Students
Chefs’ Table Society sets up Harry McWatters Scholarship Fund
February 13, 2020
A Canadian wine icon is honoured — scholarship will fund deserving students for overseas studies When Canadian wine icon Harry McWatters passed suddenly last summer, the sense of loss that so many felt went well beyond his extensive personal relationships. At McWatters’ service in Penticton, many of the 1,500 in attendance wondered just who might fill the void in the British Columbia wine industry which he helped invent, then cultivated for more than 40 years. “Harry’s mentorship is rightly legendary,” says Jonathan Rouse, Associate Dean...
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AVĚěĚĂ spotlights STEM education and career paths in Feb and March
February 13, 2020
What do soccer-playing robots, spaghetti bridges and soaring aviators have in common? Over the next month, AVĚěĚĂ will be opening its doors to elementary, middle and high school students to attend a series of events aimed at encouraging young people to step into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). “We want learners of all ages to hear the message that there has never been a better time to get into technology careers. There is a very real need for skilled workers in everything from animation to electronic, civil, n...
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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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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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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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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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OC Vernon open house offers a behind-the-scenes look at fine press printing
January 22, 2020
Have you ever wondered how books were printed 100 years ago? This month AVĚěĚĂ is kicking off a series of Open Houses at the Vernon Campus for creative individuals interested in writing and publishing careers. The College will open its doors on Jan. 31, Feb 28 and March 20 from 2 – 4 p.m. in Room E102 at 7000 College Way. Parking will be free. Participants can meet experienced faculty members, learn about how the program blends traditional and cutting-edge publishing techniques and tour the AVĚěĚĂ Print Shop, affection...
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HR duo from College’s School of Business earn podium finish at Queen’s
January 21, 2020
Madison Friesen and Alivia Leibbrand earned a second-place finish at the 2020 Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.). at Queen’s University. “My heart exploded when they called our name for second! It was such an emotional moment. All that hard work was so worth it,” said Friesen. “I couldn’t have done it without Roger and of course Alivia. I was so honoured to represent our amazing College.” The event, which took place Jan. 16-18 in Kingston, ON, is Canada’s largest, oldest, and most esteemed undergraduate case competition. ...
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Bannock taco day fundraiser returns to fuel student success at OC Salmon Arm Campus
January 20, 2020
A popular fundraiser that provides emergency aid for students at AVĚěĚĂ’s Salmon Arm campus is this week. Community members are invited to join students and staff for a delicious lunch for a good cause. Bannock tacos will be served in the Gathering Place on campus, 2552 10th Ave NE, Salmon Arm, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22. The lunch is by donation. The event is led by Caroline Chartier, Indigenous Transition Planner for the campus and ingredients are supplied by the College’s Indigenous Services department. Do...
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First grad of OC’s new HR Post-Bacc reflects on her experience
January 18, 2020
AVĚěĚĂ’s first graduating class of the new decade will cross the stage today and among the some 600 grads picking up their parchment will be Elaine Bertram who is celebrating an exciting first for herself and the School of Business. Bertram is the inaugural graduate of the College’s Human Resources Management Post-Baccalaureate Diploma program. “When they told me I was the first graduate of the program I was shocked – but in a good way,” says Bertram. “It's an honour to be the first graduate.” The program, which launched in th...
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College’s 13th Annual Business Expo & Employment Fair powers up Tech Alley collaboration
January 17, 2020
Jobseekers, mark your calendars. AVĚěĚĂ’s popular Business Expo & Employment Fair is back for its thirteenth year, once again connecting students and community members with a diverse array of employers from the Okanagan and across the country. The AVĚěĚĂ School of Business and OC’s Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment Centre is presenting the 13th Annual Business Expo & Employment Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 5. The event is held at AVĚěĚĂ’s Kelowna campus in the Centre for Learning (E building) Atrium fr...
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New OC grad proud of setting an example for her children
January 16, 2020
It was being a role model for her children that motivated Katie Reynders to return to school as a mature student. She wanted to show them it’s never too late to follow your dreams. “There were days I wanted to give up, but I knew I had two little people not only counting on me, but looking up to me,” says Reynders. “I think it’s really important that they got to see me go back to school while also raising them. As parents we constantly question if what we are doing is good for our kids and there was a lot of guilt when I wasn’t able to d...
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Future caregivers given boost by Central Okanagan Foundation
January 14, 2020
An organization that helps to inspire and facilitate a great deal of philanthropy in the Okanagan is supporting future caregivers by donating to the new Health Sciences Centre currently being built at AVĚěĚĂ’s Kelowna campus. The Central Okanagan Foundation is donating $28,000 from the Kelowna Home Support Society Fund towards the construction of the new Centre, which will educate Health Care Assistants, Nurses and Therapist Assistants, among other professions. Marliss Magas sat on the board of Kelowna Home Support Society that...
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AVĚěĚĂ students and staff coordinate exhibit, awareness activities for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
January 10, 2020
January is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and AVĚěĚĂ students and staff are hosting a number of activities and initiatives to continue to raise awareness, open dialogue, support survivors and help prevent sexual violence on campus and in the community. One of the projects, an exhibit called What Were You Wearing, brings to OC a popular exhibit that has been recreated at post-secondary institutions across North America since it debuted in the U.S. seven years ago. From Jan. 13-15 at the Vernon campus and again in Kelowna from Jan...
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