Assiniboine marks ‘momentous occasion’

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This article was published 15/06/2024 (510 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nearly 2,300 Assiniboine College graduates had something to celebrate on Friday at Westoba Place.

The morning and afternoon convocation ceremonies were filled with excitement from 2,293 graduates, as well as their families and friends.

“Graduation day is a momentous occasion. I find it rewarding year after year to see students and their families take in the moment after the hard work that brought them here,” Assiniboine president Mark Frison said. “To pursue and complete an education journey takes a significant effort from all involved; the students, their families and the faculty and employees who help them along the way. Today, we celebrate the successes of our students, and thank those who helped to get them across the stage.”

Frison said the college celebrated graduates from 85 certificate, diploma, apprenticeship and post-graduate diploma programs at the college’s largest ceremonies of the year, adding 26 per cent of domestic graduates this year are Indigenous.

In a press release, the college stated that graduates completing programs at Assiniboine campuses in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie were also celebrated, as well as those from various community sites and enrolled in distance education. The graduation ceremony for the Parkland campus was held last week.

Valedictorian Alycia Canada, who graduated from business administration with an accounting specialization, said she is now headed to Brandon University, with her Assiniboine credits transferring, to pursue her business administration degree.

After finishing her degree, the 31-year-old mother of three hopes to return to the college to teach.

“I was very nervous, scared because I did not know what to expect, but it turned out to be completely rewarding,” she told the Sun. “I’m so proud of everything everyone has accomplished, and it is a huge moment for not only myself but all my other classmates.”

Regarding how she managed her children and academics, Canada said she received a lot of help from various sources, including her parents, spouse and kids, ensuring she completed her tasks as needed. Additionally, she received significant assistance from her teachers and classmates, who helped her stay on track.

Carlos Jose Dominguez Pallares, a valedictorian at the Friday afternoon ceremony and a graduate of the college’s human resource management advanced diploma program, said it was a good experience for him at Assiniboine.

“I started over a year ago in English upgrading programming at the college before entering the (human resources management advanced diploma) program,” he said. “The education here is different from my home country (Colombia), and I found the classes very interesting.”

The most important thing he loves about the college is that the instructors allow the students to learn by doing and students can find ways to apply the knowledge learned in the real world, he said.

At the ceremonies, the Province of Manitoba awards a Governor General’s Medal to the student with the highest overall average in a diploma program. This year’s recipients for Brandon are Sheila Foreman, Brittany Free and Madison Mork, all graduating from the practical nursing program.

The province also awards Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medals to students who have achieved outstanding academic performance and contributed in significant ways to the college and their community. This year’s recipient is Dustin Bauer, a graduate of the land and water management program.

Friday’s ceremonies honoured students from the Peters School of Business and Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment, the Centre for Adult Learning, the School of Health & Human Services, the School of Nursing and the School of Trades.

This year’s number of college graduates totals 2,777 at ceremonies this month.

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