Confederation College has been celebrating “Graduation Week” this week in regional communities the school serves.
Five graduates were honoured in a special physical distancing presentation in Red Lake.
Margaret Rose received the 2020 Academic Award of Excellence and 2020 Red Lake Campus Award of Excellence.
The Academic Awards of Excellence are presented to those graduates who have achieved the highest academic standing from each Confederation College post-secondary program at each campus.
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 is required.
The Red Lake Campus Award of Excellence is awarded to a graduate who has attended full time and achieved the highest academic standing in an Ontario College Diploma or Advanced Diploma program at our campus. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or greater is required.
Mandy-Dawn Right won the Dryden Campus Award.
Margaret Rose graduated with an Early Childhood Education diploma along with Jessie Miller and Jennifer Parsons.
Lea-Anne Ryan received a Pre-Health Sciences certificate and Raymond Comber obtained a Personal Support Worker certificate.
Here is the Student Success Story from Margaret Rose:
Margarette Rose sat watching her son at the childcare centre one day and thought, “I wish I could do this all time.” After getting laid off from her mining job, she applied to Confederation College to get the skills she needed to do just that. Margarette graduates from the Early Childhood Education program at the Red Lake Campus with a new appreciation for the field.
“It’s not just daycare, it’s child development care,” Margarette said. “By going back to school to become qualified, I have a chance to give back to my community.”
Margarette found it difficult coming back to school after so long. She passed the Mature Student Assessment and discovered where she could use extra work.
“My writing skills weren’t that good in the beginning. The expectations of my instructors were high. I didn’t know if I could do it for two years.” But now she sees a world of difference. “It was challenging, but my writing has improved dramatically.”
Many of Margarette’s courses were through Distance Education, but she didn’t have many problems with the technology. The staff were always around and helpful, she said.
“We sign into this virtual classroom at the same time, and we can all see and talk to each other,” Margarette said. “I found that those discussions were most meaningful to me to learn what I needed.”
Margarette believes jobs will become available once schools open again after COVID. In the meantime, she is taking a family literacy facilitation certificate. Eventually, Margarette hopes to open her own outdoor Forest and Nature childcare program.
