OC Life
![Kylee Seddon-Johnstone](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2022-01/Seddon-Johnstone.Kylee_.825X450.jpg?h=4642a61e&itok=5AY7iTZs)
Meet Kylee Seddon-Johnstone, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Kylee Seddon-Johnstone Q: What are your pronouns? A: She / Her / Hers Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: I grew up in Naramata, B.C., left for 10 years after high school and then returned back to Naramata to raise my two girls. I’m currently working out of my home office. Q: What did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: I took the Sustainable Building Technology Diploma (formerly known as the Sustainab...
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Generous gift will advance OC health-care education
January 19, 2022
A local family foundation is investing in the future of health-care education with a generous gift to ʪƵ. The Merrifield Family Foundation is donating $100,000 to the Our Students, Your Health campaign for a modern Health Sciences Centre on the College’s Kelowna campus. The gift will support technology upgrades and new equipment for eight professions ranging from Pharmacy Technician Assistants and nurses to Therapist Assistants. Lane Merrifield, a well-known entrepreneur, says he values the College's focus on applied learni...
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Meet David Sawatzky, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: David Sawatzky Q: What are your pronouns? A: He / Him / His Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: Originally from Kelowna, B.C., now I am located in Coldstream, B.C. where I am working on projects in the central and north Okanagan. Q: What program did you take at OC? When did you graduate? A: I completed the Sustainable Building Technology Diploma (formerly Sustainable Construction Management Technology Diploma) ...
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Meet Brendon Gray, SBT graduate
January 19, 2022
Q: What is your name? A: Brendon Gray Q: Where is your hometown and where are you located now? A: I’m a second generation born and raised Kelowna resident. Q: What program did you take at OC? A: Electrical Apprenticeship and Sustainable Building Technology (SBT). Q: What is your current position? A: Principal at Egnite Sustainability and Registered Energy Advisor. Q: Why did you choose your program at OC? How does it relate to what you’re doing now? A: ...
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OC Business Professor's stained glass portrait honours Indigenous students, colleagues
January 14, 2022
If you have visited the Kelowna campus’ Centre for Learning and looked up at the second-floor offices, you may have seen colourful stained glass art hanging from the windows. Those pieces were created by OC Business Professor, Devin Rubadeau. During the day, he teaches business administration and in his spare time, he is a stained glass artist. His father taught him how to make industrial art at a young age and since then, stained glass art and woodworking have been two media he always comes back to. While working on his doctorate, howe...
Read more...![Image of the front of the Health Sciences Centre](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2021-10/OC-Hoffman-Comp01.jpg?h=d76da8ce&itok=lkDeSnsW)
OC’s Health Sciences Centre receives LEED gold certification
December 23, 2021
ʪƵ’s leadership as a champion of sustainability continues after receiving another LEED certification for the new Health Sciences Centre (HSC), which officially opened at the Kelowna campus in October. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the most widely used green building rating system that certifies the level of sustainability-related features incorporated in a building’s design. The HSC building joins several other buildings at three ʪƵ campuses that have already received certification: th...
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Dec. 6 Candlelight Vigils return to OC’s Vernon and Salmon Arm campuses
December 2, 2021
Candlelight is returning to ʪƵ’s campuses, as a symbolic commitment to end violence against women. Communities in the Okanagan and Shuswap are marking the 32nd anniversary of the École Polytechnique Massacre, in addition to the ongoing cases of missing women from the region, with a Candlelight Vigil on Dec. 6 co-hosted by a network of organizations and volunteers. “The SAFE Society has been partnering with ʪƵ and students for over a decade to offer the Dec. 6 event, as an important way to remember and honour wo...
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New Chair, Vice Chair for College Board
November 30, 2021
ʪƵ’s Board of Governors has a new Chair and Vice Chair. Juliette Cunningham, who has served as Vice Chair since November 2019, has been elected Chair. She succeeds Gloria Morgan whose two-year term has now completed. “It has been very inspiring working alongside Gloria and I am deeply honoured to be succeeding her in the role,” said Cunningham. “Gloria is an incredible champion for her community and for the College. I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished at ʪƵ, and with a new strategic plan to be finalized e...
