ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē marks 60 years of alumni and employee success
Sixty years is worth celebrating ā thatās what brought out over 100 alumni, staff and ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē supporters last month, as ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē marked its 60th anniversary and the impact of tens of thousands of graduates since post-secondary came to the region.
The Collegeās story began in 1963, when the B.C. Vocational Institute was first established. Since that time more than 60,000 graduates have passed through ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās campuses in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Penticton and Kelowna, and sites in Revelstoke and Oliver. ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās alumni have made huge impacts on communities from one end of the Okanagan Valley to the other, and beyond that - around the world.
Speaking at the event, 2021 alum Erum Ahmad spoke about the importance of education and the impact it made on her life, having earned her bachelorās degree in business administration at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē. A first-generation Canadian-Pakistani, Erum now runs her own jewelry store among her entrepreneurial ventures.
āI've always said that education is key to a brighter future and ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē helped me curate my skills for this purpose,ā she said. āI loved how the small class sizes allowed for in-depth learning and communication. My professors are still a part of my network and I continue to ask them for advice regularly.ā
Hosted by the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Alumni Association (ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½ĒAA), the event last month brought together alumni from a wide field of industries, from Indigenous youth workers to Red Seal carpenters and chefs to entrepreneurs across a broad spectrum of business.
āThrough 60 years, ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās alumni have been making a profound impact on our institution and the broader community,ā said ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē President Neil Fassina. āOur alumni are a vital thread in the fabric of ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēās history and they continue to shape our future. Their commitment to our values and their accomplishments serves as a testament to the quality of an ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē education.ā
To mark its 60th anniversary the College produced a booklet featuring a collection of alumni stories that will also be shared on ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē social media channels and the alumni website. You can view the booklet here:
The ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½ĒAA organizes events and establishes programs to support graduates and students at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē and its predecessor Okanagan University College. Find more information on the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½ĒAA at okanagan.bc.ca/alumni or contact them at alumni@okanagan.bc.ca.
Tags: Alumni
