Wider Horizons - Fall 2008

Fall 2008

A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

Redefining terror Justice Alumnus Kelly Damphousse leads the way

EMS Training P. 6 • Global domination P. 10 • Young Entrepreneurs P. 20

Happy new year one and all!

What’s that you say? It’s not January? Well, if you only go by the calendar, you’d be right. However, in the world of post-secondary education, September feels like the start of a brand new year.

Lethbridge College is in the business of making dreams real.

Students come here with high hopes, and we help turn them into reality. Listen to what our students and alumni have to say about us.

Lindsay Gergel, from Lethbridge, found the College was exactly what she needed to move ahead, graduating from Interior Design this past April.

“The education I received from Lethbridge College gave me a practical skill set and real life experiences to prepare me for my career,” she says.

Kate Huffman-Piel, from Lethbridge, wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do after graduating high school. Enrolling in General Studies at the College gave her two years of valuable experience that led to working at Lethbridge and District Exhibition Park after graduating in 2005. She has gone on to the Pacific National Exhibition, where she serves as community relations co-ordinator.

“As I move ahead in my career in Vancouver, I look back and realize the importance of my time at Lethbridge College. My General Studies courses taught the importance of interpersonal communications, writing, organization and professionalism. I was able to pick courses that matched my career goals and personal interests.”

We’re pleased students recognize the commitment of all college stakeholders who contribute to their success. Everyone at Lethbridge College makes a contribution to ensuring they have an excellent academic experience; from the pride our groundskeepers take in our campus to the inspired teaching in our classrooms – that’s what we’re about.

In fact, 97 per cent of our grads say they would recommend Lethbridge College to others. Maybe that is reflective of both an outstanding educational opportunity and the high employment success rate for our grads. Of all working grads, 94 per cent say their education prepared them for their current position. It’s that readiness for the workforce that impresses those who hire Lethbridge College graduates.

• “ Lethbridge College graduates consistently demonstrate the skills required to function in the fast-paced, high stress environment of Central Processing. Our workforce is 60 per cent staffed with Lethbridge College graduates, and every year we wait patiently for new graduates.” – Vivian Allert, manager, Central Processing, Chinook Health Region.

• “ Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd. likes to hire Lethbridge College Engineering Design and Drafting Technology graduates because of the wide breadth of knowledge they have upon graduating. It’s great to have designers who can understand all areas of the project. They will become our lead designers in the future!” – Bruce Parsons, vice president information systems and drafting services, Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd., Calgary.

• “ Lethbridge College has made valuable contributions to the Correctional Service of Canada and provided the leadership for many students to become very dedicated and proud employees.” – Floyd Wilson, warden, Bowden Institution Of course, there are also those students who come to College with the passion to pursue a dream of business independence.

Fergus Raphael, a 2003 graduate of the Communication Arts – Broadcast Journalism program, is the owner/president of the Lethbridge-based production company, Tangle Media.

“I could never have started my own production company without the professional guidance, encouragement, and support of my College instructors, who continue to support me today. The program gave me a very clear picture of the media industry and what it meant to work in the field. I got to experience live TV mayhem, deadline rushes, embarrassing mistakes and the satisfaction of having people relate to the best work I did,” Fergus says.

That’s Lethbridge College for you – helping individuals achieve real dreams in the real world. For all of us on campus, that’s our goal each year. We’re excited about this upcoming academic season. . . so, from all of us at Lethbridge College, Happy New Year!

Dr. Tracy Edwards Lethbridge College President & CEO

Vol. 2, No. 1, Fall 2008 Wider Horizons is published three times a year by the Lethbridge College Advancement Office.

Through stories that celebrate the accomplishments of our students, employees and alumni, the magazine communicates Lethbridge College’s vision, mission and goals to its audiences.

We thank you for picking up this copy and hope you enjoy the read. If you would like to recommend story ideas for future issues or would like to find out more about our magazine, contact us.

On Our Cover Redefining Terror.......................................................................4 Kelly Damphousse gets close to terrorism’s bad guys to help his adopted country put them behind bars.

EMS Training..............................................................................6 EMS training can get messy, but the results of this partnership will benefit the real victims with better early care.

Global Domination....................................................................10 Global News has a new top dog: Troy Reeb heads a network dealing with the challenge of change.

Young Entrepreneurs...............................................................20 From pizzas to travel packages, these alumni are ringing up sales and advancing entrepreneurship.

What’s Inside

Scholarship honours former employee............ 12 Celebrate Alumni Success.............................. 13 2007-2008 Donors......................................... 14 Green with envy............................................ 16 New Dean maps future.................................. 18 Passion vital for Envi Sci................................ 19 e-campusAlberta: right to your door............... 24 Disabilities no barrier to learning.................... 26 Faster - higher - tastier.................................. 28 Alumni Hunter............................................... 30 Paying it forward........................................... 30 Where are they now?.................................... 31 Upcoming events.......................................... 31

Wider Horizons c/o The Advancement Office 3000 College Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6 publisher: Steven Dyck manager: Carmen Toth co-ordinator: Michelle Stegen co-ordinator: Derek Bly design: Jaylene Ulmer In addition to free distribution to our regional community, Wider Horizons is also mailed to all Lethbridge College alumni. Alumni are encouraged to stay connected to the College by updating their contact information at the Alumni Relations website: lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni To share this issue with others, visit our Publications web page at lethbridgecollege.ca/publications

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“

Revolutions can be very successful and difficult for a regular army to fight. Every July 4, we celebrate that fact in the U.S. Kelly Damphousse

”

Kelly helps define terror From the IRA to Black September; from The Jackal to Osama bin Laden; from Munich to Lockerbie to New York City, on Pan Am, Air India and American Airlines; in English subways, Afghani markets and U.S. office buildings: terrorism, especially since 2001, has changed the globe.

Its effects may be as dramatic and tragic as suicide bombings in the Middle East, or as purely maddening as bag searches and limping air travel.

It has its own gangs that make the Cripps and Bloods look like a day care: Shining Path, Hezbollah, Tamil Tigers, FARC. They learned from legends such as Maxmilien Robespierre, Che Guevara and Pol Pot. It’s carried out for religion, territory and power; from the Inquisition to the American Revolution to Stalin’s Great Purge.

Simply put by Oxford, terrorism is “the systematic employment of violence and intimidation to coerce a government or community in acceding to specific political demands,” and it has spawned a new industry: the study of the who and why behind the atrocities.

4 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

One such body of work, the American Terrorism Study, a landmark document penned for the FBI and the U.S. Congress, has a Canadian connection: it was coauthored by Lethbridge College alumnus Kelly Damphousse (Criminal Justice ’82).

Damphousse began studying terrorism in 1994 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. With colleague Brent Smith, he created the study of cases from 1980 to the present time; Damphousse serves as the associate director of the project, which has created a database of individuals charged as the result of a terrorism investigation by the federal government.

Damphousse and Smith set out to examine terrorist activities on American soil to determine patterns of behaviour and tactics; and how to best secure convictions against those apprehended.

“Certainly, terrorism has existed for years,” says Damphousse. “You only have to consider the Oklahoma City bombing in the U.S. or the FLQ situation in Canada in 1970. But those were fleeting and North America wasn’t thinking much about the phenomenon.

“I was mugged once in Brazil, and I was terrified. But that was just a criminal act. A legal definition of terrorism must include an ideological motivation.”

After examining some 2,500 criminal counts by 400 terrorists representing 50 terrorist groups, Damphousse and Smith concluded: “Terrorism, once the scourge of Europe, the Middle East and Latin America has finally established a foothold on American soil.”

“Bombings at the World Trade Centre in New York, the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City and at the Olympics in Atlanta forced America to confront terrorism face to face,” they said. “Equally as sobering were governmental responses at Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas that called into question America’s motives and preparedness for responding to dissident and terrorist groups.”

They noted while the size of homegrown terrorist groups has dropped in recent years, there are more of them.

They’ve also shifted their organizational strategy from the military hierarchy of leftist extremists 40 years ago, to the “uncoordinated violence” of today’s rightwing terrorists.

Peter Scott Whether from the left or the right, the groups pursue unique agendas. Left-wing extremists dream of changing the system with which they disagree. Only 32 per cent are white and more than half have post-secondary degrees with a tendency to have professional careers in an urban environment. Right-wingers often seek a return to their former way of life before civil rights. More than 97 per cent are white and many are unemployed or impoverished with a rural background.

From radical white supremacist groups, like Aryan Nations; Covenant, Sword and Arm of the Lord; White Patriot Party and Phineas Priesthood, to left-leaning groups like Puerto Rican separatists Macheteros, El Rukns (a Chicago street gang linked to Libya), New African Freedom Fighters, and the Animal Liberation Front, each follows its own path, but all are united by their violent means.

It would also appear right-wing defendants are far more likely to plead not guilty and, unlike earlier days, refuse to testify against their brethren.

“The parade of right-wing extremists who testified against other members of right-wing terrorist conspiracies in the

1980s has been replaced with the silence of extremists like [Timothy] McVeigh, [Terry] Nichols, and the so-called ‘Phineas Priests’ bombers in Spokane, Washington; Ohio and Pennsylvania,” says the Damphousse-Smith study.

The authors contend prosecutors have greater success against right-wing terrorists by damping down the issue of terrorism and focusing instead on the criminal acts involved.

“Prosecutors want [juries] to know that these defendants have attracted the attention of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Program. . . but they don’t want too much of a good thing,” they write. “Allowing the trial(s) to be subverted into a debate about religious or political beliefs has sidetracked many a jury.”

Today, says Damphousse, there have been few terrorist attacks in the U.S. since 9/11, thanks to increased vigilance by authorities and the public. Still, terrorism, once carried out almost exclusively by a country’s insurgents against its leaders, has now jumped borders and time zones.

Damphousse notes the media, since 1970, has become a player in the role of terrorism. Events such as the bombings

in Madrid and London were carried out specifically for the media’s attention.

“The media can’t ignore these incidents or they wouldn’t be doing their job,” says Damphousse. “It’s a role they can’t avoid; they have to report the news and describe why it occurred. But I think they are becoming more aware of their role. In some cases, such as the Unabomber (Ted Kaczinski), the media has actually helped authorities capture the perpetrator.”

Terrorism is extremely difficult to counter, says Damphousse, and never fought on a level playing field. Canada is learning that in its efforts to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“Revolutions can be very successful and difficult for a regular army to fight,” he says. “Every July 4, we celebrate that fact in the U.S.” Knowledge and understanding of terrorists groups and their strategies provides one weapon in that fight. From his first experience taking the Criminal Justice program at Lethbridge College to earning a PhD at Texas A&M University, Damphousse’s journey has led him to being a major contributor to developing that knowledge.

