Message from the President of the BCIT Alumni Association

Looking back at the swells of change, stasis, and hope of this past year, I am struck by one thing: the inimitable spirit of BCIT alumni. Our alumni are always ready to take on the challenges ahead. They are thought leaders who envision a better tomorrow, tireless technicians who strengthen the backbone of our invaluable community infrastructures, and solution-seeking innovators who reimagine change as opportunity.

I am proud to be one of these alumni who are making a difference in British Columbia, across Canada, and around the world.

In this annual report, we are pleased to share with you stories of some of our high-achieving alumni and their accomplishments as well as the many activities of the BCIT Alumni Association this past year. We made the second installment of our $1 million pledge (which was announced in September 2020) towards the BCIT Alumni Centre through the BCIT INSPIRE Campaign. Our endowments funded $53,861 in entrance awards, scholarships, and graduating school awards that went to 31 current students. As we welcomed approximately 5,000 more alumni to the Alumni Association, we focused on fostering the success of all of our graduates, launching a robust second annual BCIT Alumni Holiday Market and growing and strengthening our many partnerships.

Of course, the important work that we do would not be possible without a dedicated network of supporters. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for the steadfast support of BCIT and BCIT President Kathy Kinloch, who is retiring this year. We wish her the very best as she starts her next chapter. And to our many valued partners, thank you for your continued commitment to the Alumni Association and our alumni community.

It’s hard to believe that when I completed the Marketing Management program 34 years ago, BCIT had had fewer than 20,000 graduates. Since then, our community has grown tenfold to an incredible 200,000 alumni, whose spirit of leadership, tenacity, and innovation is forging the way. There has never been a more exciting time to be a BCIT alum!

Emil Bosnjak, Marketing Management ‘88 President BCIT Alumni Association