Articles tagged "OC Alumni Association"
Alumni engagement poll
November 21, 2022
The Okanagan College Alumni Association invites alumni to participate in a quick poll. It will help assess the current state of alumni engagement at Okanagan College and establish a baseline for future tracking. OCAA is hoping to engage current OC employees who are also alumni, who may not receive messages. The survey should take approximately 2-4 minutes. To ensure confidentiality, your responses to this survey will be anonymized and combined with those of other respondents. Complete the survey by Tuesday, Dec. 6. To participate, please...
Read more...
OC alum honoured for contributions to inclusion, democracy and reconciliation
October 17, 2022
Sorting through her mail on a recent trip to the mailbox, Okanagan College (OC) alum Danielle Walker received a surprise - the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation. “The award was completely out of the blue,” says Walker. “I knew I had been nominated, but the timing was such a surprise. I just took it in for a minute at the mailbox and cried.” The award recognizes post-secondary students who make outstanding contributions in support of inclusion, democracy and reconciliation and is the culmination of Wal...
Read more...
Meet Chef Rob Walker
October 12, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Chef Robert Walker Q: What did you take at OC/OUC? What years did you attend? What campus did you attend? A: I graduate from the Culinary Arts Certificate program at Okanagan University College in 2001. Q: Why did you choose your program at OC? A: I grew up in the Kootenays not really knowing what I wanted to do with my life. But I always loved food. In the back of my head was this question, “How do I become a chef?” I had my eye on the Okanagan Valle...
Read more...
OC alum honoured for culinary contributions in the kitchen and classroom
October 6, 2022
An award-winning local chef has earned the highest accolade bestowed by Okanagan College’s Alumni Association (OCAA). And the sweetest part? The nomination came from those following in his footsteps – his students. Chef Rob Walker is the recipient of this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award from OCAA. The award recognizes Chef Walker’s outstanding contributions within his community and industry. The OCAA has been conferring the Distinguished and Young Alumni Awards since 2002 to honour the extraordinary contributions and recognize the pos...
Read more...
Meet Joey Rood
September 28, 2022
What is your name? Joey Rood What are your pronouns? He / Him / His Where is your hometown and where are you located now? Kelowna is my hometown. I am located in Sioux Lookout, Ont., for my job now. What did you take at OC? When did you graduate? I completed the Commercial Aviation Diploma in 2019. What got you interested in aviation? I’ve been interested in aviation since I was a kid. When I was 13, I went on a helicopter tour. From there, I joined the Air Cadet prog...
Read more...
Okanagan College alumni Emily McKay made a lot of connections while studying at OC’s School of Business
September 20, 2022
Those connections led her to where she is today, as a social entrepreneur with a fashion business aimed at sustainability in an industry that produces greenhouse gases at twice the rate of the airline industry. “I went to Okanagan College because I was interested in the marketing world and possibly one day owning my own business,” says McKay. “Looking back, I made so many amazing connections at Okanagan College that led me in the direction of all of my most critical work experiences and special life experiences. It led me to my study abroa...
Read more...
OC alumna gives back with bursary for high school grads
June 22, 2022
Okanagan College alumna Erum Ahmad has been spending her time teaching Vernon high school students how to be smart with their money. Now, she is giving one of those students a chance to put their learnings into action by creating a bursary to fund the next steps of their educational journey. Erum, who graduated from Okanagan College in 2021, found a passion in sharing financial literacy with high school students after experiencing a lack of financial training herself. “When I was in grade 10, I realized there were no classes to help me ...
Read more...
OC celebrates Convocation in person next week
May 30, 2022
Keegan Pereira will be taking part in a momentous occasion next week, as he and his Okanagan College peers cross the stage at the first in-person Convocation ceremonies to be held at OC since the pandemic began. Growing up in the region, Pereira has always known Okanagan College will provide him with the educational opportunities he needed, especially when the Bachelor of Computer Information Systems Degree called to him. “I heard amazing things about the program,” he says about why he chose OC. “The widespread opportunity between p...
Read more...
