MOMENTUM MOHAWK COLLEGE COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
SPRING 2017
MAKING HISTORY TONY CUPIDO LEADS CONSTRUCTION OF REGION’S GREENEST BUILDING
STORY BEHIND THE NAMES BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY
COLLEGE IN MOTION DEMYSTIFYING POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
SIX NATIONS
CHRIS MEI
PARTNERS IN INDIGENOUS EDUCATION WITH SIX NATIONS POLYTECHNIC
UNSCRIPTED AT THE WEATHER NETWORK
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P L AY, C R E AT E , L E A R N , E X P L O R E A N D D I S C O V E R !
MOHAWK COLLEGE
2017
Award-winning camp for kids ages 5-12 July 4 - August 26 Program hours 9 am to 4 pm FREE extended hours 8 am to 9 am and 4 pm to 5:30 pm
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!
SAVE $10 when you register before March 31, 2017
Check our website for registration, trip details, special guests and more mohawkcollege.ca/camps b MOMENTUM
CONTENTS SPRING 2017
5 ABOUT MOHAWK
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From the President
STORY BEHIND THE NAMES
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The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation
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Gerald Marshall Centre for Transportation
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ArcelorMittal Dofasco Enterprise Training Centre
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12 NOTABLE ALUMNI
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Bert Hares Boardroom Cummings Library & Collaboratory
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David Braley Athletic & Recreation Centre
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McKeil School of Business
Amos Key Jr. Chris Mei
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Gary Barwin Rebecca Jamieson Matt Schnarr Morganne Hemrica Anatomy Lab at Mohawk’s Institute of Applied Health Sciences at McMaster
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Mohawk Happenings
COVER STORY
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Tony Cupido – Shaping the New Standard
MOHAWK PROFILES
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College in Motion Team
ABOUT MOHAWK: Mohawk College educates and serves 30,000 full-time, part-time, apprenticeship and international students at three campuses and two City School locations at the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre and the Central Public Library in Hamilton, Ontario. Mohawk has ranked first among all Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area colleges in student satisfaction for six consecutive years* and first in graduate satisfaction for the past four years. Mohawk ranks 15th among all colleges in Canada for applied research activity and has been named among Canada’s greenest employers and the region’s top employers for the past three years. VISIT: mohawkcollege.ca or mohawknewsdesk.ca to learn more. COVER: Image of Tony Cupido. Location: Mohawk‘s Fennell Campus. *2015-2016 KPI Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey.
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HAMILTON’S
HIDDEN GEM LET US ENTERTAIN YOU Featuring some of the very best talent in children’s and educational theatre! Host to premier musical performances and community productions, the McIntyre Performing Arts Centre can provide the technical needs to showcase any event. With seating for 1,000+ it is a growing cultural venue in the Greater Hamilton-Niagara region. Providing prime artistic space for professional and community performing arts, as well as the perfect site for wedding ceremonies, lectures, fundraisers and community forums. Find us on Facebook to view current programming and explore rental opportunities!
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For more details contact: McIntyre Performing Arts Centre 135 Fennell Avenue W Hamilton Ontario L9C 0E5 mohawkcollege.ca/mpac
@MPACMcIntyre McIntyrePerformingArtsCentre
FROM THE PRESIDENT Building for our students and community How do you celebrate a 50th anniversary? At Mohawk, we carry out the largest renewal of technology labs and classrooms in our history. The cornerstone of our renewal project is The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. It’s the largest addition yet to our Fennell Campus. It will also be a showcase in environmental sustainability, serving as the first national pilot site for the Canada Green Building Council. You can find out more about our game-changing building, along with the lead staff that is bringing it together, in this issue of Momentum magazine. The renewal of labs and classrooms is possible and in thanks to the generous support of our college partners. The Government of Canada’s $20 million infrastructure grant for The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation is the largest in Mohawk’s history. The $5 million donation from The Joyce Family Foundation is also a record-setting gift. Our longstanding partner at ArcelorMittal Dofasco has once again made a million dollar donation on behalf of our students. In this issue, we recognize these valued partners and others who have generously supported our college over the years. Together, they have helped make Mohawk a great place to learn and given all of us yet another reason to be proud of our college and community. Regards, Ron McKerlie
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STORY BEHIND THE
NAMES What do Harold Cummings, David Braley, the family of Gerald Marshall, The Joyce Family Foundation, McKeil Marine, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and the friends of Bert Hares have in common? They’ve all made Mohawk an even better place to learn for generations of students. Together, they’ve contributed more than $18 million to the college. They’ve given students a new library, athletic and recreation centre, a centre for transportation and boardroom. They’ve supported the expansion of Mohawk’s Fennell and Stoney Creek Campuses. They’ve strengthened Mohawk’s skilled trades and business programs. And they’ve helped launch the largest renewal of technology labs and classrooms in the college’s 50-year history. These are the stories of seven places at Mohawk named in honour of outstanding college champions and student supporters.
