OCNews

Articles tagged "Student"

OC Pastry Arts
A date with OC: A Valentine’s dinner surprise

February 9, 2021

Last minute Valentine’s day plans aren’t always the most memorable, but Okanagan College’s restaurant, Infusions, has a solution for you this Saturday that offers an unforgettable dining twist – everything is a surprise. What do we know about this surprise evening? Infusions Restaurant is opening its doors this Saturday, Feb. 13, to offer diners a Valentine’s culinary adventure to remember, where they won’t know what dish is coming out next. Diners will sit down for a five-course dinner menu created by OC Pastry Arts chef Danny Capadouca an...

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Maria Kruger, Certified Dental Assistant student
CIBC gives scholarship boost to Indigenous students

January 18, 2021

When Maria Kruger graduates as a Certified Dental Assistant from Okanagan College later this year, she will proudly stand among her people as a skilled professional. Kruger, who is of Okanagan/Shuswap descent, has a goal to graduate and work with people in her community on the Penticton Indian Band. “I want to see our people go into skilled trades and be able to support our own communities. That’s one of my main goals,” says Kruger, who also cites her two-year-old son as inspiration behind her return to school. A new donation from CIBC alon...

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Associate of Arts degree student, Mare McHale
Mature student hits the books after writing a book

November 17, 2020

YouTuber and mental health advocate Mare McHale turns to Okanagan College for transfer studies Every challenge presents opportunity. For Penticton student Mare McHale, returning to school last September was yet another twist in 2020 that she hadn’t planned, but also an opportunity to invest in her future. “So much has changed this year, but having time at home means reflecting on where our family could be after the pandemic passes. In that lens, going back to class just made sense,” she explains. “When I was taking those first steps of appl...

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Health Care Assistant graduate Jacquie Thom
Student has clear vision to graduate as Health Care Assistant

October 27, 2020

Fifty-two-year-old Jacquie Thom can feel victorious as she graduates as a Health Care Assistant (HCA) from Okanagan College this month. Thom is legally blind and was born with an eye condition called coloboma. She describes her vision as blurry and like seeing through a tunnel. Yet despite her vision impairment, she was inspired to pursue a career caring for the elderly after taking care of her parents when they were palliative. “Supporting my parents showed me that it is such an honour to help someone through that period of time just befor...

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Staples laptop donation
Students thankful for new laptops

October 9, 2020

A donation from Staples Kelowna is helping Okanagan College students succeed in an online learning environment. In September, Staples donated laptops to eight students who do not have access to the technology needed to successfully participate and complete their programs online. Bree Edler was one of the recipients to receive a new Asus computer. “I’m in shock. I’ve never received anything like this before so I feel very fortunate,” says Edler. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edler was a travel agent. With international travel ground to a ...

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Alison Beaumont
New work-integrated learning opportunities for OC students and employers across the region

October 5, 2020

Earlier this year, Okanagan College announced new opportunities through the Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment office for Indigenous learners and students who face accessibility challenges. With funding from the provincial government, the College is set to launch a third project to increase access to co-op and work-integrated learning for OC students and employers. Overseeing the project at OC is Alison Beaumont, a Coordinator in the Student, Graduate and Co-op Employment office. She notes that the new project has dual opportunities for...

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OC Students
Education support only a click away with OC Support online booking system

September 28, 2020

Okanagan College has launched a new online system for students to book appointments with student support services from the comfort and safety of home. “Okanagan College is committed to enhancing student access to services during COVID-19 and this new online booking system will help learners connect with people who can help,” says Meri Kim Oliver, Okanagan College Vice-President Students.  OC Support is available at https://okanagan.bc.ca/support, allowing students to book appointments with: Education Advisors Aboriginal Transitions Planne...

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Health Care Assistants thankful for bursary support

September 14, 2020

Twenty-three-year-old Shoshanna Fremont works the night shift as a Care Aide at a local long-term care home, a shift she loves as it gives her an opportunity to provide precious one-on-one time with residents who are up during the night. “When you get them a glass of water and take the time to hold their hand, especially when they can’t have many visitors, their entire mood changes,” says Fremont. “When I go home I take comfort that I took care of people today, I made them smile, or helped in whatever way I could.” Fremont is one of eight...

