It’s been a busy and productive year, one that also happened to be full of firsts for the Office of Alumni & Advancement!
Highlighted by the largest single donation by a college donor, the largest alumni event in the college’s history, and the recognition of a long-standing College of the North Atlantic supporter – 2015 was by far a special year for our alumni and advancing the college for the alumni of tomorrow!
The Joyce Foundation makes history
CNA received the largest gift in its history from The Joyce Foundation this past year, and as a result students are already seeing their dreams of getting an education becoming a reality. The Joyce Foundation (formerly The Ron Joyce Foundation) is a private, family foundation created by Canadian entrepreneur, Ronald V. Joyce and is based in Burlington, Ont. The $2 million gift supports students who would otherwise not have an opportunity to attend a post-secondary institution and continues to support their efforts right up until graduation.
CNA worked directly with the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) to launch the program to all schools in the province this past spring. The program was very well received with applications from schools representing all regions of the Newfoundland and Labrador.
“We are delighted that we have our first recipients of The Joyce Foundation Bursaries enrolled at CNA and we are committed to working with each of them towards their college aspirations,” says Anna Peddle, Manager of Alumni and Advancement.
The Joyce Foundation Bursary program is available to students in every school in the province, beginning in early March in conjunction with the NLESD. Student applications need to be completed by the end of May for the following school year.
“We look forward to seeing the next set of students as they take on new challenges and pursue their educational goals,” says Peddle.
The donation provides qualified students with up to $4,000 per year to pay for tuition and associated educational expenses, and is renewable for up to three years. In addition to the financial support, the college’s program will pair the student with mentors to expand their learning opportunities and provide a broader range of experiences.
The Fry Family Foundation – giving more than a donation
Darryl and Marlene Fry have a passion for giving. The work of their foundation – The Fry Family Foundation – is dedicated to building strong communities and is committed to investing in the development of the future talent of young people. College of the North Atlantic has been a long term beneficiary of that generous spirit with numerous donations over the past decade made to the student scholarship program, and also their community philanthropic support for a project to help rebuild a hurricane ravaged area of New Orleans.
This year’s Fry Family Foundation support enabled 29 students to take home awards in several programs at the college, valued at $78,000. To date the foundation has donated nearly $500,000 to the college.
The Fry Family Foundation is also a vested donor. They make long-term investments in students and strive to know the students and where possible mentor them in their educational and career pursuits. The bottom line is, they care about each student’s path in life and want to help them succeed.
A recent donor appreciation event was held at Prince Philip Drive campus to celebrate the James Sellars Apprenticeship Award recipients (part of The Fry Family Foundation giving program). Darryl and Marlene Fry were joined by many friends and family members who travelled from around the world to celebrate the memory of James Sellars (Marlene’s father) and to recognize the work of the foundation.
When 300 of your friends show up for a get together…
That’s what happens when you couple the Port aux Basques Come Home Year celebration with a CNA alumni reunion! Connecting with past classmates is easier than ever with social media platforms like Facebook, but having 300 alumni and guests show up at a stadium during Come Home Year is still a fantastic achievement!
This past summer, the Port Aux Basques campus, in conjunction with Port Aux Basques Come Home Year committee and the alumni office, hosted a reunion that is still being talked about today. The event, Fill the Bruce II, certainly lived up to its namesake!
The event included an alumni meet and greet and open concert at The Bruce II arena, featuring local band – Vintage 5. Students and staff who have studied or worked at any of CNA’s campuses came together to reconnect and celebrate with former classmates and coworkers.
Guest alumni speaker for the evening, Yvonne Anderson-Richards, shared her CNA pride while addressing the crowd. She described her experiences transitioning from student life to small business owner to her current position as an instructor at CNA in the program she once enrolled in, Non-Destructive Testing.
“Looking back over all those years, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again,” said Anderson-Richards. “My reward now, at the end of the day, is seeing that sparkle in a student’s eye. The same sparkle I had when I did the program nearly 30 years ago.”
It was that pride that resonated throughout the evening at CNA’s largest ever Alumni event!
“Any campus or program looking to hold a class reunion or even a few reunion events, we would be delighted to work with them in organizing something,” said Peddle. “There are thousands of CNA alumni spread throughout our province and the country – the more we can do to recognize their achievements and bring them together to reminisce, the better!”
The Office of Alumni & Advancement can assist interested groups in organizing reunion events. Here are a few ways they can help you bring everyone together!
- Providing class lists
- Providing CNA swag for prize giveaways
- Promoting the event through social media channels
- Emailing information regarding the reunion to registered alumni
- Providing information to the attendees on their alumni services and benefits that they may not be aware of
Email: alumni@cna.nl.ca
Phone: 709.758.7536
