Confederation College Holds 40th Graduation Year: From 12 to 1200 Graduates
by Scott A. Sumner
Thunder Bay Business
It was exciting to feel the enthusiasm in the air at the 40th Confederation College graduation held recently at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. The richness of the venue and the ceremony of the event is a proud time for all each year.
“ Today was particularily special because today was our 40th anniversary of college graduations. 40 years ago we graduated 12 students and today over 1200 so in terms of sheer numbers today was a very spectacular day. Graduations are all about the people and today was a day to celebrate with graduates and community leaders.” said Pat Lang, President of Confederation College. There were 2 ceremonies in Thunder Bay as well as in Fort Frances, Kenora, Sioux Lookout and Dryden. Last years graduates of Confederation College are 92% employed which is a very high average given the challenges of N W Ontario, according to Lang. “We know we make a big impact in the region. We are finding 83% of our graduates work in NW Ontario.”
Today Confederation College acknowledged Florence Johnston with an honorary diploma in Arts and Science. “We chose her because her husband was on our orignal board of governors forty years ago when the college was created. Her husband was in Toronto when then Premier Bill Davis informed him we would have a college in NW Ontario. So we acknowledge her for her work in our community and work at the the Auditorium but also for recognition of the role her husband played in Confederation College,” said Lang. Whats on the horizon at
Confederation College?
“ We are looking at new and exciting programs. Our staff are working on health and community service because we are seeing a trend across NW Ontario for an need for more workers in health and community services and are determining how we can address that.”
Laura McFarland graduated from the Recreation Leasure program and was awarded a student leadership award. “ I am from a small town near Brandon, called Carole, a population of 50. I came to Confederation College because I thought Thunder Bay was absolutely
beautiful. Today I am being given a student leadership award for being a positive role role for other students and providing change in a positive way. I am very honored to have received the award. I am so ecstatic to have graduated I don’t know what to do with myself. I just want to go to the top of Mt McKay and scream,” said MarFarland who next year will be President of the Confederation College Student Union. “ It was amazing here and I have made so many friends. In the future I would like to be working with women. I will take a year off from school to be the president and may come back to Confederation College after that. It is a wonderful learning environment where you can talk to your teachers. There are a lot of goals we will work on provincially with the government in my new role as President. In Thunder Bay I would like to promote getting people to the North. They don’t realize how beautiful it is here,
how many wonderful opportunities we have and the quality of the college. Transferability to university is a goal as well.”
Mike Fawcett has a role at Confederation College as alumni association representative and spoke to the graduates during the ceremony. “ I graduated 15 year ago in 1993 from Confederation College in computer programming and analysis. I had left Thunder Bay
to go to Winnipeg where I joined IBM Canada. After 4 years to Winnipeg I went to the US and joined Microsoft in Houston, Texas. I got a call from a Confederation College alumni who asked me if I would like to relocate to Zurich, Switzerland and join the global accounts organization. So I was there and came back to Thunder Bay to join Genesis Geonomics -Thunder Bay. It was a great career after being born and raised inThunder Bay. My Confederation College education took me all over the world with some major companies. It
is nice to be back here working for a smaller company,” said Mike Fawcett who isVice President of Business Development for Genesis Geonomics, a interesting company here since 2001 and ready to take the technology to the market place. “ I think with these
knowledge based companies like Genesis Geonomics you don’t have to be huge company as your product is you knowledge. We will be tremendously successful.”
Fawcett is proud of his education at Confederation College. “ My education is extremely attractive. It gives you an advantage in the marketplace. I went to Winnipeg early in my career and was competing with other graduates of colleges. It helped me rise above other
college graduates.”
Don Paterson was honored with an honorary diploma in Business and Commerce from Confederation College because of service to the community both socially and economically. “ We were able to make a major donation to the college to help them rebuild the Library and
expand the service they offer so they go out throughout the region with their services. They can reach out to the region. I really humbled and very surprised by the award.” said Donald Paterson who has taken some courses at the College in the culinary department and
writing department. “ To be honored is very special.” Paterson has a U of Toronto political science and history degree and then went to the Canadian Marine Institute for a marketing certificate in grain training. Since then he has obtained a certification at the Rottman
Business School at the U of Toronto in Corporate Directorships.
