Ashleigh Graham, a graduate of the Legal Administration/Law Clerk program is a perfect example of planning out your future by using all available resources.

After obtaining an English degree, Graham felt she needed more education in order to find a rewarding career. She decided that the hands-on experience obtained from a college program that included an internship would give her an advantage over the competition when it came to applying for a job after graduation.

“I did my homework and looked at the successful hire rates of graduates and compared Durham College’s curriculum to other schools in Ontario,” said Graham. “In the end, I decided Durham College offered much more.”

Graham interned with the Town of Whitby’s Solicitors Office and at a small, private firm in the region as part of her program’s requirements, providing her with the opportunity to apply the knowledge she had learned in the classroom.

During her internship, Graham attended a job fair hosted by the college’s Legal Administration Club. Motivated to find her dream job, she met with representatives from McMillan LLP, a large legal firm located on Bay Street in Toronto, Ont. With her drive and passion, as well as the real-world experience obtained from Durham College, she landed a one-year contract with the firm before she had even graduated.

Graham is now a permanent employee at McMillan LLP and assists three of their lawyers in the Financial Services department.

Like many students graduating from high school, Caley Bedore’s first career path didn’t turn out to be the right one for her. While enrolled in a sports administration program at a university it became clear to Bedore that her love of creative writing was the direction she wanted her education – and ultimately her career path – to go.

Once she decided to follow her passion she had to find the right fit, both in terms of a school, and a program. That fit proved to be the Journalism – Print and Broadcast program at Durham College.

“I applied to a few different colleges for journalism and creative writing and I ended up choosing Durham College because it’s close enough to home, yet far enough from home, and when I came here to visit it just gave me a good feeling,” said Bedore. “The sense of hands-on learning that is going to work in the real world was so nice.”

While in the Journalism – Print and Broadcast program, Bedore discovered a new interest – television journalism. From this realization, she applied for and obtained an internship at CHEX Newswatch in Peterborough, Ontario.

Things continued to fall into place for Bedore and upon completion of her internship she was offered a permanent position at the station. She is now working as a videographer and has had the opportunity to anchor the news; produce shows; and forecast the weather.

“Durham College helped me get my foot in the door and gave me a grasp of what I had to do,” said Bedore.

For students in Durham College’s Sports Administration, Sport Management and Sports Business Management programs, it was a chance to meet one of Canada’s sports media titans. For Keith Pelley, it was a chance to dish about the Toronto Blue Jays.

The president and CEO of Rogers Media couldn’t contain his excitement about the upcoming baseball season, and shared his hopes with more than 60 students at the Oshawa campus on March 11.

Pelley, also the former president of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium and former president of TSN, also divulged the four most important keys to achieving a job in the sports industry.

“The top four things you need to succeed at your job is work ethic, attitude, knowledge and intelligence,” said Pelley. “Since you’re already at college, you already have the knowledge and intelligence. So your work ethic and attitude is very important.”

“You have to be prepared to do anything – take the word ‘no’ out of your vocabulary.”

This advice especially rang true with Chase Hadden, a second-year Sports Administration student who knows that hard work can equal reward.

“What I took from it was that if you work harder than anybody else, they’ll look at you and notice that and consider you for a better position further down the road,” said Hadden.

Prior to joining Rogers in 2010, Pelley also served as president and CEO of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts franchise with which he won a Grey Cup in 2004.

In addition to sharing stories about his passion for sports and his drive to succeed, he also answered a number of the students’ questions, ranging from resumé tips; sports broadcasting rights; and whether an NFL team would ever come to Toronto.

While stressing that the sports sector is highly competitive, he also told the audience that they should make sure it’s something they love to do.

“You’re going to spend more than 50 per cent of your life at your job so make sure you find something you’re passionate about. Do not live for the weekend.”

Durham College proudly announced recently that Virginia Harwood, a professor with the School of Justice & Emergency Services, has been awarded the College Sector Educator Award by the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). She is being recognized for her efforts to promote and support the development of her peers with regard to teaching excellence. This includes helping to support and ensure the success of her fellow professors and students and the teaching and learning leadership she provides both in and outside of Durham College.

“On behalf of faculty, staff and students at Durham College, I extend my warmest congratulations to Virginia on this wonderful achievement,” said Don Lovisa, president, Durham College. “This national award is reflective of her strong commitment to seeking innovative ways to inspire excellence in her peers including innovative mentoring and coaching techniques and her desire to promote new curriculum delivery and teaching methods among her colleagues in order to ensure students have the best post-secondary experience possible during their time on campus.”

In addition to her role as a professor, Harwood, a 1987 alumna of the college’s Legal Administration/Law Clerk program, also developed the college’s Mediation – Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) one-year graduate certificate program in 2010, which she continues to teach in and co-ordinate. Designed for individuals with existing educational or industry experience, the program includes a hybrid delivery model that enables students to participate in online chats and assignments and use digital technologies to interact with guest speakers.

“I am truly honoured to have been nominated and selected as a recipient for the College Sector Educator Award,” said Harwood. “I am extremely proud to represent Durham College.”

Harwood joined the college in 2002 after spending 17 years working as a law clerk for a major Toronto law firm and as a sole practitioner working in civil litigation; family law; estates; legal research; and real estate. An avid lifelong learner, she is a member of the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario; holds a qualified mediator designation from the ADR Institutes of Canada and Ontario; is an affiliate member of the Ontario Bar Association – ADR section; and is a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Durham Community Legal Clinic.

In addition to receiving the College Sector Educator Award, she was recognized with Durham College’s Vice-President, Academic Faculty Award for Academic Excellence in August 2011 and in 2012 was nominated for an Association of Canadian Community Colleges Teaching Excellence Award.  

Harwood holds an advanced diploma in Legal Administration/Law Clerk; a certificate in Adult Education; a Bachelor of Education in Adult Education; a certificate and advanced certificate in ADR; and is a part-time student in the Master of Education program at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. In addition, she volunteers on several committees; mentors new faculty; is co-facilitator of the Teaching in Community program; and established the college’s Campus Conflict Resolution Services.

Nominations for the STLHE College Sector Educator Award were received from educators across Canada.

Nominees asked to provide evidence of their own teaching excellence and participation in activities that support the teaching excellence of peers including student, peer and supervisor feedback; leading workshops; presenting at conferences; mentoring others; participating on academic committees; being active in academic associations; researching

and publishing related to teaching; and leading projects and program teams. Harwood will receive her award at the 2013 STLHE Conference in Cape Breton in June.

A national association of academics interested in the improvement of teaching and learning in higher education, STLHE’s membership is comprised of faculty as well as teaching and learning resource professionals from post-secondary education institutions.