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EMS students answ Derek Bly

Blood oozes from the deep gash in Sheldon Bohachyk’s forehead.

The ugly looking wound sends little droplets of red splattering to the ground around him. A rip in the leg of his pants reveals a shattered bone sticking out through flesh with more blood spurting in a thin stream that soaks his clothes in dark, spreading stains.

Nearby is a young woman seeping blood from deep abrasions that have torn the skin from the side of her face and one arm. A man, ghastly pale with fingernails turning blue from lack of oxygen, seems to be having a heart attack. Stretching out an arm with a pleading look on his face, possible death mere minutes away, he reaches for . . . his cup of Tim Hortons coffee.

Gotta have that coffee first thing in the morning.

“Hey, can you help me with the cream? I don’t want to break a nail,” he says. When it’s pointed out to him that in the space of five minutes he’s voiced concerns about his nails and how his makeup looks, Bill Olinek chuckles and says he hopes it’s the last

6 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

time he expresses such worries.

Bohachyk, Olinek and Morgan Parcher, the woman who looks like a serious road rash victim, are part of a ghastly looking group of individuals from Lethbridge College who have volunteered to help the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services with an emergency response test for new recruits. The volunteers normally look much healthier, but experts in applying disaster scenario makeup have turned them into a pack of walking wounded, injured in an imaginary building collapse.

While Parcher is a program assistant in the College’s Centre for Health, Justice and Human Services, Bohachyk, Olinek and the majority of volunteers are students taking Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training through the College. Coming out to play the role of victims in this realistic test provides them with an opportunity to support an industry they are keen to join.

A mix of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic students, this is a group that

has already completed the basic Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training and made the decision to move forward in their careers by acquiring higher levels of skills and knowledge.

Despite the appearance of horrific wounds, the students are all smiles and sharing laughs as they kid each other about how they look. Listening to their conversations, it quickly becomes apparent that they are genuinely thrilled to be involved and pursuing a career that means so much to them. They’re not just here for a job; it’s really more of a calling.

Bohachyk completed his practicum at the end of June, wrapping up his EMT training. He says he’s always enjoyed helping people and made the move to EMS after spending 4½ years learning the funeral-home business.

“I’d rather help people before they die instead of after,” he says.

Helping people really is the focus in the EMS field, as Bohachyk discovered during his practicum on the Blood Reserve. He says that while the majority of calls he attended

wer call

were fairly low key, there were the exceptions for which he still felt well prepared.

“It’s a lot different from what you’re used to in class, but class really helps prepare you for the experience with realistic scenarios,” he notes, adding the move from mannequins to real people is the biggest change.

Bohachyk may have just completed the EMT training, but he doesn’t think his education is complete yet. He’s already thinking ahead to training as a paramedic. But he says he’d like to “get out in the field and get some experience first.”

That’s a career path Olinek chose to follow.

After working as an EMT for the Coaldale Emergency Services for eight years, he moved to a position in Standoff at the beginning of June.

His move into EMS followed a stint working in the oilpatch. Deciding he didn’t want to live on the road, he took some career counseling and everything indicated ‘fireman’ for him.

Olinek spoke with City of Lethbridge Alderman Tom Wickersham, who

was then the fire chief. Wickersham advised him to check out Coaldale, which was looking for staff at the time.

He took that advice and has never regretted it.

“I can’t see doing any other profession,” he says. “It’s different all the time. Some days you may just sit around, others you can be on the go all the time.”

It was on one of those ‘go all the time’ days that Olinek made the decision to take his career to the next level and pursue training as a paramedic.

“There have been some calls that make you think. One in particular was a choking call.”

Olinek says the call came in early one morning. A family was getting ready for a day out together when the mother started choking on a piece of dinner bun. EMTs did their best to help, including using the Heimlich maneuver, but nothing was working.

“Paramedics had to come and use their advanced skills,” he says, adding that without their training and techniques, the woman would have died.

The possibility of losing someone because of a dinner bun was too much for Olinek. He made his decision that day to pursue training as a paramedic.

Stepping up to the next level is what drew both Judy Minor and Sharon Harvey to apply for the EMT training.

Both women have the EMR rating under their belts, but they also have a strong desire to enhance their skills and knowledge. They began EMT training at Lethbridge College in September. The possibility to train in Lethbridge helped make the decision to move up easier.

Minor has worked with youngsters and seniors in the past. She wanted to build on that interest when looking to make a career change.

“Helping people is what the big thing is,” she says, adding “I use to break horses, too, so I like the more exciting jobs.”

Her EMR training took place in Calgary during the fall of 2007. She’s coming to Lethbridge for EMT. With a husband and seven-year-old daughter at home, the closer access was a big factor for Minor. continued on next page

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Partnership adds strength to initiative Strong partnerships are forged when groups with different contributory skills but a common goal come together to make something happen.

That was the result when the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) industry in southern Alberta and Lethbridge College joined forces to provide a training opportunity designed to meet a growing need in the region.

Wade Eggli, medical training officer for Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, credits two people in particular for launching what has turned out be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“Chief Richard Hildebrand and Kelly Mantler really initiated the partnership,” he says.

Hildebrand, Deputy Chief of Strategic Services, and Mantler, health program coordinator for Allied Health and Wellness in the College’s Centre for Health Justice and Human Services, combined interests to launch the program, which has just completed its first year.

Mantler says there is a strong and growing need for EMS training across the country and southern Alberta is no different.

“There is a critical shortage of EMS personnel all over Canada,” she says. “It’s a result of population growth and the retirement of some of the seasoned experts in the field.”

Eggli agrees.

“It can be a challenge keeping up with demands of growth in the department and attrition with retirements,” he says.

The department was approved to hire 10 individuals this past year, but could only find six to fill the positions.

Development of this working relationship benefits students, fire and emergency services crews, and the community, and demonstrates how the College can partner with industries to meet a real need.

“We’ve planned the program to be delivered to regional students, hoping they will stay and support the EMS industry in southern Alberta,” Mantler says.

The fire and emergency services crews also derive strong benefits through their association with the College. Labs and equipment, including the Simulated Patient Health Environment for Research and Education (SPHERE), provide an ideal environment for reviewing skills that are key components of the job.

Enhancing work in the EMS classroom, known as the “ZOLL Lab”, is equipment provided by ZOLL Medical, a leading manufacturer and supplier of resuscitation equipment. The equipment came as a $75,000 endowment from ZOLL. Mantler says the brand is used almost exclusively in southern Alberta, so it makes sense to train on similar equipment.

A willingness to work together was one of the factors behind the College support for the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services test scenario in July. EMS students and some staff members volunteered to act as victims in a mock building collapse. With makeup and coaching on symptoms to display, the volunteers provided a realistic test for the recruits.

“It was incredible,” Eggli says. “We could not have done it without the volunteers. The College was amazing to be able to pull this off.”

8 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

“I’m from Claresholm and I was kind of excited to get accepted to take it here; it’s so much closer to home.”

Minor also appreciates being able to gain practicum experience in southern Alberta. She says training in Calgary would mean practicums could take place anywhere, including Fort McMurray, that’s just too far to go with a family at home.

Minor also appreciates the class schedule.

“It’s two days a week and the rest is at home, so I can keep working while taking the training,” she says. “It makes a world of difference to be able to train in the south.”

Harvey agrees with Minor.

For 2½ years she has worked as Emergency Services Administration Officer for Picture Butte and District Emergency Services. Prior to that she worked as a volunteer EMR for 10 years in Coalhurst.

Her decision to pursue EMT training has the full support of the Picture Butte town council and administration. It’s also a decision that allows her to give back to the community.

“Being able to have that extra knowledge to help our constituents is rewarding.”

As an EMR and looking after ambulance, fire department and emergency services for Picture Butte, Harvey appreciates the impact of providing training in southern Alberta.

“It makes a huge difference to us,” she says.

“I have one EMT graduate and two paramedic students from this program in Picture Butte and their skills level is top notch.”

Local training allows for development of a stronger support system, she says.

“Everyone involved in the field pretty much knows each other in this area and we can call on each other to help out if needed. We’re close knit in southern Alberta. We’re developing those relationships already and that’s important.”

Harvey believes training in Lethbridge allows more volunteers in the south to move up from EMR if they wish. Costs can often end up being a deciding factor when making that decision.

The financial impact can be huge when the expense of travel and accommodations is considered. Heading to Calgary or Edmonton may not be an option for volunteers who need to continue working to support their families.

That support seems to work both ways for the students. While many are supporting their families, the decision to pursue further education can require the backing of those near and dear. During

the disaster scenario, Harvey points out her husband, daughters and grandson. They’ve come out to watch and support Harvey in her role as victim.

“My family has been so supportive of me from the very beginning,” she says.

Minor’s family has also been right there for her. Her husband, who ranches near Claresholm, thinks her career move is a good change for her, and her sevenyear-old daughter is a huge fan.

“She helps me with my scenarios. She often plays the part of victim and probably knows it better than me,” she says with a laugh.

Family support is simply a fact of life for first-year paramedic student Sariah Brasnett, from Pincher Creek.

“Mom is a firefighter EMT, so she’s fine with it,” she says.

Brasnett took EMR training through St. John’s Ambulance in Calgary and completed her EMT in Vermillion. Paramedic training in Lethbridge means she has a chance to take her practicum with Fire and Emergency Services headquarters ambulance in the city.

Fast Facts 911: • Emergency Medical Responder, the first level of training, saw 12 students complete the April class, 20 from October and another 12 for February.

• The first class of 20 Emergency Medical Technicians completed practicum placements and many were offered immediate employment with southern Alberta Rural Emergency Medical Services • The first Paramedic class of 10 finished the first year and all went on to the second year starting in August.

• Fall 2008 and winter 2009 EMR programs will each seat 15-20 EMR students.

• Currently the program is taught by 15 instructors from southern Alberta EMS. • The program has received excellent feedback from both the City of Lethbridge EMS/Fire and the Southern Alberta Ambulance Operators group regarding the performance of practicum students.

Working in Pincher Creek, she discovered that variety in the job adds to the appeal of the career.

“I do enjoy it. We do fire and ambulance in Pincher Creek, so it’s never the same.”

The combination of services means Brasnett may start out the day working ambulance, then have to switch to fire services part way through a shift. It definitely keeps things interesting.

At the end of the Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services exercise, the smiling band of bloody victims comes together for a final laugh over their shared experience. They’ve helped the new recruits complete their training. They’ve gained some valuable insights into disaster response. They’ve strengthened bonds that are vital in the EMS field. Now it’s time to ‘heal’ and get cleaned up. The fire hall crew has a barbecued lunch ready to share with their new colleagues.

