Tag: Facultyofscienceandengineeringtechnology

After 18 years in the workforce, Ruthie Fitton made a big decision: to return to school full-time. A mother of three, she had built a career in customer service, most recently as a senior retail manager, but was ready for a new challenge. Today, she is studying Architectural Technology at Durham College’s (DC) Whitby campus and hopes to work within an architecture or design firm after completing her diploma.

Ruthie’s journey back to school is about more than academics. As a mature Indigenous student, she also welcomed the opportunity to step into a leadership role as the Indigenous Student Representative on DC’s Indigenization Council.

“I feel it is important to lead by example, and show that no matter what your age, you can come to school and learn new things,” she said. “I want to help ensure that the Indigenous culture continues to live within DC and I wanted to step up for not only the challenge, but to create awareness amongst the students and staff as much as possible.”

Ruthie hopes to build on her experience running the SOARS Indigenous group for Sephora Canada and create events, workshops, and an overall community for other Indigenous students.

She is encouraged by the Council’s presence at DC and its role in sharing traditions and being the voice for the campus. She also hopes to help the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC) have a stronger presence at the Whitby campus.

As a first-year student, Ruthie’s journey at DC has just begun, but her experience as a student has been incredibly positive.

“My professors have been very supportive when I have questions, and there is no shortage of support from different departments including the First Peoples Indigenous Centre, Student Academic Learning Services, and Information Technology Services,” she said.

As both a student and a leader, Ruthie has set her sights high: “My goal in my studies and in my work with the Council is to lead by example. I hope to be a mentor to younger Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and be an advocate for the Council and student population.”

Graduate Spotlight: Liam Croft

Liam Croft has made an indelible impact on Durham College (DC).

The Mechanical Engineering Technology graduate strengthened student engagement as President of the DC Engineering Club and represented student interests on the DC Board of Governors.

He has guided students on their career development path as a Co-op Ambassador, and on the Program Advisory Committee he has provided feedback to improve the curriculum and align it with industry needs. And he’s done it all while excelling in both coursework and experiential learning.

As he prepares for a well-deserved break, he told us about his post-secondary journey, representing his fellow students on the DC Board of Governors, and why he’ll always be DC Proud.

Why did you decide to attend Durham College?

I actually went to Western University for a while, doing engineering there, which I enjoyed. Then the pandemic happened, which forced me to take a look at what I wanted my career to be and what I wanted my life to be. I happened to have friends from high school that were already in this area, and one of them was going to Ontario Tech University. I’d heard from a professor at Western about how good some of the college level engineering programs were, because he’d done it himself. I wanted to give Durham College’s program a shot, so I applied, and it was the best decision ever.

What was your DC experience like?

I’ve had such a great time. DC has done so much for me in three short years, it’s actually kind of crazy. I hope to be able to give back throughout my career.

Why was it important for you to get involved in student life at DC?

It’s a combination of different things. The biggest reason, probably, is my peers, and also the support I’ve received from the college. I’ve been very fortunate to have so much support on so many of the different initiatives I’ve tried to work on. As I’ve met more and more people, it’s been about trying to support them.

What was it like serving as Student Governor on the DC Board?

It was great. They made me feel welcome, so that helped a lot. It was a little intimidating, but after a short amount of time, I was able to feel more at home and start contributing. The thing that I really tried to work on was providing advice to members of the Board on what’s relevant to students. When you’re working to guide an institution, it’s easy to dive down a rabbit hole, but at the end of the day, it’s important that we’re staying relevant to the people that we serve the most, which is ultimately the students and the community. Sometimes it was a matter of just interjecting a little bit, like ‘these are the things that my peers are most concerned with.’

How did you manage your time so well, and how can other DC students do the same?

It is a lot, I won’t lie. It’s really about priority setting. Generally speaking, you have a pretty good idea of the time commitment beforehand. Ultimately, school comes first. There’s maybe not as much free time as I’d like in my life at the moment, but I’m so passionate about some of the things I’m working on.

How do you feel about graduating?

It’s definitely bittersweet. The last three years have been great. I’ve loved it. It has been a very busy time, so I am looking forward to taking a few months off and relaxing a little bit, because I think I need it. I’m excited to step into the beginning of my career, and go from there. But I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the chapter with DC. I think I’ll always have tight connections here.

What are your future goals?

I’ve been in school for seven years, so I’m planning on working full time for a little while. I’m looking forward to not being in school for a minute. Then I’ll most likely go and get a degree through a bridge program. I’m also half Australian, so I want to go and spend some time over there for a while. Beyond that, I’ll keep trying to work my way up and see where my strengths are, where my weaknesses lie. Getting to some kind of business leader position in the next five years would be awesome. I think I’ve got a lot of learning to do before I get there.

Every year, DC celebrates thousands of career-ready graduates. Read more grad stories about how DC has helped them thrive.

Finding Her Voice: Ruthie Fitton on Returning to School and Advocating for Indigenous Students

Leading with purpose at Durham College and beyond

Graduate Spotlight: Liam Croft