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THE JOYCE CENTRE FOR PARTNERSHIP & INNOVATION FENNELL CAMPUS
The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation is set to open in 2018. Inset: Grant and Steven Joyce (centre) with Mohawk President Ron McKerlie and MSA President Kyle Datzkiw.
The largest addition yet to Mohawk’s Fennell Campus has received the largest-ever donation in the college’s 50-year history. Grant and Steven Joyce announced a $5 million donation last October from the private family foundation created by Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Ronald V. Joyce. “The Joyce Family Foundation is a great supporter of the education and training at Mohawk College,” said Ron Joyce. “We are proud to be part of the student learning and creativity that will emerge from the new Centre and influence the region." Ron’s sons Grant and Steven announced the donation during an event at Mohawk last October. “Collaboration between industry and postsecondary institutions is very effective in helping students find
employment and make immediate contributions,” said Steven, trustee of The Joyce Family Foundation. Set to open next fall, The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation will be the region’s first institutional net-zero energy building. The Centre will allow Mohawk to educate an additional 1,000 technology students annually and carry out 50 per cent more applied research projects with industry partners. This was the second time the Joyce family made history at Mohawk. In 2013, The Joyce Family Foundation donated $1.5 million to establish 20 annual bursaries for students in financial need. It remains the largest donation ever made in support of bursaries at Mohawk.
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GERALD MARSHALL CENTRE FOR TRANSPORTATION STONEY CREEK CAMPUS
The Gerald Marshall Centre for Transportation opened in February 2010. Inset: Photo of the Marshall family taken in 2016.
Gerald Marshall was a self-made business owner who founded his company in 1970. Over the next quarter, he grew his made-in-Hamilton business from a single truck to a fleet of 24 trucks and trailers and helped open Marshall Truck and Trailer Repair. Mr. Marshall passed away in 2006 following a battle with cancer. To honour their father’s legacy, Mr. Marshall’s children — Linda Marshall, Cindy Butler, Wayne Marshall and Jo-Anne Spadafora — made what was at the time the single largest donation in Mohawk’s history. In recognition of their $1.7 million gift, Mohawk
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named the building at the college’s skilled trades at the Stoney Creek Campus in tribute to Mr. Marshall. It was Mohawk’s first named building. “As much as our dad would have loved this party, he would have had an even better time working alongside the apprentices on the shop floor,” Jo-Anne said during the official opening of the Gerald Marshall Centre for Transportation in February 2010. An annual community event hosted by the Marshall family in honour of their father raised more than $800,000 over the past decade for new equipment, scholarships and bursaries.
ARCELORMITTAL DOFASCO ENTERPRISE TRAINING CENTRE STONEY CREEK CAMPUS One of Mohawk’s longest-standing partners continues to invest in students with a pair of million dollar gifts. In 2006, ArcelorMittal Dofasco made the first corporate donation to support the transformation of Mohawk’s skilled trades campus in Stoney Creek. Last November, the company once again made the first corporate donation to help build The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. “We’re much more than a steel company,” says ArcelorMittal President and CEO Sean Donnelly. “In truth, we are an engineering and technology organization and our strength is people. Mohawk
College is a big part of the people equation of our company. We’re the kind of company that demands a workforce that is, as Mohawk College says, Future Ready.” ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Mohawk operate the largest apprenticeship program in Ontario and the company employs more than 300 college graduates. “Our partnership with Mohawk is a natural one,” says Sean. “We commend the college for launching the largest renewal of technology labs and classrooms in its 50-year history.”
The ArcelorMittal Dofasco Enterprise Training Centre at Mohawk’s Stoney Creek Campus. Inset: ArcelorMittal Dofasco VP of Corporate Affairs Tony Valeri and ArcelorMittal Dofasco President and CEO Sean Donnelly with Mohawk President Ron McKerlie and MSA President Kyle Datzkiw.
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BERT HARES BOARDROOM FENNELL CAMPUS
Mohawk College Foundation Board of Directors member Bruce Pearson in the Bert Hares Boardroom at Mohawk’s Fennell Campus. Inset: The donations in honour of Bert Hares supported the construction of the boardroom and the renovation of classrooms and common areas at the Fennell Campus.
