OCNews

Articles tagged "Alumni"

Photo of three people smiling.
Okanagan College marks 60 years of alumni and employee success

November 1, 2023

 Sixty years is worth celebrating – that’s what brought out over 100 alumni, staff and Okanagan College supporters last month, as OC marked its 60th anniversary and the impact of tens of thousands of graduates since post-secondary came to the region.  The College’s story began in 1963, when the B.C. Vocational Institute was first established. Since that time more than 60,000 graduates have passed through OC’s campuses in Salmon Arm, Vernon, Penticton and Kelowna, and sites in Revelstoke and Oliver. OC’s alumni have made huge impacts on comm...

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A collage of photos of Okanagan College alumni.
Nominations open for 2023 OC alumni recognition

May 5, 2023

Maybe you’ve heard of the six degrees of Okanagan College? That’s the notion that people are six or fewer social connections away from someone who attended or worked at OC. Chances are, if you live in B.C., you probably have a friend or acquaintance that connects you to OC in under six degrees. Don’t believe us? Start asking – and let us know what you uncover. The Okanagan College Alumni Association (OCAA) wants to highlight alumni connections across the region as it launches a call for nominations of outstanding alumni for recognition in 2...

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OC alum Milanne Desfosses at her workplace
Meet Milanne Desfosses

April 20, 2023

Q: What is your name? A: Milanne Desfosses Q: What are your pronouns? A: She/her/hers Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: I’m from Fort St. John, B.C., and now I live in Calgary. Q: What did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: I completed a Bachelor of Business Administration program, with a specialty in finance in 2019. Q: What got you interested in Business? A: I wasn’t always sure I’d go to college. Throughout my school years, I studied dance a...

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Erum Ahmad and family
OC alum finds golden opportunity for unique jewelry business

April 17, 2023

OC alum Erum Ahmad polished up a business idea that lets her creativity shine. Now she is building that interest into a business that allows her to tap into her culture and draw from her Pakistani roots. Erum, who completed her Bachelor of Business Administration from OC in 2021, has been busy since graduating. Along with starting ERUM, her jewelry business, she works as an accountant and is studying for her CPA certification. In addition, she is head of finance with Bollywood Bang, a local fundraiser event benefiting the Vernon Jubilee Ho...

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Sasha Lewis-Parker
Meet Sasha Lewis-Parker

March 29, 2023

Q: What is your name? A: Sasha Lewis-Parker Q: What are your pronouns? A: She/Her Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: Dunster, B.C. is where I grew up, living off the land with my sisters and parents and our pack of wolf dogs and horses. I currently live in Salmon Arm, B.C., a much more tame life with a rescue kitty and a corgi by my side. Q: What did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: Human Service Work Diploma, I graduated in 2014. Q: What got you i...

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Yael Cohen and Helen Jackman
Watt a gift! Okanagan College’s Electronics Engineering Technology Program gets an $80,000 boost from a local engineer

March 6, 2023

Yael Cohen, a Vernon-based communications engineer, recently donated $80,000 in state-of-the-art electronic equipment to Okanagan College’s Electronics Engineering Technology program. The gift included hundreds of electrical components that will be used by program instructors to build in-class electrical circuits and test demos and will be made available to students for use in their end-of-term capstone projects.  “I was fortunate to receive numerous scholarships when I was in school, and I wanted to pay it forward,” says Cohen, an Okanag...

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Jessica Bourelle and her musical production team give thumbs ups.
Okanagan College alumni team up to launch new EP as annual music concert set to take place

January 20, 2023

As a kid, Jessica Bourelle dreamed of being a musician, singing along to songs she heard on the radio or ones that she had written herself.   She had the heart of a poet, loved writing and dreamed of a career in music. But like a lot of creative forces, Jessica wondered if her songs were good enough.  Enter Okanagan College’s Audio Engineering and Music Production program, a certificate course that prepares individuals to work in a variety of different music production careers. It was in the program that Jessica’s confidence soared with a s...

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