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Global’s news flash Peter Scott

You’re a fighter, a heavyweight champ, once again ready to answer the bell for another round against a familiar adversary. You’ve studied his footwork, know enough to stay away from the jab and you figure he’ll tire if you can get him on the ropes. You trained hard for this, planned a solid strategy and you’re confident your execution of fundamentals will win the day.

But when you leave the stool, you discover there are now numerous opponents in the ring, many of whom you’ve never seen, who don’t fight the same way, follow time-honoured rules or don’t even box. Adjustments must be made immediately or the fight will be a short one.

program in 1988. “We spend a lot of time thinking where technology is going in the future and no one’s hit it on the head. In the You-Tubing of society, we are forced to make some interesting adjustments.”

Reeb was just 16 when he entered Lethbridge College to obtain the skills he would need for a career in broadcasting. After a start in radio and five years at Canadian Press in Toronto, the kid from Westlock caught on with Global, first as a political correspondent in Ottawa, then a bureau chief in Washington before being picked to lead Global’s news gathering across the country.

That means directing the efforts of 15 conventional stations (including Lethbridge) and several specialty networks as they glean and

“

Welcome to Troy Reeb’s world.

Recently appointed senior vice-president of news and current affairs for CanWest, the Global TV veteran is driving the strategic direction of Global News. This includes playing an integral role in the launch of Global National’s new foreign bureaus in London, Beijing, New Delhi and Jerusalem.

Reeb also oversees Global’s first newsmagazine show, launching this fall.

Reeb knows broadcast journalism must continue to evolve if it is to remain as a relevant source of information in an age of rapidly changing technology.

“There are days when you can use film shot by some of the most creative videographers in Canada, or use something some guy shot with a cellphone,” says Reeb, who graduated from Lethbridge College’s Communication Arts

I’ve always been impressed with the caliber of grads produced by Lethbridge College.

College continue to serve him well in the new news arena. There are two tenets to which he subscribes.

“The first is, you include news that is locally relevant, and second, you establish your brand so you are clearly identified against the clutter.”

While the corporate confluence of the Canadian media has alarmed many astute observers, Reeb notes that while consolidation may appear to have cut competition, the audience share of traditional media is in decline as the market continues to fragment. It is, he says, increasingly harder to stand out.

Two things have helped here: an entirely local newscast produced in Lethbridge, coupled with what Reeb sees as a unique national product.

The combination should sate the cravings of any newshound.

“The best Canadianmade programs are news programs,” says Reeb.

“The viewership of news is higher in the U.S. than it is in Canada, but polls suggest that while Americans may watch more news, the public trust factor is higher here.

”

Troy Reeb, CanWest VP News and Current Affairs

disseminate Canada’s daily dose of news.

And that means sparring not only with traditional competitors CTV and CBC, but with the Internet and “some guy with a cellphone.”

“There is a plethora of competitors, many of whom we don’t know exist,” says Reeb. “How do you compete against an infinite universe of online choices.”

Fortunately, the skills and news sense he honed at Lethbridge

“Sure, we’ve experimented in an effort to make news entertaining, but we’ve managed to retain that trust with our viewers.

Canadians have an expectation of integrity, and we have to meet that desire.”

That means injecting a human element into each story, and looking for the curious and the titillating while maintaining a balance. Into each go three elements: facts, emotion and context.

Reeb, as would be expected, is a news junkie; even so, he admits times when he’s gravitated away continued on next page

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from traditional newscasts when they haven’t met his needs for, as an example, speed.

“News today is on demand through the Internet; it’s a market we’re trying to meet.

People reach a stage in life when they are tuning into broadcasts more often. They are intelligent, mature viewers with a thirst for news, especially since 2001. They need a brand they can trust.”

Reeb shared his deep interest in the news with the public during a visit to campus for Homecoming ’08 in May. The event was part of the celebration of the College’s 50th anniversary. At that time, Reeb gave one of two talks in the Distinguished Speaker series speaking on the theme Onward and Upward – The Future of Television, Journalism and

Political Discourse in Canada and the United States.

His commitment to his craft saw Reeb receive the Lethbridge College Distinguished Alumni award in 2003. The recognition spurred him to create an annual internship for a Communication Arts student. The 2008 winner was Danny Grummett, who spent two weeks in Toronto and Ottawa early in May. “I’ve always been impressed with the caliber of grads produced by Lethbridge College, and I felt there was a need to create a greater opportunity for internships,” says Reeb. “Global has heartily supported my internship and we’ve selected the best student every year since we began. I’m very proud of the program.”

Intern winners have, to date, visited Washington, Ottawa and Toronto, ridden in helicopters, been on the scenes of murders and

drug raids, and sat with Global’s national news anchor Kevin Newman.

Reeb says new graduates are bringing to bear a new skill set and greater expectations of connectivity with viewers.

“They understand work in the media is not a oneway communication,” says Reeb. “They themselves can communicate with a wide range of people 24/7 and they have an expectation their work in the media will be the same. We need to understand that element better and find more ways for viewers to give feedback to us.”

Seeking improved methods of feedback is just one more challenge faced in the ring of media competition. Based on his proven ability to answer the bell, you can bet Reeb is ready for the next round.

Daughters honour former college When Margo Grant lost her parents, Bill and Donna Christensen, in an auto accident nine years ago, she couldn’t find an easy outlet for her grief. Born and raised in Lethbridge, Grant moved to Surrey, B.C. years ago (her twin sister, Jeanette McKnight, lives in Chilliwack); her parents were on their way to the West Coast for Christmas when the accident occurred.

She remembered her father, Lethbridge College’s Bookstore manager from 1983 to his retirement in 1992, coming home with stories about students in less fortunate financial situations who needed help paying their tuition.

“Dad used to come home from work and tell me about the students who would apply to the bookstore for work to pay for their education,” says Grant, then in high school and now a mother herself. “He told me he had to turn them down because they were over qualified, but he felt badly he couldn’t help them.”

Unbeknownst to Grant and her sister, a former co-worker of her father, Phyllis Bell, had set up a scholarship in her parents’ memory.

It took her two years to discover the Bill and Donna Christensen Memorial Scholarship, awarded for the first time in 2003.

Bell, who retired from the college’s finance department in 2002, started the fund with $500, matched by the government.

“It was our way of remembering Bill and Donna,” says Bell, who still lives in Lethbridge. “The scholarship seemed appropriate; Bill loved kids.”

12 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

Bookstore manager Kathy Danielson also worked with Christensen, who started at the college in purchasing in the 1970s.

“He was an advocate for lifelong learning,” says Danielson. “He was a really good guy. “I remember one year, due to renovations, we had to move the bookstore to a mechanics bay in the trades area. I can’t remember which bay, but it was an interesting summer.”

So moved was Grant to learn of the honour, she took on the job of ensuring the scholarship would be funded in following years.

“When I found out Dad’s friends cared enough about him to do this, I took it on as a labour of love. When our parents died, Jeanette and I didn’t know what to do with our grief. The scholarship gave us something by which to honour them.”

By canvassing family and friends, Grant managed to keep the scholarship alive, but it was a struggle until she met Laura Carlson, Lethbridge College’s manager of development, who advised her of the college’s matching grant program. For every dollar Grant is able to put into the fund, the college chips in a dollar. The fund has grown to $30,000.

“It was a way to keep the fund going,” says Grant. “I know Dad would be honoured to know money in his name was going to help students in financial need because he always believed in the importance of education.”

Carlson says the matching grant comes through the province’s Access to the Future Fund with all money being placed into an

New awards celebrate alumni success More categories mean more awards for the Lethbridge College Office of Alumni Relations’ annual Distinguished Alumni event.

For the March 2009 edition, the office is soliciting nominations in five categories:

“

The Distinguished Alumnus of the Year, the event’s flagship, will remain unaltered. Selection will be made based on the nominees’ career success and their community and college involvement. The 2008 recipient was Tom McKenzie, chief of the Lethbridge Regional Police Service.

During the years, we’ve received so many deserving nominations that the decision to choose one nominee is growing exceedingly difficult.

employee endowment.

Grant has several friends who have made a decision to return to school, for many a financial challenge.

“The fact they work, raise children and pay bills, it’s a big step,” she says. “They’ve made a commitment and it’s a huge chore to find the money. That’s a huge reason for keeping the fund alive. We’re overjoyed with the steps Phyllis took to set up the scholarship.”

Grant still has strong ties to Lethbridge with several aunts and uncles, her father’s family, in the community. She returns to the city every March with daughter Morgan, who competes in the annual Moonlight Run. Carlson says support provided through such awards plays an important role for many learners.

“Awards, like the one established to honour Bill and Donna Christensen, can make a huge difference in a student’s life. Costs to acquire a post-secondary education continue to rise and are not impacted by tuition fees alone. Increases in gas prices and rental accommodations can make a difference in the decision to attend college. Awards, scholarships and bursaries help make it a little easier to reach the decision to enroll,” she says.

Anyone interested in contributing to the Bill and Donna Christensen Memorial Award, or to other awards or scholarships, can contact Laura Carlson at 403-329-7204, or e-mail laura.carlson@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca.

Sandra Dufresene, Alumni Relations Coordinator

The new categories include:

”

• Community Leader Award, based on involvement and contribution to the community in which they live.

• Career Virtuoso Award, based on success and advancement within their career.

• Friend Award, based on contributions to the success of Lethbridge College and its students.

• Rising Star Award, based on a 10-year time frame from the year of graduation.

“During the years, we’ve received so many deserving nominations that the decision to choose one nominee is growing exceedingly difficult,” says Sandra Dufresne, alumni relations co-ordinator. “By adding these new categories, we are ensuring the recognition of more of our alumni regardless of where they live or how they have distinguished themselves.”

The annual recognition event will be held in late March 2009.

“It’s an event to celebrate those alumni who have distinguished themselves since their graduation from Lethbridge College,” Dufresne says.

Nominations are accepted year round; the deadline for the 2009 awards is Dec. 31. Nomination forms can be obtained at lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni or by calling the office at 403-329-7220.