Mohawk students hone their presentation skills and gain invaluable boardroom experience thanks to friends and associates of Bertram George Hares. Mr. Hares had a distinguished 45-year career in the insurance industry with Dominion Canada General Insurance Co. and North Waterloo Farmers Mutual, where he served as President and CEO. “I have known Bert Hares, the individual for whom the boardroom at Mohawk College is named, for over 40 years. Bert became President and CEO of North Waterloo Farm Mutual and did a great job of encouraging, mentoring, young individuals into the insurance world. Bert was focused on building a strong team of young insurance professionals in
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his tenure as Senior Vice President of Dominion of Canada. Bert hired mostly Mohawk Insurance grads as he built a new regional office for Dominion of Canada in Oakville. Bert is mostly remembered as a passionate leader and particularly a developer of young people,” says Bruce Pearson, Director at Heartland Farm Mutual and Mohawk College Foundation Board. Over 100 friends and colleagues made personal and corporate donations totalling more than $600,000 to honour Mr. Hares, who passed away in 2008. The donations built a boardroom, renovated classrooms and added common areas at the Fennell Campus for students in Mohawk’s Insurance program.
CUMMINGS LIBRARY & COLLABORATORY FENNELL CAMPUS
The Cummings Library & Collaboratory opened in 2011. Inset: Gaye MacLean, daughter of Harold Cummings, at the library named in honour of her father.
Gaye MacLean saw first-hand the difference her father’s gift made for Mohawk students. Gaye worked in the library that was built with a record $4 million bequest from her father, Harold Cummings. “He wanted to donate somewhere and there was something about our college that piqued his interest,” says Gaye, who retired from Mohawk two years ago. “My father always had an appreciation for libraries. So it was pretty special watching the library be built. My father would have gotten a kick out of seeing the family name up on
the wall and the library filled with students.” Harold and his wife Audrey watched Mohawk’s Fennell Campus being built in the 1960s from their West Mountain home in Buchanan Park. Mr. Cummings was a general accountant and savvy investor who worked as business manager at Fleming Motors in Caledonia. In 2009, Mr. Cummings pledged his record-setting gift. Along with giving students a new place to study, Harold’s gift allowed Mohawk to convert its former library into The Square, a onestop centre for student services.
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DAVID BRALEY ATHLETIC & RECREATION CENTRE FENNELL CAMPUS
The David Braley Athletic & Recreation Centre won the 2014 Athletic Business® Facilities of MeritTM Award. Inset: David Braley (centre) at the naming of the David Braley Athletic and Recreation Centre in 2013.
A $3 million donation from David Braley moved Mohawk to the head of the class for collegiate athletics and recreation. The donation from the owner and president of Orlick Industries supported construction of the 64,000 square foot centre where Mohawk students compete, train and exercise. The LEED gold certified building, a showpiece building on the Fennell Campus, opened in September 2013. This building replaced
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what had been one of the oldest and smallest gyms among Ontario’s 24 colleges. The centre has since hosted provincial and national tournaments and is open to students, staff and the community. Fitness programs at the David Braley Athletic & Recreation Centre are run in partnership with the YMCA of Hamilton, Burlington and Brantford.
McKEIL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS FENNELL CAMPUS
The McKeil School of Business was named in honour of the McKeil family in November 2011. Inset: Blair and Kathy McKeil with Mohawk President Ron McKerlie at the 2016 Mohawk's Partnership Dinner.
It was a million dollar thank-you to Hamilton and gift to Mohawk students. In November 2011, McKeil Marine — one of Canada’s leading marine service providers — donated $750,000 to support the Fennell Campus renewal project. It was the single largest donation in the company’s history. McKeil Marine Chairman and CEO Blair McKeil and his wife, Kathy, raised an additional $250,000 for scholarships and bursaries. “Our support of Mohawk College and the McKeil School of Business was inspired by the many co-op students and graduates who have contributed to our success — a good many of these students have become valued members of the McKeil shorebased crew,” says Kathy. “We are very proud of our partnership with the college as it consistently
produces work-ready graduates who are prepared for the business of life.” Along with their donations, Blair became a mentor to students as Mohawk’s first entrepreneur-in-residence, while Kathy organized speakers for a college-wide speakers series. In 2016, McKeil Marine co-hosted the annual Mohawk Partnership Dinner, which raised $79,000 for student bursaries. This year, Blair and Kathy have pledged an additional $150,000 over the next 5 years to establish full scholarships for students who are actively involved in the community. “Our new commitment is something near and dear to our hearts,” says Blair. “The scholarships will recognize students who make a difference in our community while at the same time pursuing their education at Mohawk.”
