Alumnus serves up $10,000 donation in support of Hospitality programs
By Kelly Pottage, Communications Coordinator, Power of Education Campaign
Tina Hurst, Alumni Development Officer, David Cloutier, Alfanoos’ employee and Georgian alumnus, Mike Agema, Georgian College Hotel and Resort program coordinator, and Sam Dolyma, owner of Alfanoos Restaurant, celebrate the gift.
After commuting from Barrie to an air freight logistics job in Toronto for years, Georgian College Aviation Management graduate Sam Dolmaya finally decided enough was enough, it was time to live his dream.
“I was on the road for up to four hours there and back. And then one day I spun my car out on Highway 400. Other than being a little shaken, I was fine, there were no other cars involved, but it was the defining moment when I knew it was time to get on with what I had always wanted to do, have my own restaurant,” he said. “The timing was right, a great location became available on busy Bayfield Street, it just all came together.”
Surprisingly, Dolmaya had never worked a single day in a restaurant. But backed by a serious love of cooking and a supportive family, he opened Alfanoos in 2007, Barrie’s first and only authentic Mediterranean buffet. Business is now becoming steady, as local people have come to appreciate his dishes, all made fresh from scratch every morning.
The decision to donate $10,000 to Georgian’s Power of Education campaign, which will be directed to help build a new eco-friendly outdoor courtyard for Hospitality and Tourism programs, wasn’t difficult for Dolmaya. Given his history and experience with Georgian College, it was an emotional decision that also made good business sense.
“There are so many reasons why I donated this money to Georgian. The College is and will always be the source for quality workers who I will rely on to help me run a successful business, ” he said. “In fact, I fully intend to invite other local restaurant owners to jump on this opportunity and take part in supporting Georgian. We can all share in the reward of having an educated workforce that we can entrust with our businesses and livelihoods. “
Dolmaya’s time at Georgian as a student in the early 1990s led to a lifelong connection to the College. He is currently a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
“My Georgian experience left me with a lasting imprint on the person I am. For a guy who was an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, very shy and timid, I had the time of my life. I met great people, made friends, and even had the amazing opportunity of being a peer ambassador in the Marketing department,” he said.”It’s part of the reason that I decided to return to Barrie after I got married to begin our life together. I had so many good memories here. And now, I’m living my dream with my restaurant and am once again active at Georgian.”
Working to bring you great deals.
Johnson nInsurance is a valued affinity partner of the Georgian College Alumni Association
As a Georgian alumnus, you are entitled to preferred rates on home and auto insurance. Just another perk of being a Georgian grad!
“When I found out my insurance company (Johnson Insurance) gives Georgian alumni a discount, I called them right away to let them know I am an alumnus. They decreased my rate by $14 per month, saving me $168 a year. This was right before Christmas so it was like a nice gift just for me from the College. It pays to be alumnus in more ways than one, and I’m certainly happy the College is working to bring added benefits to being a graduate.”
Lee Miske, Engineering – Electronics (1986)
Contact them today and start saving money! www.johnson.ca/georgianalumni or call 1-800-563-0677.
Keep in Touch
We need your help!
The Alumni Association is looking for its lost grads. If you know of a classmate, friend, spouse – any Georgian alumnus out there who is not receiving the alumni magazine or taking advantage of the benefits and services available to alumni – encourage that person to update his or her information with us.
Ways to update information:
- Alumni Profile update form on the website: www.georgianc.on.ca/alumni/
- Email alumni@georgianc.on.ca
- Phone (705) 728-1968, ext. 1213
Make sure your own information is up to date as well!
Be part of the Grad Grapevine in our upcoming magazine!
Say hi to all your old classmates, let them know what you are doing now, ask them to contact you. Just send an email to alumni@georgianc.on.ca telling us what year and program you graduated from, and any other information you would like your friends to know. We will include it in an upcoming issue of our magazine.
Alumni Encounters
Interesting places you run into Georgian Alumni . . .
“I was setting out for a game of golf when the marshal asked my husband and I if we would team up with another couple. We gladly did, only to discover he had graduated from Georgian in the ’80s from the Engineering Technology program. It was great to fill him in on the changes at Georgian – and he was a very good golfer!”
Rebbeca Truax, Manager of Annual Giving, Georgian College
Georgian Goes for Growth
It will be called the Centre for Sustainable Technologies and it’s where future leaders in the construction, energy, engineering and skilled trades industries will get their start.
The Honourable John Milloy
The Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, announces the provincial government’s $4.65 million investment in Georgian College.
The landscape of the Barrie campus is set to change as Georgian is preparing to construct a new 18,000-sq.ft. building to house a proposed Civil Engineering Technology program, Electrical Engineering Technology, the Architectural Technology program, Centre for Automotive Parts Expertise programs, and other skilled trades programs. This initiative is part of Georgian’s strategy to continue to offer quality programs that lead students directly to jobs in growth industries. As well, much needed corporate training certificates, seminars and programs will also be made available to further respond to industry educational needs.
The provincial government is standing behind this project, which will cost approximately $8 million. In a joint announcement on July 28, the Hon. John Milloy, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities and Brian Tamblyn, President and CEO, Georgian College unveiled the plan, and announced that $4.65 million will come from the province’s Strategic Skills Training Capital Investment Program.
“The funding announcement through the province’s Skills to Jobs Action Plan comes at a critical time for Georgian College as it addresses two significant challenges,” said Tamblyn. “First, investment in the Georgian College Centre for Sustainable Technologies will allow the College to address serious capacity issues at a time when our classrooms and labs are stretched to the limit. Secondly, this significant provincial contribution will greatly strengthen our ability to provide timely education and skills training urgently needed by our many industry partners.”
The government investment will build the bricks and mortar, however, Georgian is working to raise the remaining funds to give the building its heart. The College is seeking contributions from industry, individuals and the community to support the purchase of leading-edge equipment, curriculum and technology which will ensure Georgian graduates will be the best candidates available for hire in the province and beyond.
Construction will begin this September and will conclude prior to the fall 2009 semester benefitting the region with immediate short-term employment and ongoing skills training capacity.
Is your child attending Georgian? Read on!
If you graduated from Georgian College, and your child is now attending Georgian – there is good news from your Alumni Association. A new award has been made available – the Alumni Association Endowment Bursary – which will be presented to a student who is a child of a Georgian alumnus and has demonstrated financial need. Students may apply for the $1,000 award now. For more information and to download an application form please visit http://awards.georgianc.on.ca/
Vehicles Galore!
The 2008 Georgian College Auto Show takes place at Georgian’s Barrie Campus September 19 through 21.
Run by Canadian Automotive Institute (CAI) students, the annual auto show provides a weekend of fun for our visitors.
For more information, visit Auto Show website
Having worked in various marketing capacities upon graduation from RAP, Jennifer was honored to accept a full-time position as Marketing Recruitment Specialist for the Canadian Automotive Institute in October 2002. She currently markets, recruits, and acts as liaison with students, parents, high school staff, and the automotive industry. As well as working full-time in a wonderful environment day-to-day, Jennifer also teaches part-time in the RAP program that she was once a student in!
