Sault College honours graduates in 2013 Convocation

by mmnationtalk on May 21, 20131644 Views

Sault College News Release
For immediate release

Mike Holmes endorsed program’s first graduating class and keynote speakers highlight event
(Sault Ste. Marie, ON May 21, 2013) Friends and family of Sault College’s newest graduates will come together to celebrate and recognize academic achievements at the annual spring convocation ceremonies. Two ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 24th at the Essar Centre with a total of 1060 students eligible to graduate from Sault College this year. Included in this year’s convocation will be the inaugural graduating class of the Mike Holmes-endorsed Home Inspection Technician program taking place in the afternoon.
“This is the best day of the year,” states Dr. Ron Common. “Students are the central focus of our College and we do everything we can to help them succeed. When students become the focus of our work and our existence, everything and everyone else benefits including the economy and workforce. By building a new generation of learners who can readily adapt to the challenges and opportunities faced in our rapidly changing economy, we are serving as a critical piece of the local, regional and global economy.”
The morning ceremony, beginning at 10:00 am, confers graduates in the School of Health, Wellness and Continuing Education and the School of Community Services and Interdisciplinary Studies. Keynote speaker Roxanne Joyal, Co-CEO of ‘Me to We’ and founding member of ‘Free The Children’ will be receiving an honorary diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies from Sault College for her international charity work and empowering youth to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change.

The afternoon ceremony, beginning at 2:00 pm, confers students from the School of Environment, Technology and Business. The keynote address for the afternoon ceremony will be delivered by Jim Adams, Director of the Employment and Training Division for the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities for Northern Ontario. Adams brings a wealth of experience from various ministries he has served with as well as a variety of management and executive roles held in the Northern region of Ontario.
As per tradition, platform party guests, faculty and students will be piped in by the 49th Field Artillery Pipe Band, followed by a welcome from President Dr. Ron Common and Board of Governors Chair, Dr. Gina Mohammed. As in previous years, the College welcomes the “Korahsters” from Korah Collegiate, under the direction of Denine Williams, who will be singing the national anthem and a dedication song before each ceremony.
Following the presentation of liripipes and diplomas, there will be an honour drum song performed by the White Thunder Women from the local Ojibwe community.
Smudging will be available before the events at the Essar Centre. A reception with refreshments will take place at the Essar Centre after each ceremony where faculty and staff can celebrate with students, their families and friends. All members of the public are welcome to share in the celebration of success. Entrance and parking are free-of-charge to all and no tickets or pre-seating are required to attend.

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About Keynote Speakers

Roxanne Joyal

Roxanne Joyal is Co-CEO of Me to We, an innovative social enterprise providing socially conscious products and experiences that support the work of Free The Children. Half of Me to We’s net profit is donated to Free The Children, while the other half is reinvested to grow the enterprise and its social mission.

Roxanne Joyal is also a founding member of Free The Children, an international charity and educational partner that empowers youth to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. Since 1995, the organization has 

worked in more than 40 countries and built more than 650 schools and school rooms in developing regions, providing education to more than 55,000 children every day.

A former parliamentary page in the Canadian House of Commons, her involvement with development work began at a young age when she spent six months in the Klong Toey slum of Bangkok, Thailand, caring for mothers and children afflicted with AIDS.
Roxanne graduated with distinction from Stanford after completing a degree in international relations. A Rhodes scholar, she went on to complete a law degree at Oxford University with an emphasis on family and labour law. Roxanne completed her legal training by clerking for the Supreme Court of Canada in 2005. In 2012, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Nipissing in recognition of her innovative work in education and human rights.

Roxanne created and established Bogani Cottages and Tented Camp, a first-of-its-kind facility designed to educate and engage youth, adults, families and corporate groups through international volunteer adventures. She is now heading up the expansion of Araveli Cottages and Tented Camp in Rajasthan, India.

Roxanne also leads social and economic empowerment initiatives for women in Kenya, India and Ecuador as founder of Me to We Artisans. Me to We Artisans empowers women in Free The Children countries through financial literacy and employable skills. This initiative currently employs more than 600 women and their families, and proves that every dollar earned by a mother directly impacts her home, her children and her community.

Me to We Artisans is growing at a rapid pace, having been warmly received and featured in media outlets such as Chatelaine, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Fashion and Canadian Living. A French-Canadian, Roxanne has been featured as “Faces of the Future: 100 Young Canadians to Watch” in Maclean’s magazine, and she is an Action Canada Fellow. In 2005, Roxanne was selected for the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100: Canada’s Most Powerful Women. Her work has been extensively covered by the CBC, The Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Citizen and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Jim Adams

Jim is the Director of the Employment and Training Division for the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities for Northern Ontario.

A life-long citizen of Thunder Bay, Jim began his career in the Ontario Public Service in February 1989 with the Ministry of Housing progressively working into management positions with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ministry of Consumer and Business Services, Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

Jim’s executive career began in 2004 as the Northern Ontario Director for Correctional Services leading to his serving as the Director of Human Resources, working out of Queen’s Park, for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Regional Director for Northwestern Ontario with the Ministry of Natural Resources, moving to his current position with the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities in November 2009.

Jim was elected Chair of the Provincial Interministerial Council from February 2007 to January 2009 – a horizontal network of executives and senior managers throughout the Ontario Public Service committed to innovative and collaborative delivery of public services across all jurisdictions and regions. In this role, Jim reported to the Secretary of the Cabinet and advised Deputy Ministers on transforming public service administration in Ontario.

For many years, Jim was a competitive curler on the World Curling Tour and representing Northern Ontario, Ontario, and Canada in many national and international events. He is the proud father of Jaymeson and Zachary and is looking forward to spending a fun and relaxing summer on the golf course or camping with his sons.

Please contact:
Tessa Pino, Communications Officer
Sault College
705.759.2554 ext. 2830
www.saultcollege.ca

NT5

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