More than 3,000 graduates and guests are expected to attend Camosun College’s 2016 Graduation over four ceremonies on June 16 and 17, 2016 in the Pacific Institute of Sport Excellence.
Students will graduate from certificate, diploma and bachelor degree programs in Indigenous Education, Arts and Science, Business, Health and Human Services, Trades, Technologies, Sport Education and Adult Upgrading (Access).
Camosun’s Graduation Ceremonies are scheduled for:
- 10:00am Thursday, June 16 – School of Access; Eyēʔ Sqȃ’lewen: Centre for Indigenous Education & Community Connections; Centre for Sport and Exercise Education
- 2:30pm Thursday, June 16 – School of Business
- 10:00am Friday, June 17 – School of Health and Human Services
- 2:30pm Friday, June 17 – School of Arts & Science; School of Trades and Technology
Over 3,400 students are receiving credentials from the college this year. Camosun College congratulates all of its outstanding 2016 graduates and award recipients.
Four major awards will highlight the graduation ceremonies.
Highlight awards include:
2016 Board of Governors Award for Innovation
Presented: Thursday, June 16, 10:00am ceremony
Recipients: Two teams in the Centre for Sport and Exercise Education
The annual Camosun College Board of Governors Award for Innovation celebrates creative problem-solving, empowerment, ingenuity, transformation and service to community – the skills and values Camosun instills in our students and how, as a college, we contribute to the larger community.
Team 1:
Bachelor of Sport and Fitness students from the Diabetes and Exercise Education Project: Hannah Flahr, Holly Dickinson, Troy Grinder, Sam Pascoe, Melissa Rollin, and Anna-Leigh Walker. These students and their teammates took an innovative approach to working with clients who have diabetes by studying the effects of combining exercise and education on their health. The students ran a program offering clients a combination of 15 minutes of education on diabetes with 45 minutes of exercise. The impact of this student-run project was extremely positive. Not only did the participants decide to keep exercising even after their program finished, but the college has decided to implement this program in future years.
Team 2:
Katie Olson and Jessie Wyllie, staff members and Certified Athletic Therapists, who manage Camosun’s on-campus Athletic and Exercise Therapy Clinic. Camosun’s Athletic and Exercise Therapy Clinic is unique. Open to the general public and the college community, the clinic is “student and learning driven.” Students learn and practice on clients under the direct supervision of Camosun’s Certified Athletic Therapy faculty and staff. They assist in health assessments and rehabilitation techniques for those with of muscle injuries and conditions, exercise therapy for those managing chronic disease, and general promotion of active lifestyles to foster positive health.
2016 Promising Alumni Award
Presented: Thursday, June 16, 2:30pm ceremony
Recipient: Jessica Cruise, School of Business Alum 2008
Camosun College’s Promising Alumni Award is presented each year to honour alumni who have graduated less than 10 years ago and who have demonstrated outstanding service and achievement in their field and in their community. This year, Jessica Cruise, a 2008 graduate of Camosun’s then Diploma in Golf Management and Advanced Diploma in Professional Golf operations programs.
A young fitness entrepreneur, Jessica Cruise is now the founder and CEO of Victoria headquartered Vibes Fitness Inc. After graduating from Camosun’s School of Business, Jessica moved to Kelowna where she certified as a realtor and began selling real estate. Having always been very physically active and health conscious, she began looking for a realistic solution to remaining in shape while working within her busy and challenging career. Her search revealed minimal options and a gap in the fitness industry. In 2009 she founded Vibes Fitness Inc. in Victoria.
She says that Camosun provided her with the business and management skills she needed to be confident in opening her own company. At the age of 27, Jessica has expanded her business to 5 locations in Vancouver and Victoria.
Jessica also shines with her involvement in the community. Since 2008 she has worked with Junior Achievement BC, teaching young people about financial literacy and entrepreneurship. In 2013, she became a member of the Board of Directors for Community Options, an organization that seeks to improve the lives of those living with developmental disabilities. She was also runner-up for the Victoria Chamber of Commerce award for Young Entrepreneur in 2013. In 2014, she was recognized as one of the top 20 under 40 on Vancouver Island and was a finalist for BC Business Magazine’s top 30 under 30.
2016 Governor General’s Collegiate Bronze Medal
Presented: Friday, June 17, 2:30pm ceremony
Recipient: Braiden Kirkland, Mechanical Engineering Technology Grad 2016
Braiden was selected by Camosun’s Registrar’s Office after achieving a perfect 9.0 GPA or A+ in each of his required courses for his program.
Braiden Kirkland is described by his instructors as “an extremely respectful, calm and intelligent student; the kind of student who is not just content to understand surface level concepts, but he works extremely hard to master all of his course content.”
Braiden is now applying his love for fluid mechanics in the farming industry back home in Saskatchewan. He says he wishes to combine his new knowledge of technology with the agriculture industry, and work towards becoming a nationally Certified Crop Advisor, providing expert advice on agronomy to Western Canadian farmers.
When he was told of his award, Braiden said, “this is a big honour” and he was “really surprised” as he felt there were “so many exceptional students” in his cohort.
2016 Distinguished Alumni Award
Presented: Friday, June 17, 2:30pm ceremony
Recipient: Clayton Stark, Mechanical Engineering Technology Alum 1993
Since graduating from Camosun College in 1993, Clayton Stark has had a significant impact on Victoria’s technology industry.
From employing hundreds of local creative and technology professionals, bringing tens of millions in funding and investment to Victoria to establishing local development studios for two of the largest online gaming companies in the world, Zynga and KIXEYE, Clayton has become a passionate leader in arguably the largest industry sector in the city.
Clayton’s journey started at Camosun and the Mechanical Engineering Technology program. Having only elementary school qualifications but industry experience he was able to take advantage of Camosun’s Technology Bridging program (now called Mechanical Engineering Technology Access) which allowed him to rapidly upgrade his academic requirements to enter directly into the full-time Mechanical Engineering program.
Clayton says, “Camosun made post-secondary education possible” and that he chose the Mechanical Engineering program because he saw it as “the best all-around education for his investment.”
He also took advantage of Camosun’s Co-operative Education program while he was at college and the real-world connections made through his co-op program were helpful in allowing him to ply his new skills in commercial settings.
Today, Clayton is the Senior Vice President at KIXEYE Canada and a passionate advocate of the technology industry in Victoria. Clayton still finds time to counsel individuals, start-ups and established companies in business development, technology direction, leadership and management. He continues to be a mentor to dozens of local leaders and has been a speaker at numerous Camosun and UVic events. In 2013, Clayton was awarded VIATeC’s prestigious Colin Lennox Technology Champion Award acknowledging his business and community leadership.
The Camosun College Graduation Ceremonies are scheduled for June 16 and 17, 2016 in the Pacific Institute of Sport Excellence, Interurban campus, 4461 Interurban Road, Victoria, BC.