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NOTABLE ALUMNI
WITH MOHAWK ALUMNUS
AMOS KEY JR. “I came to the Woodland Cultural Centre in 1984, after being headhunted away from the London Board of Education. I was hired to oversee the launch of Ontario’s first Indigenous immersive language program, and to eventually establish a board of education. The goal was to help First Nations people become fully bilingual while revitalizing and stabilizing their traditional languages. From start to finish, the students were educated in their traditional languages of Cayuga and Mohawk. Since that program was
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launched similar programs started up in communities and schools across Canada and First Nations language revitalization has become a nationwide movement. The last few years have been emotional for me. The students who were in our first cohort are now in their 30s and they’re fully bilingual. For any teacher and educator that kind of success really touches you. When I came to study at Mohawk, I never thought about what it was like to be an ‘Indian’ from Ontario. I didn’t pay much attention to my ancestry. I was just
Amos Key Jr. in front of the 50-foot Wampum Wall at Mohawk’s Fennell Campus. Unveiled in 2014, the Wampum Wall contains hundreds of images of members of the local Haudenosaunee community.
focused on getting an education. I would get a lot of questions from my classmates and it was their curiosity that inspired me to learn more about who I was and where I came from.
I like to think that the foundations, principles and confidences Mohawk College gave me really converged for me, to be able to think about using media and technology in education in that way.”
My Mohawk education has always been a benefit to me and my community. A few years ago I led the development of Ontario’s first synchronous e-learning secondary school. In 2013, the school won an international Outstanding Contribution to Education Award at the World Education Congress, held in Mumbai, India.
Amos graduated from Mohawk’s Television and Communications Arts program in 1973. In 1993, he received the Premier’s Award for Applied Arts and was awarded an Alumni of Distinction Award from Mohawk College in 1997. In 2008, he was named one of Mohawk’s Incredible 40 at 40.
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The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation has been selected as a national pilot project for Canada Green Building Council’s net-zero standard.
SHAPING THE NEW STANDARD BUILDING THE JOYCE CENTRE FOR PARTNERSHIP & INNOVATION WON’T BE EASY, YET TONY CUPIDO WOULDN’T WANT IT ANY OTHER WAY Mohawk’s Chief Building and Facilities Officer, Tony Cupido, is leading a team of architects, engineers, college staff and hundreds of skilled tradespeople to build the five-level Centre in under two years. At 96,000 square feet, The Centre will be the largest addition yet to Mohawk’s Fennell Campus. It will also be the region’s first net-zero energy institutional building and a test site for the Canada Green Building Council. The Centre is the first national pilot project site for the Council’s new net-zero energy carbon standard and validation process. “What we’re doing with The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation has yet to be done before on this scale,” says Tony. “If this was easy, everyone would already be doing it.”
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Tony Cupido 15
Mohawk President Ron McKerlie and Tony Cupido.
“We’re rethinking how a building is designed, constructed and operated and in the process resetting energy efficiency standards... What’s leading edge today will be standard practice in the future.” TONY CUPIDO
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The Centre will feature a high-performance building envelope, solar PV arrays, LED lighting and highefficiency plumbing. Energy will also be provided and stored from 28 geothermal wells. Heating and cooling will be handled by using variable refrigerant flow (VRF) technology. Buildings are major energy users and contributors to climate change, accounting for an estimated one-third of energy demand and 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Leadership in environmental sustainability is a strategic priority for Mohawk and The Centre will put the college at the forefront of net-zero buildings. “We’re rethinking how a building is designed, constructed and operated and in the process resetting energy efficiency standards,” says Tony. “What’s leading edge today will be standard practice in the future.”
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE
“NET-ZERO”
To be a “net-zero” building, The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation (JCP&I) must produce as much energy as it uses in a year. To achieve this the JCP&I will be equipped with the latest in green energy technology.
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550 kW (kilowatt) rooftop solar panel array and 50kW solar thermal array
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28 180-metre deep geothermal heating and cooling wells
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LED lighting controlled by occupancy and daylight sensors
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High-performance exterior surfaces designed to work in concert with the building’s heating and cooling systems
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High-performance roof designed to reflect sunlight, coupled with green roofs that will cover smaller portions of the building
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42,000-litre stormwater harvesting system that will supply water to the building’s restrooms
THE ULTIMATE LIVING LAB
Tony brings a passion for environmental sustainability to the project. While serving as McMaster University’s Assistant Vice President of Facility Services, Tony developed the first sustainable building policy for Ontario universities. He also led construction of seven LEED facilities at McMaster and the first LEED Gold building at any university or college in the province. Heeding his father’s advice, Tony earned a Master of Engineering Degree and then a PhD in Civil Engineering while working full time and raising a family. The development and application of policybased tools for institutional green buildings was the focus of Tony’s postdoctoral research. “You work your entire career hoping to be part of something remarkable,” says Tony. “It’s a real honour to be doing exactly that with The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation.”