13

Thank you to our 2007/2008 Lethbridge College Donors Gold Benefactor - ($50,000 +) • RBC Foundation • Zoll Medical Canada Inc. Gold Partner - ($25,000.00 +) • Coca-Cola Bottling Ltd. • D. A. Electric Ltd. • General Motors of Canada Limited • TD Bank Financial Group • TD Meloche Monnex Silver Patron - ($10,000 +) • Alberta Real Estate Foundation • Art & Mary Jane Crooks • Edmonton Community Foundation • Estate of Brian Elford • Enercon Water Treatment Ltd./ Keith & Ellie Dys • Val & Flora Matteotti • Pengrowth Management Limited • Linda Renard • Gerald & Rita Varzari - Varsteel Ltd. Silver Leader - ($5,000 +) • Bob & Sandy Ackerman • Alberta Criminal Justice Association • Anthony Matlashewski Foundation • BMO Bank of Montreal • Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers • Anne Gillin • John J Memorial Golf Fund • Wayne & Rhonda Kwan • Lethbridge College Faculty Association • Lethbridge College Students’ Association • Phyllis G. Singer • Wesbridge Construction Ltd. Bronze Friend - ($1,000 +) • Advance Glass & Aluminum • Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association • Anonymous • ATB Financial • Avonlea Master Builder • Balog Auction Services Inc. • Ken & Lorna Bateman • Black Velvet Distilling Company • Bonetti Bros. Ltd. • Rick & Jay Buis • Campus Works Inc. • Catering by Ericksen’s • Chinook Carriers Ltd. • Creative Gold • Centre for Teaching, Learning & Innovation/College & University Preparation

• Cummins Western Canada • John & Karen Davies • Dr. Ian B. Hurdle & Dr. E.W. Dodd • Dunlop Sterling Western Star Truck Centre • Steven Dyck & Callie Craven • Tracy Edwards & Les Ostrowski • Fashion Design & Merchandising Program • Elias & Simlie Foscolos • Gas King Oil Co. Ltd. • Margo & Jerry Grant • Green Acres Foundation • Growing Alberta • James D. (Jim) Hill • R. C. (Cleve) Hill • Hi-Way Service Inc. • Ronald & Mariette Jacobson • Randall L. Jespersen • Andy & Kathy Kent • King Electric (Lethbridge) Ltd. • Kiwanis Club of Lethbridge • Nicole Kloos • Henry Komadowski • Lafarge Canada Inc. • Mark & Diane Lencucha • Lethbridge & District Exhibition • Lethbridge College Alumni Association • Lethbridge College Massage Therapy Program • Logic Lumber Ltd. • Gary & Marie Martin • McKillop United Church Trust Fund • National Bank Financial • National Salvage Ltd. • Everett & Pat Nowlin • Bridget Pastoor • Payday 50/50 • Performance Sawing & Drilling Ltd. • Knud Petersen • RBC Financial Group • Rotary Club of Lethbridge (Downtown) • Royal Canadian Legion, Alta/N.W.T. Command • Glen Seeman • Doug & Cheryl Stroh • D. Logan Tait • Torry Lewis Abells LLP, Lawyers • United Farmers of Alberta Co-Operative Limited • United Nurses of Alberta • Glenn & Janice Varzari • Tim & Bev Waters

14 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

Bronze Supporter • 1169876 Alberta Ltd. o/a The Blarney Stone • 5A GARU Staff • 851339 Alberta Ltd. • A. S. A. P. Truck & Trailer Repairs • Aglukark Entertainment Inc. (Susan Aglukark) • AJ Renovations Ltd. • Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development • Alberta Children’s Services • Alberta Society of Surveying & Mapping Technologies • Alberta/NWT Regional Council of Carpenters & Allied Workers • Karen Alexander • Amalgamated Transit Union Local 987 • Amelco Electric • Merv & Mary Anderson • Richard Andreachuk • Anonymous • The Association of Science & Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta • Astro Insurance 1000 Inc • ATCO Gas/ATCO Pipelines • ATCO Pipelines • Debbie Baggs • Eric & Pat Baker • The Bay • Beta Sigma Phi City Council • Peter & Janet Biemans • Nancy Biggers • Blood Tribe Administration • BMD Contracting Services • Mark Bohnert • Tom & Candice Boyes • Lesley Brandford • Breton Energy Inc. • Geraldine & Andrew Bronson • Burnco Rock Products Ltd • Chelsea Busch • Wendie Cameron • Audrey Campbell & Pat Lawson • Canadian National • CanWest Media Inc. • Laura & Andy Carlson • Celebration Cards Ltd. (Lynn Gregson) • Centre for Applied Management • Faculty & Staff • Challenge Industries Ltd • Dawn Charles • Charlton & Hill Ltd. • CJD Trucking • Clare’s Commercial Tire Sales • College Farms Ltd.

• David Coombes • Darren Coon • Robert & Yvonne Coon • Corona Electric Ltd. • Costco Wholesale • Geoff & Andrea Cox • Crowsnest Insurance Agencies Ltd. • Joan L. Culler • David G. Malmberg Professional Corporation • Davidson & Williams LLP • Davis Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. • Phyllis Day Chief • Greg & Melody De Groot • Tom de Jager • Laurie DeBoer • Peter Delaney • Kashmir Dhillon • Cheryl Dick • Dr. Alan G. Bourne Professional Corporation • Dr. Patrick R. Selk Professional Corporation • Jeremy Duchan • Dudas Painting Inc. • Ron & Lorinda Dykshoorn • El Dorado Vegetable Farms Ltd. • Harold Elke & Rhonda Lawrence • Euro Physical Therapy Ltd. • Michael Evans • Executive Women International – Lethbridge Chapter • The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge • Father Leonard Van Tighem School • Ferrari Westwood Babits Architects • Dave Findlay • Fire and Ice Taps & Grill • Fix Auto Lethbridge NW • Terry Flannigan • Flegel Resources Inc. • Colin & Brenda Ford • Forzani Group • Foster & Sons Jewellers Ltd. • Freddie’s the Paint & Colour Experts • The Front Row Pub/David Caruso • G. A. C. Transport • Galko Homes Ltd. • Galt School of Nursing Alumnae Society • Geldart Consulting Group • JP Gentile • Gibb Orthodontics • Robin Goates • Gary & Misty Goebelhardt

• Alf & Linda Gorzitza • Green Acres Animal Hospital • David Griffith • Guaranty GMAC Real Estate • Haig Clinic • Tyler Hansen • Karen Harker • Elaine Harrison • Ruth Hart Budd • Health, Justice, Human Services Staff • Dee Hebert/Maxwell Realty Lethbridge • Kelan Henderson • Ian Hepher • Len & Bev Herring • Ernie Hilderman • Alicia Hill • Norris & Brenda Hironaka • Stan & Polly Hollingsworth • Tobi M. Horon • Lonny Hoy • HSBC • Brian & Carol Huculak • Rodney & Danguole Huszar • Terry Innes • Irene’s Dog Grooming Boutique • M. Mitzi & Kerry Ishida • Scott Jackson • Jacques Nelis Construction Ltd. • Jerry Arnold Gallery • Rob Jetten/Nosh First Aid • Joyce Joevenazzo • Bonita Johnson • Jerry & Valerie Johnson • Lori & Dean Johnson • Colleen Jolicoeur • Colleen Jones • Jong & Company Chartered Accountants • Julian Ens Trucking • Tosh & Kaz Kanashiro • KB Heating & Air Conditioning • Mike King • Kirschner Family Corporation • Keith & Janet Koch • The L. A. Gallery/Design Studio Ltd. • L. P. Carb Service Ltd. • Sharon L. Lawson • LCSA Office Administration Association • Robert & Deborah Leishman • Leon’s Furniture • Lethbridge Battery Direct • Lethbridge Hurricanes Hockey Club • Lethbridge Law Enforcement Liaison Committee

• Lethbridge Lodge Hotel • Logos Embroidery • London Road Market • Kyle Lougheed • Carol Low • Bruce Macdonald • Francis & Connie Macdonald • Paul Macdonald • Sharon MacDonald • Miriam Mahnic • Alma Malcolm • Barbara Mantello • Marsh Canada Limited • Brenda Marshall • Lynn & Leona Marthaller • Martin Bros. Funeral Chapels.

Ltd. • Douglas & Dawn May • John & Pat McAlister • Sonja McDonald • McKay Bros. Farm Implements • Jeannette McKnight • Patricia McMillan & Myron Currie • Heather Melchior • Tara Merrill • Mike Spencer Geomatics • Mil-Jule Farms Ltd. • Milne Pritchard Law Office • Hazel Mitchell • Mojo’s Pub & Grill • Molcap Investments • Jody Moltz • Motion Canada • Munton & Co. • Michael Murphy • Ken & Vickie Nakagama • Marilyn Nakama & Mike Langdon • Joan Nelson • Rose Niedermier • Earl Nilsson • Ninastako Cultural Centre • Lori A. Noble • Janice & Mickey Noji • Noji Management Ltd. • Cybele & Francis Noronha • Northland Cartridge Outlet Ltd. • Russell Ogden • Geraldine Ohene-Adjei • Heidi Oishi • Lilly & Yoshiyuki Oishi • Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society • Overhead Door Company of Lethbridge • Ann Parks • Lorraine Paskuski • Holly Ann Penny

• Linda & Donald Perrier • Douglas & Catherine Peterson • Eric & Rita Peterson • Ronald Peterson • Kevin Petty • Robert Pike • Andy Potts • Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc. • Lucelle Prindle • Provincial Treasurer • Beth Quan • Michelle Quinton • Sean Ramsey • Anne Raslask • Red Crow Community College • Troy Reeb & Janet Lambert • Don & Helen Reeves • Hugh Richards • Rides Pub & Grill • Robert J. Campbell Professional Corporation • Roest Acoustics Ltd. • John & Heather Roest • Rogers Sugar Ltd. • Lindy Rollingson • Tony Rose • Kurt Saari • Ken Sauter • Save-X-L. P. Gas Ltd. • Liz Schaeffer • Tim & Kathy Scherger (Crocus Simmentals) • Lane Scherger • Gregory Schmidt • Joyce Scott • Brian & Mary Searby • Seeson Enviro Services • Michele Shackleford • Geraldine Shankland • Shoppers Drug Mart • Gerald Siegmund • Kim Siever • Brad Smailes • Randy Smith • Sharon Smith • Shirley Smith • Bill Sokol & Denise Hammon • Southern Alberta Art Gallery • Southern Alberta Newspapers/ • • Lethbridge Herald • Southern Optical – Contact Lens Division • Kari R. A. Speaker-Smith • Carolyn Speakman • Karen Stafford • Jennifer Stark • Ramona Stewart • Summit Inspection Services Ltd. • Sunny South Day Care Centre

Ltd. • Sunnyrose Cheese (Division of Agropur) • T. A. Cooper Professional Corporation • Taber Diesel Service Ltd • Taiga Building Products Ltd. (Calgary Division) • Cathy Takeda • Carrie Takeyasu • Rick & Tasha Tams • Pam Tanaka • Ken Taylor • Anthony Thomsen • Ralph & Catherine Thrall • Alvin Tietz - Quality Floor Mechanics • Carlos Tolley • Vince Toth • Bruce Trotz • Veronica & John Turcotte • Unifeed • Sharon Unwin • Jim Urasaki • Sharon Vandenheuvel • Helen Vaselenak • Ray Viel • Viterra • Rena & Jay Walker • Norma Wall • Wallace D. Smart Professional Corporation • Wal-Mart • Frank & Donna Walton • Colin P. Ward • Tom & Anna Wasiuta • Waterton Natural History Association • Nathan Watson • G. J. Heidi Watters • Milton & Karen Weisbrod • William & Rosemary Welton • Carol Wesley • Western Canada Welding Products Ltd. • Western Corrosion Technologies Inc. • Western Stockman • Brian Wichers • Dave Wieler • Fred & Belinda Williams • Winner’s Apparel Ltd. • Alane Witt-Lajeunesse • Johannes & Libertad Wohlwend • Roberta Woolley • Irwin Wyrostock

15

Green with envy As a new groundskeeper at Lethbridge College, Gary Harmon admits he has a lot to learn.

