Assiniboine grads urged to keep learning

Education is about the ability to keep learning, not just the specific skills taught in classrooms, Assiniboine College president Mark Frison told new grads on Friday.

The ability to continue learning, he said during the college’s fall graduation ceremony, allows students to remain valuable even when careers change.

More than 460 students graduated from 32 programs — including comprehensive health care aide, practical nursing, advance agriculture and early childhood education — at the ceremony in the Manitoba Room at the Keystone Centre.

“Everything you learned is going to help you out in some way,” Frison told the grads. “Even if you change occupations, not only does that subject matter remain useful in your life, but learning how to learn is obviously equally important.”

Frison said the message was particularly meaningful to him because he graduated from Queen’s University 30 years ago this month and continues to use what he learned.

“Sometimes you go through a program, you’re not sure, is this going to be worth it? Is it going to help me out?” he said. “But you’ll see over time that everything you learned is going to help you out in some way.”

The size of Friday’s ceremony also reflected the growth Assiniboine has experienced since Frison joined the college 16 years ago, he said.

At the time, Frison said, the college held one spring graduation ceremony in Brandon. It now holds two spring ceremonies and a fall ceremony in Brandon, as well as a fall ceremony in Winnipeg and a spring ceremony in Dauphin.

Having about 460 graduates at a single fall ceremony in Brandon demonstrates how significantly the college has grown, he said.

He also acknowledged, however, that changing federal immigration policies are expected to have a substantial impact on the college’s overall graduation numbers.

Assiniboine had more than 3,000 graduates annually a few years ago, Frison said, but that number is expected to decline to closer to 2,000.

Manitoba Advanced Education Minister Renée Cable said the graduates entering health care, skilled trades and other fields will help address workforce needs across the province.

“It is a wonderful way to build up the skills in western Manitoba. We know that it will benefit the entire province,” Cable told the Sun after the ceremony.

Cable said she hopes the federal government will reconsider some of its immigration policies affecting international students, particularly those coming to Canada for skilled trades and graduate programs.

“We know that our labour market needs them,” she said. “We know that our communities need them, and we know that our communities are richer when we have a more diverse community of folks in them.”

Among Friday’s graduates was Julia Dionisio of Morden, who received the Governor General’s Academic Medal after completing the early childhood education program.

Dionisio said the recognition represented more than a personal accomplishment and reflected the support she received from her school, friends and family.

“I just wanted to be like a model to everyone that’s dealing with a lot of noises from their life,” she said. “There’s always hope, and just believe in yourself.”

Mayor Jeff Fawcett congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to continue learning while considering opportunities to remain in the Westman region.

“When you’re at Assiniboine College, I consider everybody a Brandonite,” Fawcett said. “The college has a role in retaining graduates in the region and you (grads) should be encouraged to take pride in your work and education.

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