From the ground up, The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation has been designed to be as much a part of a student’s learning experience as the classrooms and labs within it. Some of the features that enable learning include: •
Structural connections will be left exposed in many public areas to show how the building was designed and built.
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Supervised access to rooftop terraces will facilitate classes and research projects.
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Graphical user interface will allow students and the public to explore how the building operates on a daily basis, including live, real-time data from the building’s energy profile.
Watch a live stream of ongoing construction at mohawknewsdesk.ca/centre-for-partnership--innovation
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MEET MOHAWK’S
COLLEGE IN MOTION TEAM It wasn’t enough to open doors. Mohawk also needed to build bridges. That was the message delivered by North Hamilton families and educators seven years ago. The community forum was a watershed moment for Mohawk, says Jim Vanderveken, Dean of Interdisciplinary Studies. “We realized we needed to do far more than open the doors to our college,” says Jim. “We also needed to build bridges into neighbourhoods and take our college into the community like never before. For many families, Mohawk seemed a world away and beyond their reach.” Working with civic leaders and educational partners,
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Jim led the development of Mohawk’s first access strategy. Mohawk launched College in Motion in 2012 with a focus on connecting with priority neighbourhoods where high school graduation and postsecondary participation rates were below provincial averages. Mohawk’s College in Motion team has since provided free services to more than 3,000 people during the past five years. The team is constantly on the road, talking with students and families from 31 area high schools and at 20 community agencies, including St. Charles Adult and Continuing Education. “Our team answers any and all questions about going to college,” says Rose Gilles, Associate Director of
Student Recruitment who supports the College in Motion team. “We’re here to help every step of the way, from choosing programs to registering for college and applying for bursaries and scholarships. If you are the first in your family to go to college, you’ll have lots of questions about how to start the journey and what to expect along the way.” While College in Motion initially served high school students, the team now works with mature students who are looking to return to school. More than half of College in Motion clients are between 21 and 25 years of age.
“Many are juggling work and family commitments so they have concerns about adding college to the mix,” says Rose. “Our team reassures everyone that there’s a place for them at Mohawk. Our doors are open and we’ll help you get there.”
Jim says the response from students, families, educators and community partners has been overwhelming. “They have welcomed us into their neighbourhoods and made us proud to be part of a college that cares about the community we serve.”
COLLEGE IN MOTION PROFILES
ROSE GILLES Joined Team: June 2010 Title: Associate Director, Student Recruitment Most rewarding part of the job: My first role was to develop the first Access Strategy, which led to five key initiatives and launching the College in Motion pilot in early 2012. When the students we work with can realize that there is a place for them, that they can do this and see that college is in their future, it shows we have achieved what we have set out to do.
TERRILYNN MACMILLAN
EMILY DI NARDO
Joined Team: February 2012
Title: Outreach and Transition Coach
Title: Community Outreach & Education Advisor Most rewarding part of the job: It is pretty amazing to watch a student graduate from a program, that at one point, they believed would be an impossible feat. Especially when you know how hard they worked to break down the barriers that previously stood in their way. There is a smile on my face every day because of the students I get to meet and work with, and that in itself is pretty rewarding.
Joined Team: September 2015
Most rewarding part of the job: The piece I enjoy most about my role is the chance to follow up with the students we have worked with, hearing about their experiences, and watching their confidence build as students. Many of the individuals we build connections with face a number of barriers, so having the opportunity to see our students access and excel in postsecondary education — knowing the impact it will have on their future — is incredibly fulfilling.
See more profiles on page 20
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COLLEGE IN MOTION PROFILES
JAMIE ARCOLEO
Continued from page 19
CHERISH GIBSON
Joined Team: February 2014
TRACEY-ANN PROKIPCZUK
Title: Student Recruitment Officer
Joined Team: April 2015
Title: Student Recruitment Officer
Most rewarding part of the job:
Title: Community Outreach & Education Advisor
Most rewarding part of the job:
The most rewarding part of my job is helping students to break down the barriers they are experiencing in pursuing a postsecondary education. It makes me really happy to be able to support these students in such a way that can positively impact their college experience and future.
Joined Team: February 2014
Most rewarding part of the job: The most rewarding part of my job is helping a person that is lost within the postsecondary education process — assisting them with support from student services such as tutors, counselling, exploring pathways to upgrading, job market research — watching them succeed and go on to meaningful employment.
