Durham College and partnering school boards honoured 150 secondary school students who successfully completed the Centre for Success program on January 16 at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre (CRWC). The program, hosted on Durham College’s Oshawa and Whitby campuses through the School College Work Initiative, offers secondary school students another route to graduate by engaging them in a college environment.  In addition, most of the students earn a college credit alongside their secondary school diploma requirements.

“I’ve always been told I have great potential but I never realized how much until I joined the Centre for Success,” said Jade Evans, one of the students selected to speak about their educational experiences at the ceremony. “The teachers are great and the environment is unrestricted which is exactly what high school should be.”

From its humble beginnings in 2006 with 14 students the Centre for Success has continually grown to offer more students the opportunity to succeed. This year was no exception as the program introduced the first provincial pilot project dual credit class. Nine students from the Learning and Life Skills program at Clarington Central Secondary School took part in the Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) dual credit program. These students were provided with the opportunity to experience college life and enhanced academic learning by enrolling in the program modified to fit their academic abilities.

“The pilot program was such a great success because these students would not normally have the opportunity to think about college,” said Gail MacKenzie, manager of strategic initiatives. “With them being immersed in a college credit they know they have an opportunity to come to college in the future which allows them to acknowledge and prepare for it.”

Plans are in place to continue the provincial pilot project alongside the Centre for Success in fall 2014 with additional school boards beginning to show interest in joining.

Durham College’s Communicative Disorders Assistant (CDA) (graduate certificate) program recently received a generous donation when the Oshawa Horseless Carriagemen presented the college with a cheque for $2,500 on behalf of Harmonize for Speech, a fundraising project of the Ontario District Association of Chapters of Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Singing of America, commonly known the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). The project provides funds for numerous speech-related projects and equipment at organizations across the province.

In addition, a portion of the funds donated were also raised by the Oshawa Horseless Carriagemen, a BHS member that has been supporting the college for eight years.

“Thank-you so much to the Oshawa Horseless Carriagemen and Harmonize for Speech for this wonderful support of our CDA program,” said Elizabeth Maga, CDA program co-ordinator. “We could not provide as high a quality of learning as we do without this very generous donation.”

The CDA program uses the funds to purchase new textbooks, assessment tools and resources that will be used to prepare students for working with clients who have speech impairments both in their field placements and in the workforce. The funds also allow the program to bring in guest speakers such as Debra Goshulak, a world-renowned speaker from the Speech and Stuttering Institute, who came to campus in November to speak to students as part of the Articulation and Phonology course.

The CDA program is a one-year graduate certificate program that prepares students to work with speech-language pathologists and audiologists to help implement effective treatment plans to help people of all ages communicate more effectively. It welcomes approximately 32 students each year.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Oshawa Horseless Carriagemen and Harmonize for Speech,” added Maga. “All these resources are of such great benefit to our current and future CDA students and to the community in general. What the students learn from using these resources now will help so many individuals with communicative disorders in the future.”

Students from Durham College’s Entrepreneurship and Small Business program are getting the opportunity to apply the lessons they’ve learned in the classroom to projects for external clients as they prepare themselves to be job ready after graduation.

The students worked on two projects for two separate clients during their first semester, broadening their experience and comfort level in diverse industry settings.

“These experiences are valuable for our entrepreneurship students since they provide an opportunity to actually manage the operations of a project,” said Jay Fisher, professor. “In order to provide an authentic, hands-on experience, we need to work on real projects for real clients. These experiences are highly transferable when students begin managing their own internal operations when they start new businesses.”

The first student-organized event was the Find it in Durham Scavenger Hunt, a contest that provided participants with a fun way to learn about the resources available to entrepreneurs in Durham Region. The scavenger hunt was the key event of Do it in Durham – a series of challenges that included workshops and networking events with the opportunity to win prizes worth up to $7,000.

Another project required the students to collaborate and promote the first-ever Innovation Celebration for the Rouge Valley Health System. The awards celebration honoured winning ideas submitted by employees on improving efficiency and eliminating wasteful processes in the hospital system.

Chris Roberts, an Entrepreneurship and Small Business student, found the experience of working for a client provided valuable exposure and insight to event planning and managing a project.

