spirited learning at charity fundraiser
January 27, 2020
Ward off the winter weather while learning to pick up the finer flavours of scotch as part of an upcoming whisky tasting to benefit AVĚěĚĂ students. Held by the Rotary Club of Kelowna Ogopogo, the 11th annual charity whisky tasting will test participants’ noses and taste buds as they learn to pick up notes of crème brulee or ripple bananas from seven mystery scotches. Tasty appetizers and buttery short bread will cap off the event, which typically sells out each year. “What people enjoy about this event is the opportunity to tas...
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OC Communications students level-up video game studies
January 27, 2020
One AVĚěĚĂ Communications class brought multi-player action to a whole-new level this week. The Introduction to Video Game Studies (CMNS 290) class travelled to Scandia Golf and Games Tuesday night, as part of an exploration on the history of video games. The course explores video games as a cultural phenomenon. While highly popular, they are the least understood, theorized and explored form of media. Scandia posed an opportunity for the class to explore how the phenomenon began. “Scandia is something of a time capsule,” explai...
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