I enjoy seeing students I have met with in high schools now walking the halls at Mohawk College. It is very rewarding to tell a student that a college education can be in their future and I love developing the plan of next steps with students and seeing it come to action.
COLLEGE IN MOTION BY THE NUMBERS
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high schools visited annually
community partners visited annually, including City of Hamilton — Ontario Works, Pathways to Education, Immigrant Women’s Centre
3,155
College in Motion clients have received one-on-one advice over the past five years
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505 278 50 15
College in Motion clients are attending Mohawk as of January 2017 College in Motion clients have since graduated from Mohawk
per cent of College in Motion clients are between 21 and 25 years of age
per cent are between 26 and 55 years of age
Author Gary Barwin at Hamilton’s Epic Books. Epic Books is owned by Mohawk alumna Jaime Krakowski.
“THE WRITING KNOWS MORE THAN YOU DO.” GARY BARWIN With Mohawk College Continuing Education instructor Gary Barwin.
“I’ve had students read work that was entirely breathtaking. The entire class gets a feeling of something magical happening. In a couple cases, I followed up by publishing some of this work in my role as editor with a small press. My students come from all walks of life and so I learn a lot from their experiences, knowledge and insights. They’ve done lots of things, been lots of places and know many things that I don’t. I’ve also been deeply moved by students trusting both me and the class enough to share writing addressing very personal, difficult experiences. And when students of vastly different ages, experiences and backgrounds hear each other’s work and clearly get it, I feel thrilled and inspired and delighted to have
the opportunity to teach. I always tell my students that ‘the writing knows more than you do.‘ I’ve found it best to trust the process and listen to what is unfolding in the work rather than trying to enforce a fixed idea of what the writing should be. The process often yields far more interesting, fresh and authentic writing if you listen for it. Writing can be most exciting when you don’t stick to the route as planned but instead allow yourself to wander and explore.“ – Gary Barwin Gary Barwin was nominated for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and Governor General’s Literacy Award for his debut novel “Yiddish for Pirates”.
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SKATNE TEIONKWATAWE’N:RIE OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER With Rebecca Jamieson, President of Six Nations Polytechnic.
“Even before Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) was founded in 1993, Mohawk was working with the Six Nations community to encourage Indigenous learners to attend Mohawk and that relationship continued with SNP. Our first formalized agreement came in 2002 with the creation of the Practical Nursing with Aboriginal Communities program, and since then the partnership has continued to grow. SNP is unique. Institutions like this one that are Indigenous owned and governed aren’t very well known. This July, SNP will host the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education in Toronto, with support from Mohawk and others. Up to 5,000 people from all over the world will attend the conference. It’s a chance to show Canada and the world what is happening at Indigenous institutions like SNP and why partnerships with institutions like ours are important and why they matter, especially when it comes to reconciliation, which is a process many countries with Indigenous populations are facing. We have a unique role, and we see it as a unique responsibility. Our community looks to us to make sure our knowledge and languages don’t disappear. Outside of our community it’s about building relationships and bringing people together. We’re not just for Indigenous learners. Anyone can study here and there are a variety of pathways available. We also have an Indigenous Knowledge Centre. It’s a resource centre for our students, for our instructors, for our community and for anyone who wants to learn more about our story and culture. This is a place you can come to and we’ll connect you with the knowledge holders that can answer your questions. We’re open to anyone, because reconciliation is about coming together.
“OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY IT’S ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.” 22 MOMENTUM
Until now our relationship with Mohawk has focused primarily on health and social work. Now we’re looking at opportunities in skilled trades and technology. We’re also working with Mohawk on the Bundled Arrows Initiative. The largest initiative of its kind, Bundled Arrows is focused on creating a regional Indigenous Education Plan to accelerate Indigenous learning in Ontario.” – Rebecca Jamieson To find out more about Six Nations Polytechnic visit snpolytechnic.com
“I THINK BEING INVOLVED IN ATHLETICS HELPS YOU BECOME A BETTER PERSON.”
MORE THAN JUST A GREAT EDUCATION With Mohawk Mountaineers Men’s and Women’s Volleyball Coach Matthew Schnarr.
