It’s time for a group of adults to look to the “opportunities rather than the obstacles” in their future.
Georgian College’s Owen Sound campus celebrated its 409th convocation ceremony today.
More than 140 students graduated from programs like Carpentry, Early Childhood Education, Food Preparation and Personal Support Worker to name a few.
Eight students were also recognized with seven special awards sponsored by community people and businesses.
Six of those seven awards were for graduates of the police foundations program.
Acting program co-ordinator Catherine Wareham says it shows the amount of time the students spend in the community volunteering is having an impact.
She says it also shows how important the program has become to the college and the community in the five years since it began.
Wareham says police foundation students spend time volunteering as security for local events like the International Plowing Match, or the 2007 Special Olympics, to help out the community, and to give the students practical learning situations.
Wareham says it also reflects in the fact that Georgian College’s police foundation program has the highest success rate across the province for graduates looking for jobs.
She says their success rate is 94 per cent.
Graduate Dale Funston received the Bruce Penninsula Sportsmen’s Association and Handgun Club Award, for the time he’s spent volunteering, as well as his dedication and professionalism.
Funston says it was a great chance for him to give back to the community and the program.
The Elgin Rouse Custom Builder Award was the only one that wasn’t specified for a police foundation student.
Jacquelynn Donaldson, a Carpentry Techniques student, was the recipient of the award.
