On Monday, October 6 the BVCAA hosted the 2nd Annual International Thanksgiving at Fort Calgary. This annual event was created in 2007 as the first official Bow Valley College Alumni event. The mission of the event was to create an alumni tradition around a beloved Canadian tradition, that specifically involved BVC's international alumni. Judging from the attendance at the October 6 dinner it seems that a new tradition has been established. At the inaugural dinner in 2007 just over 30 alumni and staff guests attended, this year the guest list grew to 60+. Over 15 countries were represented by the alumni guests from the Corporate Readiness Training Program (formerly WEIP) and International Education.
Colleen Bangs, Alumni Coordinator, emceed the event and the guests were officially welcomed by Andy Cichos, Vice President of External Relations at Bow Valley College. Appearances at the podium were also made by Laurel Madro(Corporate Readiness Training) and Amy Schalin (International Education), with words from their respective departments.
At the end of the formal program, alumni were invited to introduce themselves and share what they were thankful for. Responses such as, "BVC changed my life", "I am working in my dream job" and "I am proud to have recently become Canadian" brought tears to the eyes of many of the staff in attendance who were witnessing the impact that their work has had beyond the classroom. A great event indeed.
Keep your eyes on alumni event calendar for the 3rd Annual International Thanksgiving on Tuesday, October 6, 2009.
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