Georgian College Alumni Relations

h2. Grad Profile – Connie Adams

h3. Developmental Services Worker program leads to new opportunities

In the years since high school, Connie decided not to go on to college. Instead, she married, raised a family and joined the workforce. A few years ago, while working as a supply educational assistant, a school principal encouraged her to think about the idea. Summoning up plenty of courage, she leapt into the Developmental Services Worker (DSW) program at the Orillia Campus. What she thought would be a two-year program became a launching point for new career directions. “The staff at the Orillia Campus were amazing. They were so encouraging and really made me feel like I could succeed,” Connie recalls. After graduating from DSW, Connie realized she wanted to enhance that education. The mother of three soon began studying for her B.A. in Sociology at the Barrie Campus, through the Laurentian University at Georgian partnership.

h3. Aiming for teachers’ college

Connie graduated after three years this past May, and is planning to return to take evening courses. Her goal is to attend teachers’ college starting in the fall of 2007 and become an elementary school teacher in Simcoe County. The university program allowed Connie the flexibility of working a couple of days a week and going to school a couple of days a week. During school, she was also involved with 10 different organizations as a volunteer. She also tutored and mentored other students – an experience she would recommend. “The students I tutored were amazing. I’m sure I learned as much from them as they did from me.” Connie’s studies have also been an education for her three children – two are in Grade 12 and one is in Grade 6. The children learned to take on more responsibilities and were inspired by their mother’s success in studying and working. One of her children is already excited by the possibility of entering Georgian’s small engine program next year.

h3. Georgian education is practical

As a supply educational assistant for 30 Simcoe County schools and a supply teacher for five schools, Connie is putting her education to work in practical settings. Connie loves teaching and also likes to keep busy. A decade ago, she and her husband purchased a farmhouse near Minesing, about 15 minutes from Barrie. They put in heat, hydro, plumbing and began to renovate room by room. The 120-year-old home is now a thing of beauty, with a fieldstone inlay floor and charming country accents. Connie and her children often enjoy gathering around the piano, which she plays, while the kids play the flute, violin and trumpet. Connie foresees continuing education in her future and says no one should give up on education because of age or background. “I think the program I took is a wonderful program for someone who is mature and who has never been to college,” she says. “You’re never too old!”

h2. Dream Catcher Gala

When: Friday October 17, 2006, 6:30 p.m.

Where: Casino Rama

Do you believe that dreams really can come true? Join us for an evening of magic and grandeur at the Casino Rama hotel. The Silvernightingale Ballroom is the ideal setting for this gala black tie dinner. Amy Sky, Canadian singer/songwriter, will be the headline act at the first-ever Georgian Gala. This is an exclusive opportunity to support awards and scholarships – and most importantly – the dreams of Georgian students.

Please consider approaching your company or any companies you know who might wish to support Georgian College’s awards and scholarships by attending this wonderful event.

For more information please contact Hank Thibideau, Manager, Fundraising Events and Donor Relations, at (705) 728-1968, ext. 5284.

h2. Membership has its benefits!

Georgian College Alumni Day at Canada’s Wonderland – August 28, 2006. Tickets only $28.

Contact the Alumni Office to get your tickets today! Call (705) 728-1968, ext. 1213, or e-mail amurray@georgianc.on.ca

h2. 21st Annual Auto Show

Run by Canadian Automotive Institute (CAI) students, the annual auto show provides a weekend of fun for our visitors.

When: September 15, 16, 17, 2006

Where: Barrie Campus

For more information, check the Auto Show website.

h2. New Georgian Alumni Logo

Howie Brox, Chair, Georgian College Alumni Association

What do words like “swoosh” and “golden arches” have in common? They are logos that easily identify two of the most powerful brands in the world. Brand logos are key ingredients to any successful organization’s presence in the communities they serve and loyalties they build.
New Georgian Alumni Logo

Your Alumni Association is proud to unveil a new look and brand logo that represents Georgian Alumni pride. Developed by Alumni Board Director at Large, Stephen McIntosh, the new logo carries forward the feel and form of Georgian College’s main identity, while highlighting the obvious “A” for Alumni status.

This new look also mirrors the new “attitude” your Alumni Association is undertaking to engage, service and connect our 41,000 plus members at a glance. Consider this as your identifying mark as a proud Alumnus of Georgian College.

Adopted uses for Alumni relations within the Office of Development range from Donor acknowledgements to monthly communications to Alumni sponsored events and merchandise.

We trust your pride as a lifetime Alumnus of Georgian College will engage you to proudly display and be part of your brand identity.

Honouring Our Graduates’ Voice now has a fresh new face. I encourage you to look for it, and tell others you are part of it in the future.

h2. Giving to Georgian College – as Easy as Your ABCs

It came to Sandra and Bruce Grimmer one day when they were thinking about updating their wills, “Why can’t we?” The question they were asking was why couldn’t they help a student in their will — a student that they didn’t know, a student that was probably still an infant or perhaps not even born yet — in fact why couldn’t they help many students?

Bruce and Sandra have a passion — that passion is education. This passion stems from the fact that they understand how essential education is to a person’s future and because they both had to work hard to receive their educations. Sandra remembers two people in her youth that made all the difference. Her uncle and a friend lent her some money so she could complete her high school. It wasn’t much money, lunch money by many people’s standards today, but it was enough to get her over a difficult period of financial need and to get what she wanted most, her high school diploma.