Although he’s only been on the job a few weeks, he already has a clear goal in mind: to carry on a vision that has defined the campus for three decades.

almost every tree here. This is his vision; I’m just going to continue on with it.”

Harmon began his new position as groundskeeper July 1, replacing Mike Herrington, who had shaped the College landscape for 30 years before his retirement.

Herrington is responsible for the park-like appearance of the campus, planting trees and providing open clearings for students to relax or study.

Harmon had the opportunity to speak with Herrington before taking on the position, and although he was told it was going to be a lot of work, Harmon was determined to uphold his predecessor’s standards.

“It’s a full-time job to look after the college; in one aspect, there’s a lot of strenuous labour to do, but it’s good labour; it’s all fun.”

“They’ve left it open for me to do whatever I need to, but I’ve talked to Mike and I’ve seen what his vision is, because he planted

16 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

During the summer, six postsecondary students assist with grounds maintenance. Harmon isn’t afraid to get his hands in the dirt along with them.

In July, the College won a Yard of the Week award from the Lethbridge Communities in Bloom Committee, a proud moment for Harmon and his dedicated staff.

“Just because I’m so new to it, taking it over, a lot of credit [for the award] has to go to Mike,” he says. “It was his vision and the way he set things up.”

Harmon also notes the College ensures it uses environmentally friendly practices to be a good corporate citizen in the community.

“We try not to use pesticides or herbicides too much,” he says.

“We’re careful with the way we do things; we mulch to conserve water and keep the weeds down.

We (also) practise integrated pest control.

If anything new comes out, I’ll be trying that.”

Harmon says the appearance of the campus greatly affects the impression of potential or future students, and seeing a neatly kept campus can only be a benefit to both staff and students.

“Hopefully it gives the vision of a nice, neat institution and it will inspire people to learn.

“I hope I can leave a vision for the next person to continue on with, as Mike has done for me. I take pride in the work that I do here, and leave each day with a feeling of self-satisfaction, knowing what I have achieved.”

Christina Boese Communication Arts ’08

Photo: Gregory Thiessen

“

The college has been ‘going green’ for quite a few years; I’m just continuing on with it.

”

Gary Harmon Lethbridge College Groundskeeper

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New dean maps future When Sandy Vanderburgh left Alberta to broaden his academic experience on the West Coast in the early 1990s, he kept open the option of a return to his native province.

A doctorate and a wealth of experience later, Vanderburgh has returned to Alberta as Lethbridge College’s dean of Applied Arts and Sciences. In his new position, he’ll be responsible for the college’s School of Environmental Sciences, a role he takes on with pride.

“It’s a critical time for the environment, with soaring oil prices, global warming, rising sea levels, carbon trading and more, there are issues that are not just going away,” says Vanderburgh. “We are putting pressure on ourselves in ways that never existed before. We need to find new ways to understand our planet. Continued population growth and urbanization places even greater pressure on our natural environments.

“Our programs are turning out

18 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

graduates who respect our planet and its resources and habitats and who may be the very ones to develop the necessary solutions.”

Vanderburgh comes to Lethbridge, with his wife Tanya and two young children, from Douglas College in New Westminster where he was dean of science and technology. He earned his doctorate from Simon Fraser University in physical geography in 1993, and taught at University College of the Fraser Valley for 14 years, serving as head of the geography department.

Not a suit-and-tie academic, Vanderburgh has spent considerable time in the field, mapping the North Okanagan Valley’s water resources and studying the coasts of Oregon and southern Washington, employing technology in his research.

Vanderburgh says he chose Lethbridge College because of its emphasis on students and its determination to

become a college of distinction by 2011.

“Placing a priority on students is something I believe in,” says Vanderburgh. “It’s why I’m committed to the college system. At Fraser Valley, students interacted with faculty and staff, just as they do at Lethbridge College.

“The college has also set some lofty goals in its vision to be a premier comprehensive institution. It has a strong reputation already with a good brand and visionary leadership, and it’s building on tradition.”

“They’ve set a goal to be recognized as a College of Distinction, and Environmental Sciences is one the distinguishing program areas that is key to achieving that vision. That’s something I want to be part of.”

Peter Scott

Passion vital for Envi-Sci For Dave McRae, it’s all about passion.

If you enter his domain, the world of “bears and bad guys,” you’d better have it in large amounts if you want to succeed. Passion, he says, will take you far in Lethbridge College’s School of Environmental Science, and in his discipline, conservation enforcement, even for students who weren’t academic stars in high school. But don’t come without it.

“You have to like working outdoors, have a concern for the welfare of animals, and be prepared to give 110 per cent,” says McRae, whose students now range across Canada in all four directions, their Lethbridge College diplomas and degrees welcomed as the gold standard in the field. “That kind of commitment is important in a field that works to ensure environmental quality and sustainability for future generations.”

Lethbridge College students have been working to make the world a better place for some 35 years, ever since Buck Cunningham, regarded as the godfather of the school’s “Envi-Sci” program, first convinced college hierarchy to include it in the program line-up.

Today, Lethbridge College grads are known from Nanton to Nunavut as the best in the business, whether they graduate in Conservation Enforcement, Renewable Resource Management or Environmental Assessment and Restoration. Many are now in supervisory positions and look for fellow alumni to fill open positions.

Mitch Kendall (Conservation Enforcement ’86) is among those alumni who have followed their passion. Kendall is a project co-ordinator for compliance and education for the B.C. Conservation Corporation based in Kamloops, as well as deputy director for the fish and wildlife branch.

Kendall says that while other institutions are making progress, Lethbridge College grads remain his first choice when hiring new staff.

“The Lethbridge College program stresses all of the right things. We still consider Lethbridge to be the better

place for programming,” he says.

Today’s students will find that upon graduation, the jobs are waiting. In fact, there may soon be more jobs than applicants. Kendall says that historically he would have up to 600 qualified applicants vying for a few jobs. Now he may only have 40 applicants for 10 jobs.

And the need for staff is only going to grow.

“There never has been a better time to be a student looking to come into this field,” says Kendall.

Chloe Marshall, Bachelor of Applied Science – Conservation Enforcement ’06 is now employed as a fish and wildlife officer for Red Deer County in Central Alberta. The 25-year-old actually began her post-secondary education with something else in mind.

Marshall went straight from high school to a large university in British Columbia. There she found she could be in a class of 500 students. She never got to know the professor and the professor certainly did not know the individual students. Coming to the College made a world of difference.

“The instructors at Lethbridge College are so personable. I could call them up right now and they would know exactly where I’m working, what I’m doing and they’d be interested in hearing about it. They would likely even know my favourite food,” Marshall says.

sciences and upper-level law classes and it is being created in response to student needs, McRae says.

As a member of the program’s advisory committee, which is composed of professionals in the field, Kendall says the urgent need for qualified staff had some wondering if there was a need to wait for students to complete the fouryear program.

McRae also notes the diploma helps students seeking summer employment qualify for positions that required that accreditation. Now students who earn the degree will have first earned a diploma.

The college also has new applied degrees in natural resource management and environmental assessment and restoration working their way through the provincial approval process.

The beauty of all Envi Sci programs is that they begin with a common first year, allowing learners to switch disciplines without wasting time and money redoing two semesters. That offers great flexibility for students, who get exposure to field-trained faculty. Transfer agreements with other institutions are also plentiful creating an almost unlimited range of opportunities. It all comes back to packing that passion.

Marshall is one of a growing number of women pursuing a career in conservation enforcement. Of the 36 fourth-year degree students in conservation enforcement at Lethbridge College, eight are female.

Just as life in the field is experiencing change, Environmental Sciences at Lethbridge College continues to evolve.

While those seeking a higher hill to climb can opt to earn the Bachelor of Applied Science in Conversation Enforcement degree, a new two-year diploma in this area will be offered in September 2009. Natural Resource Compliance will stress

As part o f a field s tudies cla students ss, conduct hunter c hecks.

Hot, wired and on the move Zyna Taylor, Communication Arts ’08

Owning your own business; it’s a dream for many that few will actually pursue. A lack of knowledge on how to get started, concerns about financing, limited real business experience and a fear of failure often snuff out the dream before it’s fully formed.

That doesn’t mean it can’t become a reality, so you shouldn’t shelve the idea. Perhaps you just need to gain a solid background in your chosen field to lay the foundation for your own business empire.

Lethbridge College alumni can be found building businesses in a wide array of areas. While the kinds of businesses may be different, what unites them all is the decision to pursue an education through Lethbridge College that would give a solid base from which to develop the dream.

Cory Medd – Owner and President, Two Guys and a Pizza Place Business Administration, 2003 items. I found myself doing it for him and then he said, ‘Why don’t we do it together?’ I was like, ‘Sounds good.’”

Unfold the takeout menu from Two Guys and a Pizza Place and the selections call out like a carnival busker: creations, sensations and delights, and even a few monsters to challenge the stalwart diner. Lethbridge’s favourite pizza eatery offers everything from the classic Hawaiian to an exotic tandoori chicken pizza with apricot glaze.

Like the pizzas he helped create, Two Guys owner Cory Medd began from a solid, dependable base and moved on to the more adventurous and unique. A graduate of the Business Administration program at Lethbridge College, Medd first became interested in becoming a restaurateur while working in places like Kelsey’s and The Keg. “I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant. I didn’t really think pizza but then my best friend and roommate had managed some Pizza Huts and he worked in a Keg. I was actually telling him to open a pizza place, saying, ‘You should open it, you should do it’. He was having meetings and doing all the things and I was coming up with ideas and menu

20 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

It wasn’t long before the business took off and the fledgling entrepreneurs found themselves at the head of one of the most successful and popular small enterprises in the city. Medd’s partner eventually sold out, leaving him to grow the venture. He was voted “Canada’s best pizza chef” by Canadian Pizza Magazine.