Read more...![Two Early Childhood Education students showcase their presentation during National Child Day](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2021-11/CHILD%27S%20DAY%20PIC.jpg?h=46659e80&itok=wIP5n9JF)
ECE department celebrates National Child Day
November 19, 2021
Education is a powerful tool to advocate for those who can't advocate for themselves, which was why Early Childhood Education (ECE) students spent National Child Day talking to peers about the difficulties children face in Canada and around the world. National Child Day is officially observed on Nov. 20, but ECE Instructor Rebecca Ayotte said she and her students wanted to do something this week to bring awareness not just in the ECE department, but throughout the College as well. The class set up presentations in the CFL Atrium in Kelowna...
Read more...![Three women pose together in front of Brazil's national flag during International Education Week at ʪƵ's Kelowna campus](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2021-11/IEW1.jpg?h=790be497&itok=VowtNjBZ)
International Education Week highlights diversity at ʪƵ
November 19, 2021
ʪƵ translated its diverse student population into a learning opportunity during International Education Week (IEW) as students and staff celebrated cultures and encouraged each other to experience what other countries had to offer. On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Kelowna campus held language lessons at the Centre for Learning atrium, where student volunteers set up booths that others can visit to learn a bit more about various languages and cultures. Languages represented included Spanish, Punjabi, Hindi, Japanese, Chinese, Ko...
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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...
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Meet Dooshima Jessica Iyorchir, Marketing and Data Analytics student
November 1, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: I was born in the big city of Lagos in Nigeria. Q: How did you end up at ʪƵ? A: I ended up at ʪƵ because they offer a unique data analytics program when compared to other colleges and universities. The contents of this program drew my attention to the college, I just had to apply to be here. Q: How did you choose the Marketing and Data Analytics program? A: I chose this program because it has always been of in...
Read more...![Joey Bruno](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2021-08/Joey%20Bruno.jpg?h=5796deee&itok=VaC-UZvD)
Meet Joey Bruno, Automotive Collision and Refinishing student
November 1, 2021
Q: Why did you choose a career in Collision Repair? A: I’ve grown up around the industry, my father’s been a technician for 30 years but has worked for Craftsman for over 20 years. My uncle also has 20+ years experience as an automotive painter and now works as a Red Seal Automotive Collision Technician for Craftsman as well. Q: How did your training with OC help prepare you for your current role? What is your current position? A: Currently, I am working as a Level 2 Collision R...
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Meet André Bertram, Computer Information Systems student
November 1, 2021
Q: What’s your hometown? A: Kingston, Jamaica. Q: How did you end up at ʪƵ? A: My immediate family settled in the Okanagan Valley for some time now, and I wanted to join them. After some thinking, I thought going to school and contributing to the Canada would be a good approach. I just had to figure out which school. With research, and with some assistance from my older sister and mom, I found that ʪƵ was an excellent institut...
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ʪƵ Coyotes win the Canadian College Baseball Conference
October 15, 2021
The ʪƵ Coyotes baseball team pulled out all the stops this past weekend, taking home first place in the Fall Championship of the 2021 Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) league. All eight teams in the CCBC came to play for the first time since May 2019. “It was really nice to see all the eight teams competing again after such a tough time due to COVID,” says Head Coach Geoff White. “I applaud all the student athletes from all the programs for sticking with it to get back to this point.” The Coyotes’ weekend started ...
Read more...![OC Serves Up Thanksgiving dinner](/sites/default/files/styles/story_landscape/public/2021-10/OC%20Serves%20Up_Thanksgiving.jpeg?h=4cb23e29&itok=dPrFXiKk)
OC Culinary Arts students serve Thanksgiving meals to students in need
October 8, 2021
ʪƵ Culinary students and instructors helped to spread Thanksgiving gratitude to students on Friday with a holiday inspired meal. Students pulled out all the stops to prepare a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings for students in need as part of the innovative OC Serves Up program. The program was launched in the middle of the pandemic last year to combat food insecurity and has just relaunched this past week for the new academic year. “OC Culinary Arts students serve 50 meals a day to students in need as part of the OC...
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