Assiniboine returns to traditional graduation celebrations this week with more than 1,300 graduates

This academic year, 1,325 from across 72 certificate, diploma, apprenticeship, and advanced diploma programs will be recognized as graduates from Assiniboine Community College. The college’s largest ceremony of the year takes place in Brandon today, and a second ceremony will be held next week in Dauphin.

After two years of postponed and modified events, the college is offering traditional in-person graduation ceremonies this year.

“To pursue and complete an education journey takes a significant effort. The adversity of the past two years makes this even more remarkable,” said Assiniboine president Mark Frison. “To persevere and succeed in this environment speaks to the resiliency and determination of this graduating class. It’s an honour to be returning to traditional graduation exercises where all graduates, their families, friends and communities can celebrate these accomplishments together. I look forward to the bright future ahead for the Class of ‘22.”

Valedictorian for the Brandon ceremony, Alexis Cinq-Mars, is graduating from the Social Service Worker diploma program and has been engaged in many facets of college life, including serving various roles with the Students’ Association and being an Indigenous Peer Mentor.

“I feel very proud of the hard work and dedication I put into graduating. My children are able to watch their mother succeeding and thriving, and that is something I hope to inspire more Indigenous youth to do,” said Cinq-Mars. “I believe that by holding this space as an Indigenous valedictorian, I am honouring those who never had the chance to graduate in my family and plant the seeds of success to grow strong roots for my children.”

This year’s graduation ceremony in Brandon celebrates graduates completing programs at the college’s Victoria Avenue East and North Hill campuses in Brandon, Winnipeg campus, Portage la Prairie campus, various community sites, and those enrolled in distance education. In Dauphin next week, 43 students officially graduate from seven programs delivered at Parkland campus.

Parkland campus valedictorian, Karen Renshaw, says that since graduating she is working in her dream job as a Resident Care Worker at Willard Munson House in Ste. Rose. She plans to continue her studies in the Social Service Worker program next year.

“I have wanted to be a part of the health care system of caring for people and their needs. I did try to work in other parts of that system but did not quite fit with them until now. It took a long time to get here. I have a wealth of experience and now the required knowledge. Thanks to Assiniboine, that door has been opened,” said Renshaw, a Mature Student High School graduate.

Renshaw is the first Mature Student High School graduate to be named valedictorian, and joins more than 40 graduates from Assiniboine’s Mature Student High School program celebrating the completion of their studies this academic year.

The college also saw nearly 250 International students graduate this year.

Assiniboine’s most recent Graduate Satisfaction and Employment Survey shows that 92 per cent of graduates have jobs within nine months of completing their studies and make on average a gross annual salary of $46,000, with 93 per cent remaining in Manitoba.

Each year, the Province of Manitoba awards a Governor General’s Medal to the student who has achieved the highest overall average in a diploma program. This year’s recipient is Fangshu Ma, a Social Service Worker graduate. The province also awards two Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medals to students who have achieved outstanding academic performance and contributed in significant ways to the college and their community. This year’s recipients are Trevor Wilson, a Business Administration graduate and Sara Madill, a Land & Water Management graduate.

Today’s event will also officially recognize Honorary Diploma recipients, Sylvia Mitchell and Paul Crane, who were announced in 2020.

The ceremony in Brandon begins at 2 p.m. today at the Keystone Centre. Next week’s ceremony for Parkland campus graduates begins at 3:30 p.m. at the Ukrainian Orthodox Auditorium in Dauphin, Manitoba. Event details are available at assiniboine.net/grad.