He also finished in the top 13 finalists in an international pizza championship in Las Vegas. Medd considers his education at Lethbridge College to be a significant contributor to his success.

“I had a good knowledge of pretty much everything it took to run a business.

From the marketing end of it, people start using words you’ve heard at school and you’re like, ‘Wait, I’ve heard that word before.’”

Medd has been able to give back to the college community by giving speeches and presentations to the students in the Business Administration program, and he delivered the toast to the grads at their grad party. He is a much-soughtafter resource for prospective young entrepreneurs looking for business advice, and serves on the Business Administration advisory committee.

“It’s almost like, every year in September they must do a ‘Find an entrepreneur in town and ask him 20

questions.’ I usually do about 10 students a year, because they all get my name.”

Sharing his experience and business acumen is something Medd does readily and offers this advice to anyone thinking of following in his footsteps: “Believe in the product. Be organized and ready. We literally got a phone call and 30 days later we were open. Have a few months of money in your bank account. Learn to delegate because, once it happens, it becomes way easier and you can spend more time on the business, not in the business.”

Medd hopes to expand Two Guys and a Pizza Place to a second location in West Lethbridge and, possibly, a dinein facility. He has also considered the possibility of developing the business into a franchise, but is somewhat reticent about losing his “guy next door” identity.

“I like being the local sort of momand-dad shop, sort of like a little cult following, you know? I like that; it’s part of the reason people come from out of town to be here.”

Medd reflects on his experience in Las Vegas and the chefs against whom he competed.

“They’re [in their restaurants] day in and day out. They’re just like me; they make dough and they make pizza and cook it and they’re there every day like me. Maybe that says something, you know?”

Tania Stilson –

Cory Medd

Fergus Raphael

Tania Stilson

Owner, Uniglobe Travel • Travel and Tourism, 1996 The walls of Tania Stilson’s office at Uniglobe Travel display the photographic evidence of a lifelong passion for travel that has become a flourishing career. She gestures to the portraits of beaming faces in Jamaica and St. Martin and comments, “To me, when you travel, it’s always about the people. It’s what I remember.”

Stilson’s career goals have always involved a connection to people in some way or another. Though she has been the owner of Uniglobe Travel in Lethbridge for more than ten years, she traveled a rather winding path to arrive where she is now.

“I was registered in Broadcast Production right out of high school.

I was 17 years old and only did half a semester of that. I joke that I was an early achiever because I quit college before I was 18.”

After leaving the Broadcast program, Stilson began working in a day care, then decided to continue her educational pursuits at Lethbridge College by taking courses in Early Childhood Education, Special Needs and Rehabilitation Services. Although she enjoyed the work, after five years she felt the need to move on.

“I really kind of wanted to make a change. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, so I looked at the trends. . . my dad was a financial planner, so I was either going to go down the road of being a financial planner or travel. Which seems more fun?”

Stilson returned to the college in 1995 and completed the travel and tourism program. She got a job with a travel agency but stayed less than three months before deciding to open her own business.

“Talk about a leap of faith. I opened a travel industry with three months’ experience. I knew nothing; I balanced my checkbook . . . I was 25 and thought that was pretty good. I can’t decide if I was brave or stupid. My learning curve was unbelievable.”

Stilson credits her success as an entrepreneur to her eclectic educational background and a tough but flexible nature.

“I learned in this industry you absolutely have to be resilient. You name it, we’ve done it. We went through 9/11, we went through SARS, and we went through Canada 3000, which was one of our largest tour

operators, just shutting their doors one day.”

The Uniglobe team also survived an office fire a few years ago but decided to forge ahead with business in the same location.

“So, that’s what I mean about being adaptable to change. Because I really wasn’t in the industry long enough before all that happened, to me that’s just my ‘normal’. But I love that; I love being an entrepreneur.”

Stilson’s advice for those thinking of taking on the challenge of entrepreneurship: “Be resilient; don’t let it beat you up. Sometimes you just need to take the leap and it’ll be OK. I really believe in the adage that the harder you work, the luckier you get.”

She also stresses the importance of keeping up with trends and continuing to learn and improve.

“I’m pretty committed to that. And love what you do. If this ever stopped being fun for me, I wouldn’t be doing it. So, I’m happy to be here at 7:30 in the morning because I’m excited about what the day is going to bring and that’s 12 years later. If you can do that, I think you’re doing OK.”

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Fergus Raphael Owner, Tangle Media

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All the steps that are inherent in managing any type of business project were pretty much present in any type of work we had to do in the college program.

Fergus Raphael (centre) – Owner, Tangle Media

22 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

Fergus Raphael sets his briefcase on the table and temporarily disentangles himself from the electronic gadgets that keep him connected to Tangle Media, the tremendously successful business he launched three years ago.

Tangle Media services a broad range of clients, including large organizations such as Lethbridge College and the Capital Health Region in Edmonton, as well as smaller, independent businesses and individuals.

When asked to describe what it is the company does, Raphael answers: “It’s things on screens. That’s basically what it boils down to. It’s a hybrid of a lot of traditional types of things I was very interested in doing. That’s why I called the company Tangle Media, actually.

We can do logos, we can do brochures, we can do video production and we can do websites. Web production and information systems have become the strongest part of what we do. I still love to do video production and television production as much as possible.”

Raphael brings a personal interest and inherent talent to what he does, but acknowledges the important role of the college in helping him develop the skills and business sense to succeed.

Raphael completed the Broadcast Journalism program in 2003 and was initially hired to do video production work with instructors at Lethbridge College. The projects kept him busy for about a year and a half, during which time he was able to develop a portfolio and to network with other people in the field. Opportunities for freelance work began to stream in.

“As that freelance work picked up steam, it led to me starting my own business. It has grown into a more major operation than I thought it would.”

“A lot of those technical skills I owe clearly to my time at the College.

The way the broadcast program was designed, it was a very sort of entrepreneurial program anyway.

Sometimes it was a bit like boot camp – it was really a sink or swim-type thing.

It was getting past the ‘dog ate my homework’ type of excuses. You have to deliver, and if you don’t there will probably be consequences.”

The practical nature of the courses appealed to Raphael, who found a solid, real-life base in the activities he completed.

“All the steps that are inherent in managing any type of business project were pretty much present in any type of work we had to do in the

college program.”

Raphael’s words of wisdom to anyone wishing to start a business: “[Don’t] be looking for a quick fix. I would have been surprised to know just how much work it was to establish the business.

It was really an all-day, all-night thing and I think the main thing is to be prepared for the work you’re doing and that there isn’t anyone else you can pass it off to.”

For Raphael, the payoff for all this hard work is the ability to pursue the types of projects and work in the way that best suits him.

“I guess with the risks comes an element of control and an element of doing exactly what you want to do. There are always a million things going on in the minute and you have to manage those. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think my favourite thing about the business is just enjoying the potential of it.”

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s istic g o aL 01 nd a Nun ent, 20 , a y g n lo em natio chno Manag i e T m r l e nta urc Dete nme le Reso h o t i r i v W r, En enewab o t a n R rdi Co-o

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u Go o Y n e Ca s l rs – E e e r m e Wh ram K a r Ta

Tara Krammers

“After graduation, I traveled around the world for a while.

Then I got a summer job working for the Dene nation in Yellowknife. I thought, if I like it, great. If I hate it, it’s only six weeks.”

Fortunately for Tara Krammers, she didn’t hate the job and her summer position in the North led to other opportunities and assignments, including geotechnical technician, pollution control specialist and environmental technician.

She also met her future husband, a Maritimer working at the Ekati diamond mine, and the two have since married and started a family.

Krammers is now with Nuna Logistics, a business that provides labour and logistical support for northern mining ventures. She feels strongly that her success in the field of resource management derives from the strength of her

”

It was like real life; the labs were hands on and the practicum was very useful. program at Lethbridge College.

“It was like real life; the labs were hands on and the practicum was very useful. We had to be prepared for the job, and able to do field work in any weather. Lots of the instructors had worked in the field before, so it was a good balance between real life and text learning.”

Krammers advises anyone thinking of pursuing a similar career, particularly in the North, to “be open-minded, have a bit of an adventuresome spirit and not be afraid of hard work.”

In the end, she says, “It worked out very well for me because I had a specific goal. I wanted to be outside working with the creatures and the plants. I got to see that you can make a career out of that.”

23

eCampusAlberta fast facts: • 15 colleges make up the educational consortium, begun in 2002 • More than 30 certificates, diplomas and applied degrees are offered • More than 7,000 course registrations from 214 Alberta communities in 2007 • Offers more than 400 courses • 90 per cent of students qualify for funding • Students can register at the “lead” college (the institution providing the desired course) or through www.ecampusalberta.ca

g i h r t : a rt

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“

The courses are designed to develop a sense of community. By using webconferencing software, instructors are able to introduce themselves by video online, and converse with students either one on one or as a class. They can make themselves available at a set time each day.

Karen Harker

24 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

”

When classes opened for the fall semester at Lethbridge College postLabour Day, some 6,200 students filled the hallways, dutifully found their classrooms, and settled down to the next four months of academic study on campus.

Funding is also playing a big role in enhancing the skills of instructors. A $250,000 fund to assist instructors with online teaching has been created through eCampusAlberta. This substantial investment in faculty development provides an opportunity to learn new methods of instruction and delivery keyed to meeting the needs of online learners.

to yo ur door Some students, however, will likely never see the brick and plaster that make up the physical entity at 3000 College Drive.

Instead, they will study, learn and achieve from computers at other locations, as many students have for five years, through eCampusAlberta. For the 2007-2008 academic year, almost 120 students registered for Lethbridge College courses through eCampusAlberta.

And eCampusAlberta is just one element of the distance learning opportunities Lethbridge College provides to hundreds of students each year.

Lethbridge College embraced the innovative learning concept when it began under the guidance of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology almost six years ago. Since then, eCampusAlberta has grown to 15 post-secondary institutions and annual registration has grown significantly each year.

Among the first to grasp the project’s potential was Karen O’Dwyer, the College’s current dean of Teaching, Learning and Innovation. She found herself appointed to a committee set up to explore methods of bringing the concept into reality.

“It really was a visionary idea to use resources across the province to improve and expand access to all Albertans in an efficient way,” O’Dwyer says. “Everyone thought it sounded good, but nobody knew how to actually make it happen.

