Camosun alumni get awarded
Monika Bhardwaj has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy, and Reconciliation. While she was at Camosun, Bhardwaj was elected as the international director and women’s director for the Camosun College Student Society (CCSS). During this time, Bhardwaj focused her involvement in areas of inclusivity and diversity. Shae-Lynn Mellors has won the college’s annual Promising Alumni Award. She graduated from the Community, Family and Child Studies diploma and then went on to the University of Victoria to complete her degree. Currently, Mellors is working at her private practice supporting children who are facing behavioural challenges. Neil Klompas is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award. Klompas has experience in the fields of healthcare, finance, and biotechnology; after working in the Armed Forces and as a paramedic with the BC Ambulance Service, he attended Camosun and graduated from the Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry diploma program in 1999. Klompas currently works as president and chief operating officer of Zymeworks, a start-up that develops antibody-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.
Make up the sitdown
Camosun Colleges Fine Furniture graduates are showcasing their handy work in this year’s annual furniture exhibition, Hot Hot Seat. This will be the exhibit’s 35th year, set to take place at the Arts Centre at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre until Sunday, July 23. Students will be featuring hand-made chairs made from western maple, as well as other projects that were completed throughout the year.
$3,500 grant available to Camosun students
On May 2, the BC government announced a $480-million investment aimed at creating jobs and training British Columbians for high-opportunity fields. A portion of the StrongerBC: Future Ready Action Plan will be made available to students as a $3,500 grant for certain short-term skills programs offered by public post-secondary institutions. Camosun College’s Professional Studies & Industry Training has the largest number of qualified programs for this grant available in the province. For a full list of eligible programs at Camosun visit prosit.camosun.ca/strongerbc.
Province announces funding for upgrade supports
The provincial government recently announced $3.8 million in grants for Adult Basic Education and English Learning Pathways programs at post-secondary institutions. The goal of the funding is to upgrade support for students. Twelve institutions have been allocated a portion of this funding, including Camosun College, which is set to receive $240,625.
Settlement reached for support staff at college
Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 2081 recently ratified their collective agreement with Camosun College. CUPE 2081 includes roughly 700 support staff at Camosun College who are covered by the collective agreement.
Donations being collected for The Witness Blanket
Camosun College is partnering with Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast Salish artist Carey Newman, who is gathering donations from cultures affected by residential schools for The Witness Blanket. Newman is looking for donations in the form of recorded sounds that reflect those cultures, such as music, traditional instruments, paddling or carving, and the sounds of nature. The recordings will accompany The Witness Blanket, a virtual art exhibit that contains hundreds of different objects reclaimed from residential schools, inspired by the look of a woven blanket. Newman believes that having sounds to accompany The Witness Blanket will enhance the exhibit and further showcase the culture of those affected by residential schools. For more information, go to witnessblanket.ca.
2023 grads get their hats off
Over 2,000 students graduated from Camosun this year; approximately 1,000 graduates crossed the stage during four convocation ceremonies held at Interurban’s PISE gym on June 14 and June 15. The theme for the 2023 convocation ceremonies was ÍY,ĆȺNEUEL OL, the SENĆOŦEN word for “doing good work together.”