“It’s important because you get hands-on experience when communicating with a client, planning an event and managing a team,” said Roberts. “From this you develop skills like asking the right questions to gather information; how to write and speak to team members and clients; and how to keep team members up-to-date and the information centralized.” 

For individuals looking to make their mark in the world of sports, Durham College was the place to be on November 20 at the fourth annual Sport Business Conference. Organized by students in the college’s Sport Business Management program, the event brought together successful sport business professionals for a day of networking, discussion panels and keynote speeches.

More than 250 guests, including more than 80 high school students from the Durham Region and GTA, met and heard from experts in the fields of professional and amateur sports, broadcasting, sport associations, sporting goods companies and more.

“Our conference and conferences like ours are important because they provide students with the insight to aspects that are integral to success in the sporting industry,” said Evan Schwantz, Sport Business Management student. “They will learn either personal stories or certain aspects of these distinguished individuals’ profession that are required to succeed. “

The conference also featured a number of high-profile guest speakers including Jerry Howarth, radio play-by-play voice of the Toronto Blue Jays; Bruce Newton, director of Business Development, Hockey Canada; and Sid Seixeiro, television and radio sports personality with Sportsnet and the Fan 590.

Seixeiro, who has been working in sports broadcasting since 1997, shared stories of embarrassing interview moments, his favourite athletes to watch and gave the students in attendance some valuable advice.

“Figure out as soon as you can what you want to do and follow that path,” said Seixeiro. “If you can’t build that foundation as you go, which is what you have to do, things might pass you by. The resources are there to help you get into a lot of doors.”

Originally introduced in 2010, the execution of the annual event has become part of the students’ academic requirements for the graduate certificate program. All proceeds from ticket sales were donated to the Right to Play, a charity that uses sport and play to educate and empower youth.

It was game on for a team of 49 students in the Game Development program as they participated in Extra Life – a 25-hour gaming marathon – held on November 9 and 10. Led by Professor John Goodwin, the team raised $6,200 for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Held in Durham College’s state-of-the-art Game Development labs, the students, Goodwin and another professor spent more than a full calendar day playing console, PC, tablet and phone games, as well as traditional board games and cards.

“Despite the long hours, I am amazed by the energy, support and spirit of generosity from students from all years of the program,” said Goodwin. “Together, with their family and friends, our students generously donated time, money and sleep, supporting each other and our cause in what I can only describe as an inspiring show of dedication and camaraderie.”

Launched in 2008, Extra Life invites gamers from across the world to play any game on any platform at the location of their choice and raise money through pledges or through a one-time gift.

All funds raised go to the Children’s Miracle Network and toward purchasing toys, books, movies and video games for local hospitals. The hospital beneficiary of their fundraising is The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Ont.

“We had such a great time that, despite the sheer exhaustion that set in on Sunday morning, the students were already talking about doing this again next year,” added Goodwin. “I can’t wait!”

Tech Talk and the Virtual Research On Call team showcase the skills, talents and career highlights of two Durham College professors, Anna Rodrigues; a professor in the Journalism – Print and Broadcast program, and Cesar Juarez; a faculty member of the School of Media, Art, & Design.

Anna, who has a Master of Education with a specialization in Digital Technologies from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology is an experienced journalist and new media professional. She shares her work experience, both past and present, providing advice for students to carve a meaningful and lasting career. Watch Anna’s video.

Cesar is a media and technology buff with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Studies from the University of Toronto, and has seen the industry evolve from print and film, to going digital. He states that honing a broad spectrum of skills within your industry can truly pay off, which is the route that he took. Cesar advises students to know where they are going, and proceed without fear. Watch Cesar’s video.

Tech Talk is a video podcast series in Ontario that allows experts to present their stories of success to inspire students, and is designed to educate and expose people to possible career opportunities and the paths they may use to get there.  It pertains mainly to the areas of science and technology, relating it to the environment and society.

Over a period of six decades, Kenneth Jenkins has taken a number of Continuing Education classes at Durham College to support his career goals and in some cases, just because the topic interested him on a personal level.

“Initially I enrolled to expand my opportunities, to move ahead in the company I worked for and to expand my qualifications in the job market,” said Jenkins. “I realized much of what I was taking was enlightening, rewarding and enjoyable for life outside my job.”

