Durham College alumni to return to campus for Alumni in the Pit event

From running though the Kalahari Dessert to editing music for television, alumni will share stories of success

Oshawa, Ont. – During their college years, students can become so focused on learning, assignments, exams, extracurriculars and field placements that post-graduation preparation can sometimes take a back seat to everything else. That’s why Durham College (DC) hosts Alumni in the Pit – an ongoing initiative that provides post-graduation insight to students as they prepare to transition from college to career.

On Tuesday, February 2, the college will welcome DC alumni Hannah Elkington and Kyle Merkley who will share their first-hand experiences about what to expect from life after college.

Elkington, a 2014 graduate of DC’s Police Foundations program, was immediately hired by York Regional Police following graduation however, her desire to help others began long before her convocation day.

While pursuing her studies at DC, Elkington participated in the Impossible2Possible Botswana expedition in Africa. During the trip she, and eight other youth ambassadors, ran 200 km across the Kalahari Desert over a four-day period. She also travelled with Impossible2Possible on Expedition Peru, assisting with the delivery of educational content to students via an e-classroom.

In addition, Elkington spent five years working for Durham Regional Police Service’s Youth In Policing Program including two years as the program co-ordinator. In 2013, she received the prestigious Public Hero Award from the Intercultural Dialogue Institute.

Merkley graduated top of his class from DC’s Music Business Management program in 2009 and currently works as a music supervisor at Arpix Media.

An experienced musician, he also brings his talent to the world of television. This includes working on series’ such as The Listener, Killjoys, Murdoch Mysteries and Heartland. He was also nominated for a Motion Picture Sound Editors award for music editing on the series Flashpoint.

Throughout his career, Merkley has appeared on Entertainment Tonight: Canada and MuchMusic’s disBAND, and also had the opportunity to work with top-24 Canadian Idol contestants. In addition, he has served as a panellist and moderator on various music and film panels at the Northern Ontario Music & Film Awards and the InSight and Sound seminar series put on by Music and Film in Motion.

When:

Tuesday, February 2

11 a.m. to noon

Where:
Durham College
The Pit, Gordon Willey building, Oshawa campus
2000 Simcoe Street North
Oshawa, ON  L1G 0C5

For more information contact:

Krista Luxton
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
krista.luxton@durhamcollege.ca