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Continuing Studies Alumna Kayley Herman
College Perianesthesia Nursing grad juggles family and school, puts her skills to work on the frontline

September 8, 2020

For Kayley Herman, the last couple of years have been busy ones as she navigated going back to school at Okanagan College for advanced perianesthesia (PAR) training and welcoming a new baby. Herman, who worked as a PAR nurse in Saskatchewan before moving to B.C., needed to gain proper certification for PAR work in the province. She applied for and received educational funding through Interior Health to complete that training at OC. “My journey with the training was unique because I completed the theory portion of the course while I was pre...

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Okanagan College
Student parking update for fall 2020

August 31, 2020

Please note: this announcement relates to Fall 2020. This article is available for archival purposes only; parking fees have been reinstated for Fall 2021 going forward. ___ Okanagan College is waiving parking fees for students this coming semester. “Many of our students will be learning online or via remote delivery this fall, and we expect that those who are on campus for experiential learning in labs or shops may be spending less time on campus than normal,” explains Curtis Morcom, OC’s Vice President Employee and Corporate Services. “In...

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Online Learning
College launches new course, resources to assist students with online learning

August 25, 2020

Okanagan College is promoting new resources to enhance student success in an online learning environment. This week the College launched a new course that introduces students to the online learning platforms and delivery methods they will encounter in their programs this fall. The course also points them toward the various resources and supports in place to help them with online learning, including how to access technology/software remotely, how to get their free copy of Microsoft Office 365, how to use the College’s learning management sy...

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Students studying at OC
College announces plans for Winter semester

August 18, 2020

Students can expect classes in the new year to look a lot like they will this fall at Okanagan College. As OC prepares to welcome back thousands of students to a blend of online and hybrid courses in September, the College announced today that Winter 2021 courses will follow the same format. “We have determined that Winter Semester 2021 will look much like Fall Semester 2020, with most of our courses provided in an online format,” explains Andrew Hay, Interim Provost and Vice President Academic. “For courses that require experiential hands...

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College working with students, employers and communities to enhance co-op opportunities for Indigenous learners

June 18, 2020

How can Okanagan College enhance support for Indigenous students stepping into co-op work terms with employers? And in turn, how can OC better assist employers looking to hire students and set them up for success during their time in the workforce? These are just two of many questions inspiring Jewell Gillies as she consults with students, employers, other post-secondary institutions and Indigenous community members in the region and beyond as part of a 15-month long research project. “This project delves into many aspects of co-operative e...

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Engineering Technology students Chase Seale and Myles Derksen
College spotlights new Common First-Year Engineering and other tech programs via virtual info session

June 15, 2020

Future engineers and technologists take note: Okanagan College is opening up a new pathway to engineering next year, and in the meantime is opening students’ eyes to other technologies careers in high demand. The College will welcome its first intake of students to its new Common First-Year Engineering (CFYE) program in Fall of 2021. The one-year CFYE certificate provides a comprehensive applied science foundation and sets students up to transfer into second-year university engineering studies. Students will complete courses in a variety of...

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Tuition Winner Brittani Sali
Contest winner inspired to help others

May 26, 2020

When Brittani Sali answered the phone and learned she was the winner of a $5,000 tuition giveaway contest, she thought she might be dreaming. The 22-year old was just waking up, and she hadn’t been expecting the call from local radio announcer B Mack. Lucky for Sali, winning the tuition giveaway towards any health program at Okanagan College wasn’t a dream. The 22-year old was among one of 80 people who entered the contest, which was sponsored by the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund, in partnership with Virgin Radio and the Okanagan Col...

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Isabel Fabian Animation grad
Drawing together: College and industry gather virtually to celebrate animation students

May 21, 2020

If there was ever a time to get animated, this was it – albeit with a virtual twist. While COVID-19 may have altered the format for the ceremony, it couldn’t dampen the excitement as studios from across the valley joined Okanagan College this week in recognizing the newest soon-to-be grads from its Animation diploma program. At the OC Animation department’s second-annual Industry Night on May 13, a group of second-year students on their way to graduation and first-year students who have now crossed the half-way mark of their program were ce...

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