We had to come up with a way of implementing it.”

Karen Harker and the Educational Enhancement Team have taken the lead for the institution’s involvement.

“The eCampusAlberta initiative is a benefit to everyone involved,” Harker says. “Students who might otherwise be unable to make it to Lethbridge benefit by gaining access to our programs, the institutions benefit through enhanced collaboration, and our own college benefits through external funding, which has been quite prolific recently.”

Lethbridge College is helping lead the way in this brave new world, developing a Learning Connections website funded by eCampusAlberta that is scheduled to be operational by October. The site will serve as a resource for teams developing courses, as well as for instructors who are learning how to teach effectively in the online environment.

Often running ahead of the curve and helping to drive the need to adapt are many of today’s students. While those used to attending daily classes with an instructor at the front of the room will still find their needs met, the expansion of online learning generates some exciting options.

“It’s been determined that introverts, those who wouldn’t necessarily ask questions in a classroom, do much better online and are more likely to participate in online discussions,” Harker says. “The courses are designed to develop a sense of community. By using web-conferencing software, instructors are able to introduce themselves by video online, and converse with students either one on one or as a class. They can make themselves available at a set time each day.”

O’Dwyer agrees that student needs are a driving force behind much of the change taking place in the delivery of postsecondary education.

“It’s an evolution and I think many young people today are expecting, at the very least, enhanced web delivery,” she says.

Lethbridge College contributes to that enhanced web delivery through courses it provides online. Recently receiving $266,000 from eCampusAlberta’s Online Curriculum Development Fund, the College is adding 22 courses to the 13 it already provides. It’s a process that requires careful planning.

The new course offerings come from four program areas: Corrections, Policing, Special Needs Educational Assistant and Biotechnology. The original courses were from the Corrections program, co-ordinated by Ian Hepher.

The eCampusAlberta initiative, notes Hepher, dovetailed nicely with Lethbridge College’s vision of making available its unique Bachelor of Applied Arts in Correctional Studies degree through distance learning.

Through distance learning, employees of the provincial and federal corrections services who desire upgrading can complete applied degrees online and be credited with prior on-the-job learning.

The program is also offered at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology’s Prince Albert campus.

With the degree available online, Lethbridge College is working on the first two years. The diploma program is approaching its goal of having the entire area of study available through the Internet within two years. The impetus for the degree program came from the Correctional Service of Canada, which Hepher says continues to be very supportive.

A significant number of employees across Canada continue to seek upgrading.

Sandra Forbes, social programs officer for the Grande Cache Institution, took three corrections courses, one a year to last January, while she continued working, to advance her career.

“I took these through distance learning as I like the benefits of working full-time as well as working towards my degree,” says Forbes. “Financially it has meant a lot to me to be able to continue to work.

I’m working in the field that I’m studying; therefore I am constantly using the skills and information that I’m learning through my classes on a daily basis.”

Hepher doesn’t fear what he admits has been an adjustment for instructors. He notes the online factor enables structure and classroom emulation through discussion and commentary.

“Five years ago, we went to distance learning. Now, it’s the online movement.

We realize it benefits students if we remain innovative and stay ahead of the curve. I think Lethbridge College has been a model, led the way in several areas. We’ve established a reputation with eCampusAlberta; they know, thanks to Karen, we’ll get the job done.”

Peter Scott

25

Disabilities no barrier to Stephen Hill, an Environmental Sciences student, finds time in his studies to serve as president of the Lethbridge College chapter of Ducks Unlimited.

Indrah Kerrison has begun the Nursing program after academic successes in General Studies.

Linda Entz, who left a Hutterite colony to further her education, is on her way to a diploma through Early Childhood Education.

All three are achievers, but their accomplishments would hardly distinguish them from hundreds of other Lethbridge College students were it not for one element the three share: all have disabilities affecting their learning.

They are among some 120 students on campus this semester who will turn to Disability Services for assistance with their academic journey. There they will find the accompanying technology necessary for them to overcome their individual situations. They will also find Julie Deimert and a world of moral support from her team of professionals.

“It’s a real thrill to see students overcome barriers and succeed despite their disabilities – and in some cases, because of them,” says Deimert, Lethbridge College’s disability counsellor, who has been working with clients like Hill, Kerrison and Entz for a dozen years. “When the supports we offer are properly matched to individual needs, the world opens up for them.”

Linda Entz, for instance, has a thirst for working with children. She grew up with a profound hearing loss, finishing school at Grade 8. After spending the next seven years away from any formal education, she knew if she wanted to help children, she would need further education.

She took College and University Preparation to fill in missing high school components, with placement tests that

26 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

placed her at a Grade 8 level in math, but a Grade 11 level in English.

“My instructors are understanding; they were extremely patient with me at Lethbridge College,” says Entz, who has recently completed a practicum. “And the Disability Services office has been fantastic.”

Entz notes her instructors make an effort to face her when speaking and standing adjacent to her in the classroom. She uses a fellow student as a scribe for note-taking, because she cannot watch the instructors’ lips when she writes. Instructors post their notes on the Internet, which allows her computer access to the material, and tutoring assistance helps her refresh what she’s heard in class.

To meet Stephen Hill, an observer would be hard-pressed to pick up on any learning disabilities. Hill, from Calgary, is a well-spoken young man finishing a diploma in Renewable Resource Management to add to a Lethbridge College degree in Conservation Enforcement. He hopes to find a public relations/spokesperson position with a major federal or provincial park or with Alberta Fish and Wildlife.

But while he has little trouble understanding his course work, and has a well-developed vocabulary and reading skills, he has difficulty expressing his thoughts in writing. Concepts such as punctuation and grammar are hard for him to follow, as is spelling words not obviously phonetic.

Hill, considered a learning-disabled/ gifted student, is using various software to assist in his written work. While his final year will consist mostly of field work, there are written reports to be submitted and that can pose a challenge.

He is exploring other writing tools with Lana Caldwell, an assistive technology specialist who works with Deimert.

“In high school, teachers had no time to give me extra help, but at

Lethbridge College, you get to know your instructors almost as friends and colleagues,” says Hill. “I came out of my shell here. I use my strengths to help me stay away from my weaknesses.

“My instructors see that I have a high interest in the course work; they understand I’m trying my hardest and that I’m putting in the effort. They keep giving me a chance to show them what I know. Even if my written work isn’t 100 per cent, they know I can get to the final point.”

In high school, Indrah Kerrison took advanced courses and excelled at any work involving projects. She is wellspoken and has a high vocabulary. Her learning disability primarily affects reading comprehension, which makes tests difficult because, although she knows the course material, she can’t understand the written questions.

Reading, she says, takes literally hours of effort.

Kerrison uses the help of educational assistants who read test questions aloud.

She is improving her essay work with Caldwell’s help, while Amber Skoog, another of Deimert’s crew who handles alternate formatting, scans her texts to create MP3 files so she can hear the material on her iPod. “A post-secondary education was always something I wanted,” says Kerrison. “Coming to Lethbridge College and succeeding has been huge for my confidence. It’s been a long road, but well worth it.

“The tutors help me piece together the concepts in my mind so I don’t have to struggle with them in class. They are the most important element to my success.

I wouldn’t be able to be here without the services I have. I would have become discouraged and dropped out long ago.”

During the last academic year, almost 90 per cent of the students formally identified as learning disabled who used Deimert’s services in their first term

learning continued into their second, a rate of success of which she is proud.

“Lethbridge College has a good reputation for comprehensive support,” says Deimert. “We are hearing good things from parents and receive positive word of mouth from our students, several of whom transfer from the University of Lethbridge.”

Of the 122 clients using the service last year, the majority had some form of learning disability. Others included students with hearing and sight loss, brain injuries, mobility issues, attention deficit problems, chronic medical conditions and psychiatric difficulties.

They were provided assistance with exams, notetaking, assessments, training, learning strategies, alternate formatting (text to audio) and more than 1,100 hours of tutoring, often by fellow students who also serve as note-takers and are carefully matched with each client. The student tutors are selected for their academic success and are paid for their assistance.

Caldwell and Skoog, as part of a provincial pilot project, will soon have their credentials as adaptive technologists in training and support, bolstering the office’s work. They, like Deimert, receive their rewards when students drop by to express their thanks.

Skoog says the services the team provides have the potential to change the course of students’ lives.

“What a great gift it is to be able to provide the tools to help these students succeed, not only in their educational goals but in their lives,” she says. “For me the bigger reward is seeing the students grow as people. As the year goes by you can see their self confidence blossom as they realize they can do it.”

Caldwell concurs.

“Helping these students find out their learning strengths and how to use those strengths to overcome their areas of weakness is exciting for them and for myself,” she says. “Their academic success and the stories related to their success is always a gift to me from them.”

Peter Scott

Lana Caldwell, Assistive Technology Specialist (middle), and Julie Deimert, Learning Disabilities Counsellor.

27

Faster – higher – . . . tastier.

No, it’s not exactly the Olympic motto.

But then again, Erfurt, Germany, isn’t exactly Beijing, either. For one thing, it’s likely to be much more pleasing to the palate when the World Culinary Olympics get underway Oct. 19-23.

Countries from around the world will be sending their top teams to the competition, and chef Charles Parker, department head of Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers program will be right there in the heat of the kitchen. It will be Parker’s sixth trip to the event, held every four years. This time around he won’t be doing any cooking; rather he will act as the team’s logistics expert, mentor, teacher and problem-solver.

“Once we get there, we’ll have an agenda of what has to be done when, so my job will be to ensure that everything is on track,” Parker says.

Lethbridge College participants have a solid record of cooking up success, bringing a number of medals home from past Olympic efforts, beginning with two bronze finishes at their first competition in 1992. In 2000, the Alberta team managed by Parker captured a gold medal. The College was represented on winning teams again in 2004. Parker and student Amber Clay were part of the support squad for two Alberta teams. Doug Overes, an instructor in the Lethbridge College program, competed with Alberta Team 2, winning one gold and two silvers to finish second overall in the competition.

The team will be judged on nine platters, ranging from hors d’oeuvres and pastries to appetizers and a major decorative piece.

Parker says competing at this level requires a lot of preparation.

“The team has been practising for the last 2½ years . . . by the time we get there, we’ll be ready to perform.”

Parker has dedicated much of his life to culinary pursuits and is always ready for new challenges. His program boasts a 100 per cent employment rate; after nearly 20 years as head of Lethbridge College’s Culinary Careers, Parker must have the right recipe for success.

