The College of New Caledonia (CNC) is celebrating the success of one of its largest graduating classes in recent memory at a virtual convocation ceremony June 12.
The 490 students registered for the virtual convocation ceremony will be recognized in their program areas with a personalized slide featuring their name, photo, and any messages they wished to give. These students are part of the 1,210 students making up the CNC graduating class of 2021.
“To celebrate one of the largest graduating class in the middle of the pandemic is heartening,” said Gil Malfair, Chair of the CNC Board of Governors. “I’m impressed by the accomplishments of CNC students, especially how quickly they adapted to a changed learning environment.”
CNC is pleased to celebrate graduates from the region and around the world who chose the college for their higher learning goals.
Sharan Kaur grew up in a small town in India. She wanted to study in Canada to meet new people and discover herself. Kaur felt Prince George was a nice small community where she could meet new people and learn.
She enrolled at CNC in the Post Diploma Human Resources (HR) Management program. Throughout her two years at CNC, Kaur made the most of her education serving as both a member of the CNC Student’s Union and CNC Educational Council.
“I’m so glad I decided to come to CNC,” she said. “CNC is the kind of institution that helps you grow. My instructors went beyond the textbook to help me become a professional and enter the HR field more confidently. “
A smile transformed after years of braces is what convinced Jacob Mamic he wanted to pursue a career in dentistry. His final year in CNC’s dental hygiene program, however, was a particularly challenging one.
Not only did he finish his studies during a pandemic, but he also lost everything when his family home burned down in November. Returning to class a week later, Mamic was surprised with a large care package from his classmates and instructors of clothes, gift cards, basic essentials, and textbooks donated by the CNC Bookstore.
“Having the faculty and my classmates there for me made a big difference,” he said. “It showed me how genuine they all are. They want you to succeed and will do what they can to support you. It meant a lot.”
The virtual convocation ceremony premieres at 11 a.m. on June 12 on cnc.bc.ca/convocation. A virtual convocation program with the names of every CNC graduate will also be available on the same page along with an on-demand version of the ceremony following the premiere.
The community can use the hashtag #cncgrad2021 on Instagram and Twitter to have photos and messages featured on the CNC Virtual Convocation Tweet Wall that will be live on cnc.bc.ca/convocation until June 12.
“The educational journey at CNC this past year has been unlike any before,” said CNC President Dr. Dennis Johnson. “This pandemic has put much of our world on hold, but not the graduating class of 2021. They adapted, progressed, and persevered to reach graduation. That is a moment truly worth celebrating.”