Over the years, her friend always maintained that it wasn’t much , but to Sandra it was and it did make all the difference to her — the difference of completing her academic dream. She enthusiastically expresses, “someone helped me and now I want to help someone else.”
donors, Bruce & Sandra Grimmer

Bruce and Sandra are not originally from the area and have only lived in Barrie for two years. They confide they hadn’t even been to Georgian College before making the gift. What they did have was some definite ideas of what they want to accomplish with their gift. They want to help students to achieve their academic dreams. They want to reward students who have contributed to their community and would continue to contribute after graduation. They didn’t necessarily want the scholarship to go to the brightest but rather to a hard- working person with the genuine desire to learn.

They gave the College a call and were thrilled by the response they received. Sandra expressed how “everyone was so helpful in guiding us through the process. We were impressed by the accountability and by the fact that by setting up the scholarship as an endowment, we are able to help students for a long time to come. This is something that will last. We were also able to set up the scholarship exactly as we wanted it. After we had completed the process, we both felt so good and knew we had done the right thing.”

Although they were hesitant when approached to be interviewed for this article, they agreed, with the hopes that it might motivate others who may not otherwise have thought about this option.

Georgian College diligently works with people like Sandra and Bruce Grimmer to ensure that we listen to donors’ wishes. Our awards and scholarships program is one of many options that donors have to directly impact a student. Donors may wish to make a planned gift to ensure the College provides the right learning resources, programs or facilities for student needs. Some common ways that people choose to make a planned gift include bequests, life insurance, annuities, transfer of securities or a charitable trust.

Georgian College tailors your gift to fit your needs and ensure your gift impacts our students.

We recognize that a planned gift takes considerable consideration — please contact us so we can begin discussions and give you any information you require.

If you have already decided to leave a bequest, please contact us so that we can thank you for your gift.

Rebbeca Truax
Senior Development Officer
Georgian College
705-728-1968, ext. 5446

h2. Grad Profile – Robin Tapley

Robin Tapley

Robin Tapley is one of Ontario’s leading natural history activists and experts in nature and astronomy interpretation. On May 24th, Robin was awarded the prestigious Georgian College Board of Governors’ Distinguished Alumni Award for his career successes and continued support of the college.

After graduating from the Hotel and Resort Administration program in 1984, Robin became the archery instructor at the fabled Minaki Lodge, where Robin took guests out on impromptu forays into the wilderness. That was followed by a three-year stint as Program Director at the Wye Marsh, in Midland. There he developed wetland environmental programs and hired and trained naturalists and volunteers. By this time, others were on the edge of discovering the eco-tourism boom and it was here that Robin met the Resort GM who hired him to develop the Nature Trails Program at Grandview Resort. That program progressed from Robin leading every one of the nature-based activities himself to being the Executive Director, Naturalist & Astronomer for three Delta Muskoka Resorts.

Robin has led expeditions for Quest Tours to the Antarctica and Galapagos Islands, Rain Forest of Costa Rica, East Africa, Algonquin Provincial Park and Georgian Bay.

Robin has developed a resort-based destination Nature Program with Delta and Fairmount resorts that include the Fairmount Algonquin Hotel in New Brunswick, Delta Kananaskis in Alberta and the Delta Grandview Resort in Muskoka Ontario.

Driven by curiosity and a passion for adventure, Robin seeks to explore the diversity of the natural world and create unique ways to share this with others.

He is also a bush pilot, self-taught astronomer and ornithologist.

As the NatureTrails Director and owner, Robin designed and facilitated the construction of the Echo Valley Observatory, where he is also the Project Manager.

Robin partnered with Algonquin Park and the Harkness Laboratory of Fisheries Research to establish Nature Trails Citizens for Wildlife Research outreach programs. It’s a unique hands-on learning experience for nature lovers in the general public.

Robin lends his expertise to many programs as an Environmental Consultant. He’s worked with the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Tourism Company, Land of Lakes Tourism Association and the Canadian Tourism Commission.

Robin is also a generous volunteer and has served as a Resource Expert to various cottage associations, the Woodland Heights Wildlife Sanctuary Project, the Algonquin Forestry Authority, Muskoka Watershed Management Group and Ontario Tourism’s Marketing Partnership Corporation. Robin also continues to volunteer his time and expertise to Wye Marsh.

h2. Department Merge

The spring brings new growth and change to the landscape. The same is true of Alumni Services.

The Alumni Office has merged with the Office of Development to create a new department at the college called the Office of Development &Alumni Relations.

The Alumni Office continues to deliver the exceptional services and programs, our graduates have come to expect from us. We are also taking a more defined role in helping the Office of Development with their efforts to support Georgian. As Alumni you are our greatest resource, we ask that you consider supporting your school to ensure that future and current student receive quality education.

h2. 20th Anniversary Aviation Management Alumni Reunion

We’re celebrating 20 years of aviation education at Georgian College this year. All alumni from the Class of 1989 to 2005 are invited to join us for the weekend culminating in a fantastic celebration banquet.
airplane

When: Saturday June 17, 2006 (banquet starts at 6:30pm)
Where: Barrie campus

Download the invitation and registration from www.georgianc.on.ca/aviation

h2. New Home & Auto Insurance Provider

Welcome to Johnson Inc. Insurance, our new home and auto insurance provider.

Call toll free for your quote on Georgian Alumni Preferred Rates at 1-800-563-0677 or visit www.johnson.ca/georgianalumni for more details. You could win an Apple iPod Nano!