One particular area that interested Jenkins was a French language course, which ultimately proved to be difficult for him due to the onset of severely deteriorated hearing. Although he successfully completed the course, Jenkins resigned himself to the possibility that it could be his last opportunity for enrolment in a continuing education program.

Rather than give up on his journey of learning, Jenkins decided to try a new approach by taking advantage of one of the many online courses offered at Durham College.

“I decided to try online learning and enrolled in a Political Geography course,” he said. “Online courses have expanded the opportunities for me to continue learning.”

Although he was intimidated by the technology, Jenkins found that he was able to quickly adjust and succeed in the class due to the academic and technical supports provided to him at the college.

“I felt somewhat apprehensive coping with this new learning venue,” he said. “But the availability of online assistance and the quality of technical support I received helped me to overcome my apprehensions and I was able to enjoy the course.”

Jenkins continues to be impressed with Durham College and the diversity of its curriculum and delivery methods.

“DC has expanded its curriculum over time, there are many courses available to satisfy ones interest or to stimulate new interests,” he said. “The courses I’ve taken have exceeded my expectations.”

Durham College announced today that John Davidson, a photography professor with the School of Media, Art & Design (MAD), has won the 2013 Beaches International Jazz Festival’s Annual Juried Photography Exhibition.

The fourth annual exhibition, which took place at the end of July, tasked participants with capturing images that display the essence of jazz music, jazz musicians and the audience who supports them with Davidson winning for his submissions titled Tab’s Guitar and Havana Guitar.

“The Jazz in Motion photography exhibition is a real marriage of two of my passions – jazz and photography,” said Davidson. “There were many wonderful entries and I feel very fortunate to have placed first.”

As the first-place winner he will have his work and biography displayed on the Beaches International Jazz Festival website and will be invited to return to next year’s competition as a juror.

Davidson, a part-time professor who has been with the college since 2006, teaches within in a variety of programs under the School of MAD including Pre-Media, Interactive Media Design, Advertising and Marketing Communications and Digital Photography.

“On behalf of the entire Durham College community I extend my sincere congratulations to John on this wonderful recognition,” said Greg Murphy, dean, School of MAD. “In addition to being a true testament to his talent, this award is a great example of our faculty’s commitment to continuing to gain real-world experience they can bring into the classroom and share directly with students.”

In addition to his teaching duties, Davidson also helped with the creation and implementation of the college’s History of Photography course. He continues to maintain his photographic work with both corporate and private clients.

“It is important to explore many of your interests as it will allow you to bring more to the classroom,” added Davidson.

Amanda de Souza is living proof that anything is possible if you set your goals high and work hard to obtain them.

A 2007 Advertising and Marketing Communications Management (formerly Advertising) program graduate, de Souza is a successful graphic designer and artist living and working in New York City (NYC).

Although she has learned much and evolved in her career, she still remembers and values the lessons she learned while a student at Durham College.

“The classes I took and projects I worked on in my program were very similar to the kind of work I’ve done in the real world,” de Souza said. “We had also focused on portfolio development and interviewing skills, so by the time I was interviewing for jobs I was extremely confident.”

Prior to graduation, she completed a field placement that allowed her to work as a writer/producer for three years at a Toronto-based digital agency post-graduation. The position furthered her marketing and advertising skills while fostering her natural love of art.

She then moved to NYC and worked for a number of agencies in various roles including as an executive account assistant, a graphic designer and a community manager.

Today she works as a senior designer at W Magazine with Condé Nast with an impressive client roster including Proctor & Gamble, Universal, Starbucks and Panasonic. In addition, she shows and sells her art in galleries in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

De Souza was also selected as a 2013 artist for Sing for Hope Pianos, a public art project that saw a piano she painted displayed in Central Park, included in a concert at Lincoln Center and featured in the New York Times.

“It was surreal to be selected and I was overjoyed. I was so surprised at how much of a reaction it received from visitors and New Yorkers alike,” said de Souza.

She credits her success to hard work, a positive outlook and a willingness to tackle new challenges, qualities she feels current students can benefit from as she did.

“If you are passionate about what you want to do and put in everything you have, opportunities will open up to you. Surround yourself with people who lift you up and encourage you. Have courage,” she said. “Each time I reached a milestone, getting an internship, my first job, a promotion, moving to Toronto, moving to New York, I always kept thinking, what’s my next challenge? I’ve realized there is no limit, anything is possible.”