Originally from a small English town, Parker started at the college in 1989. He and his wife moved to Canada shortly after they were married in 1976 hoping to find opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

“We looked at various countries, and had an uncle and aunt that lived in northern Manitoba, so we wrote to them, and they told us Canada was a very progressive country,” he says. “So, I came out, had a look around, worked for three months out of Winnipeg, and went back to my wife and told her I think we might like it.”

Parker has had a deep interest in the culinary arts since he was 14. After high school, he attended the Cambridge College of

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Arts and Technology for five years, most of which was spent as an apprentice for the royal family. That opportunity came about when an administrator for the royal family contacted the college looking for young apprentices to handle special-event catering. Parker, then in his second year, stepped forward knowing this was a rare opportunity to expand his knowledge of culinary arts at the highest level.

“We had a French chef who would orchestrate the organizing of upscale banquets,” he says. “So I got to watch chefs from around the world, very talented people. And, of course, you get to work with excellent product. As a young chef, your eyes are open to the things that you can do with food; it’s very entertaining.”

Parker also enjoyed another perk as part of culinary royalty: travel, which also led to a number of unique opportunities few would have the chance to experience. He became intimately acquainted with the kitchens at several royal residences.

“My first trip was to Sandringham Estates, where I spent six weeks with the chefs and we put together numerous culinary events. After that, I was invited back to [places such as] Windsor Castle; I went to Buckingham palace a couple of times, and that went on for three years.

Every year I’d go away for six weeks at a time and join the royal family at different locations.”

This early introduction to food preparation and service helped hone Parker’s skills. While he attributes his knowledge of certain cuisines to these experiences, he explains his is a progressive industry in which one can never stop learning.

“A big part of what I would consider the classical cuisine I learned there,” he says. “But, cuisine doesn’t ever stand still; it’s an evolving environment. It’s one of those jobs where you’ll never know it all; it’s impossible. There are new things coming out all the time, and new products, and new combinations, so I’ve learned a lot, but I’m continuing to learn.”

Patrons who dine at the college’s Garden Court restaurant enjoy an experience reflective of Parker’s ongoing culinary quest. continued on next page

29

“I think it’s an opportunity to be expressive,” he says. “It’s definitely a team environment; you can’t be independent; you have to like people; you have to like pleasing people. When somebody gets a meal from our area, we want them to be happy with what they got; it has to be good quality.”

Communication, he says, is a key factor in producing quality products.

“You have to be an exceptional communicator. You and your staff are in constant communication. This is a critical ingredient in producing the best quality in a culinary experience.

“I like working with all the chefs here because we have such a positive work group, that they all want to put out a high quality product. So, when we come to work, we’re all on the same level.”

Rob Sonnenberg, Culinary Careers instructor and a former recipient of the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board’s Instructor of the Year award, says Parker has been a factor in his own development.

“Charles is a strong willed individual always wanting to improve and make things better,” says Sonnenberg. “His experience and knowledge have helped improve my culinary techniques and have aided in my professional development. He is strongly committed in giving customers quality product.”

The college’s culinary facilities are run both by staff and students.

During the academic year, students are actively involved in the process. Parker says between 80 and 85 students enrol each year, split evenly between the two-year diploma program and the apprenticeship program. He notes enrolment numbers have risen in comparison to last year, and the program is at capacity this fall.

“We can’t put out enough people right now, and all of our students are employed. The demand is phenomenal right now in the industry.”

Parker attributes some of this to the surge in popularity of cooking shows on specialty TV channels.

“You turn on the Food Channel and there’s Hell’s Kitchen. It might not be very indicative of how you’d run a kitchen, but it’s good entertainment. There are lots of food programs that people like to watch and it’s spurred people’s interest.”

Alumni hunter Alumni know the difference an education made in their lives, so they can best appreciate how college can impact others. Fostering strong ties with such an experienced and knowledgeable group at Lethbridge College is the role of the Office of Alumni Relations.

Getting that connection started on the right foot is Kelly Burke’s job.

Burke assumed the position of alumni relations specialist earlier this summer following a year of work experience at the college as one of three national recipients of the TD Meloche Monnex Fellowship in Advancement.

Burke is working to enhance the sense of pride in and connectivity to Lethbridge College among alumni. As a 2007 grad of Communications Arts – Advertising and Public Relations, Burke has first-hand knowledge of the power of a college education.

“There’s not a chance in the world that I’d be where I am today if it wasn’t for the program at the college,” she says. “Not only did I get all the skills I needed to be successful in my job, but one of the reasons why I have my job is because I also had a lot of volunteer opportunities.”

A big part of the plan from the Office of Alumni Relations is to bring alumni and students together.

This can happen through industry-related events, mentorship programs, and working with campus partners. It can also involve successful alumni returning to campus as guest speakers, providing practicums and internships to students, and hiring the college graduates they’ve come to know.

Paying it Forward

Parker attributes a lot of the program’s success to Lethbridge College for its support through the years.

The Lethbridge College Office of Alumni Relations and the Alumni Advisory Council have decided to share the wealth.

“We’re probably at the stage now where we’re looking at the next direction; where we go in terms of location and facilities,” he says. “We are probably getting close to the limit of expansion, so I think the college has a master plan to see where we might provide additional banquets and food services in the future.”

Earlier this year, it launched a monthly 50/50 draw to raise money for scholarships. The deal was simple: for $10, the draw offered a shot at half the jackpot (winner’s share close to $1,000) and the rest went to assist students with their tuitions.

Parker finds great pleasure in his work, and has no plans to stop any time soon.

Even those who didn’t win knew they had spent $10 on a good cause. In its first five months, the Pay it Forward (formerly Payday 50/50) draw has raised more than $4,700 for alumni scholarships, funded primarily by staff contributions.

“After I’m gone, I hope there is a continued attention to quality meal products and a strong team dynamic that I have helped influence. We can never lose sight of the fact that we’re here to try and find the best way to put out a high quality item and to ensure students receive a high quality training experience.”

Christina Boese Communication Arts ’08

Now, the Alumni Advisory Council is opening up the draw to alumni, students and the community.

“There are a couple of ways to get involved,” says Sandra Dufresne, alumni relations co-odinator.

“People can come to our office each month to purchase a ticket, or buy a year’s worth at a time. Our employees also have the option of payroll deduction.”

Entry deadline is the 25th of each month; the draw is made on the third-last banking day of that month.

30 • WIDER Horizons/Fall 2008

The Office of Alumni Relations is located just through the college’s main doors in CE1323.

Where are they now?

Keep us updated on your successes. Drop us a note at alumni@lethbridgecollege.ab.ca Judy (Schmied) Rutley Nursing 1972 Calgary: nursed at hospitals in High River, Surrey, B.C. and Calgary. She’s worked at Foothills Hospital since 1985.

She has two adult daughters.

Geri (Knibbs) Bronson Nursing 1974 Lethbridge: took alternative training, worked in Texas and Edmonton. Now works in Lethbridge College’s Health Centre. She is a Brain Gym instructor, registered massage therapist and certified Healing Touch practitioner.

Al Lucas Communication Arts 1984 Calgary: after radio jobs in Lethbridge and Red Deer, worked for Z99 and CKGY since 1994. He is now their retail sales manager. He served with the Students Association and worked at the D.A. Electric Barn.

Sherri (Horvat) Gallant Communication Arts 1986 Lethbridge: has worked in media, primarily at the Lethbridge Herald.

She’s married to George Gallant, a Communication Arts instructor, and is a grandmother of four.

Murray Gilchrist Environmental Science 1986 Garibaldi Highlands, B.C.: has worked more than 21 years with Fisheries and Oceans Canada as a fishery officer in the Pacific Region. Now serves as regional enforcement co-ordinator.

David Tichler Cooking 1987 Lethbridge: works at Sunrise Poultry as a specialty cutter, and at Earl’s Restaurant.

Rhonda Doram Communication Arts 1988 Ladner, B.C.: is customer services manager for Premier Envelope, Richmond, B.C. Rob Arn Recreation Facility Management 1993 Lethbridge: after working as a cook for 15 years, has been with Maple Leaf Potatoes for two years. A father of two young boys, he’s recently resurrected his running career through the Runners Soul Marathon Club.

Denise (Williams) Buteau Business Administration 1993 Calgary: has worked the past six years as a property administrator for office space in downtown Calgary. She’s taking time off to assess her future.

Rob Bernshaw Automotive Service Technology 1993 Edmonton: works in emergency road services for the Alberta Motor Association. A former member of the Students’ Association, he is a willing volunteer in his community.

Nicole (Couillard) Walisser Communication Arts 1993 Peace River: is principal of Ecole des Quartre-Vents, a francophone school.

She worked in the newspaper industry for several years before earning a bachelor of education. She is a former Kodiaks basketball and badminton player.

Pamela Anderson Business Adminstration 1996 Lethbridge: is teaching in and around Lethbridge. She added a bachelor of management and a bachelor of education to her Lethbridge College diploma.

Amanda Stewart Early Childhood Education 1999 Lethbridge: has worked with children since graduation, and is a teacher assistant with the Lethbridge Montessori School. She also works for Forever Green Company and started Team Connections, a health and wellness business, with her mother and sisters.

Laurie Hannis Travel and Tourism 2000 Edmonton: works in the central reservations call centre for 30 hotels.

She’s worked as front desk staffer for hotels in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Jasper and Lethbridge.

Thomas Mutai Business Administration 2003 Lethbridge: owns and operates TMElectronic.com, and works as a machine operator for the Edwards Group.

He’s a former Kodiaks cross-country runner.

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Lethbridge College Events ACAC South Regional Golf Championship – Sept. 21-22 @ Lethbridge Golf and Country Club XCR – Run for the Pumpkin (ACAC Grand Prix Race) – Sept. 27 @ Nicholas Sheran Park Lunch Express, Garden Court Restaurant – 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Oct 14-16; 21-23; 28-30 Kodiaks Volleyball home opener – Oct. 24 @ Val Matteotti Gymnasium Kodiaks Basketball home opener – Oct. 31 @ Val Matteotti Gymnasium Kodiaks Dinner and Auction – 5:30-9 p.m., Nov. 4 @ Garden Court Restaurant Career Conference & Open House - 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Nov. 6 @ Val Matteotti Gymnasium Lethbridge College Foundation Clayton Allan Wine Auction – 6 p.m.-1 .am., Nov 21 Evening Dining, Garden Court Restaurant - 5-8 p.m., Nov 25-27; Dec 2-4; 9-11 Lunch Buffets, Garden Court Restaurant - 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Dec 16-18; Jan 6-8; 13-15

Tiffin Conference – Jan 22

31

New’d Green Initiatives Programs, facilities, partnerships . . . we’re revealing a deeper shade of green.

lethbridgecollege.ca