“The best part for me is the day they graduate — watching these young men and women leave with a sense of confidence in their future and knowing they’ve had a quality experience, both on and off the court. Watching them succeed is what it’s all about and it’s those moments that I like to celebrate the most. I was lucky to have some of the best coaches out there when I was a player, and as a coach I try to instill the same passion and love for the game as my coaches did for me. I’m big on putting academics first. I want to make sure my athletes achieve their academic goals and that they’re prepared for life after Mohawk. I think being involved in athletics
helps you become a better person. You learn soft skills that you can’t always get in a classroom, like how to deal with difficult situations and to work well under pressure and how to work together as a team despite your differences. Varsity Athletics at Mohawk is in a good place. The David Braley Athletic & Recreation Centre is a great facility, and it has helped us recruit some of the best athletes out there. The Mountaineers are more than just athletes. They’re ambassadors for the college. They represent Mohawk in the greater college sector and in the community, and they do a great job.” – Coach Matthew Schnarr
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Chris Mei on set at The Weather Network’s studios in Oakville, Ontario.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
WITH MOHAWK ALUMNUS
CHRIS MEI “When I was a kid I wanted to be the next Tom Cheek. All I did was pretend I was a radio announcer. I ended up going to university for theatre but when my father passed away I quit school and lost my way for a while. Mohawk was my second chance, and as far as I was concerned, my last chance. I didn’t have an escape plan. I got accepted as a mature student and I worked as hard as I could to learn what I needed to succeed in the job I had wanted to do since I was a kid. I got lucky. I had great professors like Brian Bolt who were
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passionate about the business and they encouraged us to push harder and learn as much as we could. After graduating I tried as hard as I could to break into radio. I worked at several radio stations doing anything from special events to some on-air bits and interviews but I could never get that coveted on-air job. I got frustrated and I left the country to work on cruise ships, and that’s where I learned how to be an emcee. I worked my way up to Cruise Director but didn’t enjoy the administrative side of the job. I really just wanted to perform.
I came back to Hamilton and eventually landed a job as a television host with Cable 14. I would do emceeing on the side too, and in 2006, while I was emceeing an event at the Hamilton Convention Centre, someone from The Weather Network was there and they asked me to audition. Once I started learning about the weather I really loved it — genuinely loved it — and still do. I’m a weather nerd. The Weather Network is 24-7 weather. To have this job you have to know the weather. I’m actively on air four solid hours a day, talking about
nothing but the weather. There’s no script, no teleprompters. It’s all knowledge. Weather is an earth science and that’s tough to digest for most. I have to make it interesting. I think that’s where my time at Mohawk comes in. I deliver the weather in the same way my Mohawk professors taught me, with lots of enthusiasm and a little humour. I make it fun to know the weather.” Chris Mei graduated from Mohawk College’s Radio Broadcasting program in 1996.
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Looking for work? We can help! FREE services: Job search advice Employment preparation Employment coaching On-the-job training Pathways to education Get started today! 905-575-2177 CES@mohawkcollege.ca mohawkcollege.ca/ces @cesmohawk facebook.com/cesmohawk
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This Employment Ontario service is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
FINANCIAL LITERACY 101 With Mo' Money Resource Clerk Morganne Hemrica. “Mo’ Money is Mohawk’s student money management centre, which helps educate and support students on financial matters. Students can find us everywhere, whether it’s at a college event, online through our website and Twitter pages or in a workshop or hallway event on campus. Students looking for a more indepth analysis of their finances also have free access to a certified credit counsellor (The Money Coach) for one-on-one advice and service. There is a definite lack of financial literacy today and technology is part of the problem. Students today don’t see physical money. From a young age they see their parents pull out the plastic credit card and that’s it, like magic, they get what they want. And now with services that let you pay using your phone, it’s even easier to spend without thinking about it first. This is an important piece to understand because students need to recognize what kind of relationship they have with money. We know that talking about finances can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. By having a plan, and sticking to it, students can better prepare themselves financially to handle unexpected emergencies and plan for how they will finance the upcoming semesters. That’s where Mo’ Money can help. We have all the tools and resources but it always starts and ends with the student’s commitment to get a handle on their finances. If I could give one piece of advice to a student it’s to spend within your means. If you want to be financially stable you can’t spend more than what you have. That’s just facts.”
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McMASTER-MOHAWK COLLABORATION ENLIVENS THE ANATOMY EXPERIENCE For some Mohawk College students, anatomy class is filled with anticipation and plenty of “aha” moments. That’s because, for the first time, these students are studying the human body in McMaster University’s anatomy labs.
“It’s the largest university-college collaboration around anatomy and physiology that I’ve ever heard of,” said Bruce Wainman, director of McMaster’s Education Program in Anatomy. “It’s certainly the largest in Canada.”
Through a partnership between the two institutions, an updated anatomy curriculum — this includes lab time as well as a custom-built, interactive lab manual — is available to roughly 200 first-year students in Mohawk’s Practical Nursing and Pharmacy Technician programs. The goal is to facilitate learning that extends beyond textbooks and lecture halls to as many as 1,000 college students in a variety of health sciences disciplines.