OC Alumnus cycles for charity in solo ride across Mexico
May 6, 2022
Nick Pelletier didn’t spend his recent trip to Mexico relaxing on the beach. The Okanagan College Business Alumnus pedaled solo across Mexico in a 51-day trek, stopping at points with the highest and lowest elevation in the country, while raising awareness and funds for charity. The journey, which began in February, benefited charity: water, an organization that provides clean and safe drinking water to those without access. Pelletier, an ultra-endurance athlete and extreme adventurer, is no stranger to epic endeavors and likes to comb...
Read more...
OC student to attend prestigious astroparticle physics summer school
May 5, 2022
The sky is the limit for Okanagan College physics student Divyesh Dagia, who is set to attend the Canadian Astroparticle Physics Summer School (CAPSS) this May. The intensive week-long session is designed for astronomy, physics and engineering undergraduates and will introduce them to the current topics in the field of astroparticle physics at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., and virtually at SNOLAB. Only 20 students from across Canada are invited to attend the session each year. Dagia, who will complete an Associate of Science Degre...
Read more...
Student becomes the master at OC Student Chef Dinner Series
March 17, 2022
Okanagan College’s Culinary Arts program served up a tasty opportunity for students to bring their culinary learnings to the table alongside an experienced OC alumnus on Friday. The College’s restaurant, Infusions, hosted guests for a meal that was part of the Student Chef Dinner Series, which gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills and the very best of Okanagan region cuisine while working with experienced chefs. Chef Chris Van Hooydonk of Backyard Farm’s Chef Table in Oliver, B.C., returned to the OC kitchen for the dinne...
Read more...
Meet Kayla Gabelhouse
February 10, 2022
OC alumna Kayla Gabelhouse felt there was a gap in the jewelry market and started making pieces for herself and her friends. What started as a fun side hustle, quickly grew to being a profitable jewelry business that’s been featured in Vanity Fair UK and donned on reality TV stars. What did you take at OC/OUC? When did you graduate? What campus did you attend? BBA with a specialty in Marketing, I graduated in April 2020. Would you recommend the program you took? Why/why no...
Read more...
Meet Courtney Koga
January 18, 2022
Eight years ago, Courtney Koga and her sister Meiko started CrAsian Food Truck. Today, they continue running a successful food truck business in addition to two brick and mortar kitchens in tasting rooms of two popular Kelowna breweries: Kettle River Brewing and BNA Brewing. Recently Koga was nominated for two Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards for Young Entrepreneur and Social Leadership. We caught up with her to hear more about what she’s been up to since grad...
Read more...
Silver screen smitten with OC alumni making Hallmark movie debuts
December 16, 2021
‘Tis the season for warming up by the fire, sipping hot chocolate and spotting an Okanagan College alumnus starring in your favourite, cheesy Christmas movie. A literal Jack of all trades, Harrison Coe doubles as a journeyman electrician at Capra Electric in Vernon and also as a professional actor. Coe has appeared in television shows such as The X-Files, Millennium, Stargate, the Outer Limits and also starred in a film with Sylvester Stallone called Eye See You. He made his Hallmark movie debut this year, starring in Fixing Up Christmas....
Read more...
Meet Sean McFetridge, OC alumnus
November 1, 2021
After an intense wildfire season, heatwaves and droughts, the need for Canadians to conserve water is more crucial than ever. That’s where OC alumnus Sean McFetridge comes in. He and his wife, Alisha McFetridge, co-founded RainStick Shower, a WiFi-enabled smart shower system that aims to solve water and energy waste by up to 80%. We caught up with Sean to hear more about what he’s been up to since graduating from OC in 2011. Where is your hometown and where are you located now? Ke...
Read more...
OC alumna masters her trade on TV; panelist in upcoming webinar
June 9, 2021
While most college graduates can relate to the at times hectic challenge of balancing life, school and work during their student days, few know what it feels like to meet that challenge while followed around by a camera crew. OC alumna Cassidy McEown is one who does. She has been learning her trade, Collision Repair and Refinishing, while on HISTORY’s Rust Valley Restorers (RVR) for the last three years. “I generally work better under pressure, but having a camera over your shoulder while working on metal work is something you definitely...
Read more...