“Even at your darkest time, you’re destined for something greater.”

This was the message Durham College (DC) student Malcolm Hooper delivered in his speech at the Speaker Slam “Power of Belief” event in May, winning him the competition.

A second-year business student and captain of the Durham Lords men’s rugby team, Hooper’s win earns him a spot in the Grand Slam event for all Speaker Slam winners to be held in November. Yet the significance of his victory seemingly pales in comparison to what Hooper has conquered in his life.

In a capacity room at the Lula Lounge in Toronto, Hooper told of being taken from his biological parents as a child and placed in a foster home, where he was eventually adopted, with a white family in a predominantly white town. Hooper shared how as a mixed-race child he struggled with the juxtaposition between his identity and environment. Then at the age of 16, a falling out with his adoptive parents led to him being kicked out of his home – a moment Hooper refers to as his “darkest time.”

Hooper recalled being atop the roof of his school gym, standing on the edge and thinking about jumping. Luckily, he was eventually able to see positives in his life amidst the struggles.

“I stood up there hoping someone would call the police, not because I wanted to be stopped, but because I wanted someone to care,” Hooper said during the speech. “That was the thought that also made me take a step back towards safety. That I’m not broken. The people who don’t fit in are the people who stand out. The belief that even then at my darkest time that I was going to have a lasting impact on the world and not the pavement beneath me.”

Shortly thereafter, a friend’s family took Hooper in off the street, hoping to help him succeed.

Since then he has done just that.

Through his studies, Hooper is honing his marketing skillset. Although public speaking can be a part of marketing, it wasn’t something he thought he would gravitate towards. However, after receiving a most outstanding marketer award in a competition at the college, he decided to enter a two-minute speed speech competition at DC, which he also won.

Athletically, Hooper has also had plenty of success, captaining the Lords to a 7-1 overall record in their inaugural season in the OCAA, capped off by winning the provincial championship at home.

Over six matches he scored two tries and was named an OCAA East Division All-Star.

Since telling his story, Hooper confesses that the past few weeks have been surreal.

“The video of my speech has had thousands of views and my phone has been constantly going off,” he said. “After I spoke, people came up crying, telling me how it changed their life. My rugby team (Oshawa Vikings senior men’s) played it on the screen at the club and everyone in my life has been super supportive. They have told me it was inspiring to them or thanked me for being vulnerable.”

Hooper has since been approached about telling his story in a book, asked to speak on podcasts and told he should continue to speak professionally. While he appreciates the support and intends to explore all his options in the future, he wants to do it right.

First and foremost, Hooper says he wants to get back to his marketing studies in the fall and the Lords men’s rugby squad.

On June 6, Durham College’s (DC) Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (the AI Hub) held the Enable AI Summit, the first conference of its kind within the Durham Region.

Showcasing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) both locally and across the Greater Toronto Area, more than 120 industry professionals, students and faculty members converged around core AI applications, with a focus on solving complex business operational problems.

Hands-on workshops that focused on blockchain, compliance, machine learning in cybersecurity and solutions development were the core of the day’s programming. Participants developed the cutting-edge skills required to adopt and apply AI into business strategies to improve efficiencies.

AI phenom Tanmay Bakshi, provided the summit’s keynote address. Hailed as an “all-around tech extraordinaire”, ABC News has noted, “the Canadian teen has become a global force in programming”. The best part? He’s only 15 years old and is self-taught. With 298,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel Tanmay Teaches, he is also the world’s youngest IBM Watson programmer, an algorithm-ist, author and artificial intelligence expert.

Enable AI attendees were treated to an engaging presentation from Bakshi, which touched on how machine learning algorithms can be utilized in cyber security and health care innovations.

Housed within the ORSIE, the AI Hub offers industry partners access to technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and platforms, and student talent to uncover business insights while providing intelligent and autonomous solutions that increase companies’ productivity and growth.

Plans are already underway for the Enable AI Summit 2020.

Durham College (DC) is proud to congratulate Nicole Fleming, Marie Elizabeth, Cali Maldonado and Paul Hutchins, students from DC’s Fine Arts – Advanced program, and professor Dani Crosby, for the Bravo Zulu medals awarded to them by the Royal Canadian Navy for their artwork on the Navy Painting Project. The ceremony was part of the Whitby Station Gallery’s 17th Annual Juried Art Show Reception and Awards Presentation on May 23 that featured artwork from students in the Fine Arts – Advanced and Foundations in Art and Design programs.

Greg Murphy, executive dean, School of Media, Art & Design, presented the awards to the DC students on behalf of the Royal Canadian Navy, in recognition of their outstanding work celebrating the navy’s history and heritage through their artwork. The student-created pieces feature ships, navy heroes in uniform and historic moments like the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Atlantic using acrylic and oil paints on canvas.

Students worked closely with DC faculty members and navy authorities, including Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd and Major Graeme Davidson, for insight and guidance, providing them with a unique experiential learning opportunity on a collaborative project.

The artwork created through the Navy Painting Project will be displayed at the Royal Canadian Navy headquarters in Ottawa.

On May 23, Durham College (DC) welcomed 300 students in grades eight to 11, from across Durham Region, to its Oshawa campus for The Cypher: Black Male Empowerment Conference.

This is the third year DC has sponsored the conference, an initiative of the Durham District School Board that explores the need for more Black role models, emphasizing the goals of promoting positive transitions and various academic pathways, while eliminating barriers to success.

The morning consisted of workshops, networking sessions, guest speakers and a panel discussion for teachers to explore the value of identity. Students also participated in workshops facilitated by community leaders and organizations focused on technology, design and digital literacy.

Capping off the conference was a keynote by Randell Adjei, founder of Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere, one of Toronto’s largest youth-led initiatives, and an inspirational speaker who uses the spoken word to empower, create community and transform youth through edutainment.

The Durham College (DC) Enactus team, Enactus DC, achieved another team milestone at the 2019 Enactus National Exposition, held in Vancouver, BC.

Going up against a competitive field of 69 college and university teams from across Canada, the social innovation team advanced through the preliminary round of competition, earning a team-first berth in the semi-final round.

As part of the competition, Enactus DC members presented highlights of their six social innovation projects from 2018 to 2019. These included Girls EnPower, Grassroots, Money Makes Cents, True Grit, Project MO3, and the Side Hustle Summit. Each project has already proven to make positive impacts in greater college community across categories that include youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, environmental, mental wellness and financial education.

Enactus is an international non-profit organization dedicated to creating social change through entrepreneurship. DC’s chapter launched in 2016 through FastStartDC, the college’s entrepreneurship centre, and focuses on making positive economic and social impacts in Durham Region.

For more information on the projects or how to get involved with Enactus DC, visit www.enactusdc.com.

On May 11, Durham College (DC), along with Ontario Tech University, welcomed inquiring minds of all ages to “STEAM Big” and experience science and the science behind art at Science Rendezvous 2019.

The free, fun, family-friendly annual event allowed participants to meet the scientists who turn innovative research ideas into real solutions for society. They also had the opportunity to take part in interactive science activities including mini-workshops, a family escape room, folding a giant origami DNA molecule and much more.

With more than 300 events hosted simultaneously across the country by universities and colleges in 30 cities, Science Rendezvous aims to inspire young people to start thinking about how science, engineering, technology, arts and math can be part of their educational journey.

Whether it’s looking into a microscope, checking out fossils or learning about forensics, the festival offers unique opportunities for kids to visit a post-secondary campus at a young age and get a behind-the-scenes look at the leading edge of science.

Photo credit: Kira Koop