More than 3,500 Durham College students, along with their family and friends and college faculty and staff, celebrated their post-secondary success at the college’s annual spring convocation ceremonies on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ont.

On June 19, graduates from the schools of Media, Art & Design; Science & Engineering Technology; Centre for Food; Health & Community Services; and Skilled Trades, Apprenticeship & Renewable Technology; received their diplomas and certificates. On June 20, ceremonies were held for the schools of Continuing Education; Justice & Emergency Services; Business, IT & Management; and Interdisciplinary Studies & Employment Services.

“This is the most important day of the year at Durham College as we celebrate the hard work and accomplishments of our graduates,” Don Lovisa, president of the college said. “There are three kinds of people in the world: those that watch things happen, those that make things happen and those that say ‘What happened?’ We are happy to produce graduates that make things happen.”

Graduates and guests were entertained by words of wisdom from two of the college’s most successful graduates, Russ Montague (Advertising, 2004) and Ian Ball (Business Administration – Marketing, 2002). Montague, a very successful entrepreneur with two unique companies – ShirtPunch (awarded Best New E-Business and Consumer’s Choice by the 2012 Canada Post E-Commerce Innovation Awards) and Nerd Block – spoke at Thursday’s ceremonies and also received a 2014 Alumni of Distinction Award.

Ball, one of the youngest vice-presidents on Bay Street at the age of 23, addressed graduates at Friday’s ceremonies. In September 2013 he was named president of McEwen Mining, a gold and silver producer after spending nine years with the company. During his time at McEwen he helped build it from a $5 million market capitalization to $750 million and establish it as a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Overall, the annual spring convocation ceremonies were a success and the promise of new beginnings for DC grads. The sun was shining, graduates and guests were smiling and faculty and staff were happy to prove the college’s mission statement; the student experience comes first.