Until now, anatomy lab access has been restricted to McMaster University students. Since Mohawk’s Faculty of Health Sciences classrooms are on McMaster’s campus, getting Mohawk students into a McMaster lab seemed like a no-brainer, said Christy Taberner, the Professor of Innovation, Applied Health Research at Mohawk who is overseeing the course.
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“I couldn’t envision trying to learn anatomy without
INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED HEALTH SCIENCES AT McMASTER
Mohawk Professor Christy Taberner
Mohawk-McMaster collaboration gives students the best of both a college and university education.
having hands-on experience,” she said. “The students are very grateful for it.”
first semester of the pilot program, the difference in learning is palpable.
The students work through a course of 14 weeks with the same high-quality lab specimens as McMaster’s medical students.
“Seeing and feeling a physical specimen is just so much better than what you can learn from a textbook,” said Annie Fraser Smith, a Practical Nursing student enrolled in the class. “You can’t get from a picture what bones in a hand weigh. But when you pick it up, it’s so light. So complex.”
According to Wainman, the benefits of opening up activity-based learning experiences like this to college students are significant: “We’re making more efficient use of our facilities at McMaster. Another big benefit is we’re doing a better job of fulfilling the wishes of the donor.” For the students who recently wrapped up their
“It’s absolutely phenomenal,” added Jeff Nichol, also a practical nursing student. “When you’re hands-on, you really get to see how dynamic and unique these body parts are.”
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MOHAWK HAPPENINGS
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HIGHLIGHTS 1 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Mohawk’s Stoney Creek Campus. 2 Mohawk Talks presents author and broadcaster Steve Paikin. 3 Ryder Canada supports Mohawk’s Stoney Creek Campus. 4 International Women’s Day at Mohawk. 5 Mohawk breaks ground on The Joyce Centre for Partnership & Innovation. 6 President Ron McKerlie watches a pick-up basketball game at the David Braley Athletic & Recreation centre. 7 Mohawk employees celebrate 50 years of serving students. 8 Justice and Wellness Connect to Careers Day. 9 President Ron McKerlie, City Councillor Maria Pearson, and Additive Manufacturing Resource Centre‘s Jeffery McIsaac tour the college. 10 Mohawk’s Mountaineers men’s volleyball team wins gold at OCAA championships. 11 Assistant Deputy Minister Erin McGinn visiting City School. 12 New Health Centre opens at Fennel Campus. 13 International students visit Burlington employers on Career Crawl. 14 Dean of Business, Media, Entertainment and Continuing Education Alison Horton speaks to students.
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MOHAWK HAPPENINGS
HIGHLIGHTS Continued from page 31
15-17 Mayor Fred Eisenberger, President Ron McKerlie and members of City Council at the Mohawk 50th anniversary event at City Hall. 18-19 Bill Kelly, CHML and Kimberly Boyle, Senior Vice President, People & Safety, Alectra Utilities on CHML's Bill Kelly Show broadcasting live-to-air from Fennell Campus celebrating National Co-op Week.
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MOHAWK COLLEGE ENTERPRISE (MCE) Customized Corporate Training Mohawk College Enterprise provides customized training and workshops on-site and off-site with experienced trainers. We work with you to meet your specific training needs that are relevant to your workplace and assist you in maximizing your investment in people. MCE provides training and consulting in the following areas: LEADERSHIP • Future Ready Leadership Programs for: • Emerging leaders • Executives • Experienced • Water Operators leaders • Developing Customer Service Standards (Managers) • Creating Amazing Customer Service (Frontline Employees)
“It was a pleasure being part of the recent Business Writing Skills workshop offered through MCE. This workshop provided insight into how one might identify typical errors and oversights as well how to communicate with others in a clear and concise manner.” – Nick Anastasopoulos, P.Eng., Chief Building Official, City of Burlington
TECHNOLOGY • Backflow Prevention/Cross Connection Control • Manufacturing Leadership Certificate (MLCP) • Maintenance Management Professional (MMP) Certificate • Operator Skills Training HEALTH & COMMUNITY SERVICES • Emergency Operations Management
For more information on how MCE can provide our services please contact us today! T: 905-575-2534 Toll Free: 877-269-1422 Fax: 905-575-2533 E: info@mcecor.com
• Programming is available for Nursing, Medical Radiation Sciences, Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography, Cardiovascular Technology, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy and more.
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SHARE YOUR
MOHAWK MEMORIES Mohawk has an amazing story to tell for our 50th anniversary. Share your memories at
mohawkcollege.ca/50th 34 MOMENTUM