Convocation

Alumni Engagement

News, Profiles and Events

Calling all 1967 Business Administration alumni and staff

January 17, 2017

In 1967, Red River College was referred to as the Manitoba Institute of Technology.

Olafur Halldorsson graduated from the Business Administration program in 1967 and this year marks the 50th anniversary of his graduation. Olafur will be visiting Winnipeg in June of 2017, and will be travelling all the way from Iceland, where he has been living and working for the past 45 years.  He is interested in reconnecting with classmates and instructors.

If you are interested in reconnecting with Olafur while he is in town, please email the RRC Alumni Office at alumni@rrc.ca and we will let you know how to reach him.

(RRC uses discretion with respect to blog posts; requests of this nature from alumni will only be posted on an exceptional basis.)

Something’s in the Water…

January 11, 2017

HeartsIn our travels, we’ve learned there are a number of alumni out there who met at Red River College and then married or entered into long-term relationships/partnerships.

As part of a Valentine’s Day contest we’d like to know: Did you meet your significant other at RRC?

Tell us your story in 400 words or less, and you could win a prize package including dinner for two at Jane’s (RRC’s downtown restaurant), a selection of sweet treats from our Professional Baking students, and a few other surprises will be thrown in.

We’re looking for love stories, so the best submission (as determined by a committee of RRC staff) will really need to woo us. Submissions will be judged on creativity and content and the ability to show how your relationship evolved while pursuing post-secondary education at RRC.

Please send submissions to alumni@rrc.ca by Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 4pm (CST). Along with your story, please include the RRC program you graduated from, the year you graduated, and the best way to contact you (email or phone number). If your last name has changed since you were a student, please note that, as well.

Thanks and good luck!

No purchase necessary. This contest is open to alumni of Red River College, as defined by Red River College. Stories submitted must be true. The winner will be selected shortly after the close of the contest. Only the winning entrant will be notified. The winner will be subject to verification of alumni status. Maximum one entry per person. Late entries will not be accepted. Breach of any rules will result in disqualification. The decision of RRC’s judges on any contest matter shall be final. By entering the contest, contestants give Red River College the right to publish their entries and the name of the person who submitted it.

Red River College will publish the winning entry and the name of the contestant who submitted it. The definition of Alumni at RRC is: Individuals who have graduated with a certificate, diploma, post-graduate diploma or degree from a credited program at Red River College.

Note: Apprentice students who have graduated prior to 2013 are considered graduates of Apprenticeship Manitoba, not Red River College.

Business Leaders Needed!

January 5, 2017

We need your help in shaping Manitoba’s future business leaders!

In the fourth semester of Red River College’s Business Administration program, students participate in the Entrepreneurship Practicum course where they develop business plans for a hypothetical venture. The course helps students integrate and apply the knowledge gained throughout their four semesters in the program.

We’re looking for external examiners to evaluate the business plans the students have developed.

The time commitment is approximately three hours – one hour for reading the written business plan and two hours to attend an oral presentation at Red River College’s Notre Dame Campus.

The key dates are from March 21 – 23. Oral presentations will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. You can pick any date and time slot that fits your schedule. Judges will be provided an easy-to-complete grading form.

If you’re interested, please contact David Grusko, Entrepreneurship instructor, at dgrusko@rrc.ca or 204-632-2981.

Thank you for your support of the Entrepreneurship Practicum course in the Business Administration program at Red River College!

Adiós, au revoir, goodbye, so long

December 21, 2016

Elizabeth GlasemanElizabeth Glaseman, Alumni Engagement Manager at Red River College will depart the College on December 21, 2016. She has accepted a new position with Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, MB as the institution’s new Marketing Manager.

Since joining RRC in 2014, Elizabeth has implemented a variety of successful alumni programming at the College and built a great foundation for her successor. Her contributions have been essential to our alumni community, and we very much appreciate her dedication and efforts over the past three years.

On behalf of everyone at Red River College, we would like to thank Elizabeth and wish her the very best on her next adventure.

The alumni relations office remains open and continues to be of utmost importance to RRC. Should you have any questions or be in need of service, please contact alumni@rrc.ca. A team member will be happy to assist you in the interim until a new manager is in place.

 

Happy holidays and all the best in 2017!

December 21, 2016

Happy Holidays cardWe wish you a wonderful season, filled with warmth, laughter, and fond memories!

From all of us at RRC, happy holidays and all the best in 2017!

Garage brand: Power Equipment Technician grad restores the little engines that could

December 19, 2016

Chantale Lavack knows how to fix your lawnmower. In fact, she knows how to fix a lot of the tools in your garage – from chainsaws to pressure washers, tillers and leaf blowers.

Even more importantly, the Red River College grad (Outdoor Power Equipment Technician, 2009) knows her gender has no impact on her success in the small engine repair business – and she wants other women to know that, as well.

“I hope my experience encourages more women to get into [the field],” says Lavack, who operates her own repair shop, La petite machine, out of her St. Boniface garage.

“The door’s not going to be closed on you right away, and if it is, then good riddance — you don’t really need those people, anyhow.”

Lavack recently talked to us about how her RRC education is “like gold,” how she sees her business evolving, and why other women shouldn’t hesitate to join a male-dominated industry.

RRC: Were you interested in fixing things as a kid?

Lavack: I wasn’t. It’s kind of strange. I only learned later in life that I had a liking for repairing things and wanting to get my hands dirty. It’s not like I was 10 years old with my head under a hood with my dad or anything like that. My dad was a funeral director.

What drew you to small engine repair?

It was those Orange County Chopper shows! I just thought it was really neat to see these guys in a garage, creating all of this cool stuff and putting it together and seeing it work. I had been working in an office at CN Rail and didn’t find it to be all that satisfactory. You just don’t get to see the results of your work. But when you have something that’s broken, you fix it, and away you go. Read More →

Landscape Technician grad thrives in growth industry

December 14, 2016

Red River College grad Chad Labbe just wanted to earn a little green when he went to work at Shelmerdine Garden Centre for the first time. It was the spring of 1990, and he was 14 years old when his mom suggested it would be a cool after-school job.

“You’ll like it,” he recalls her saying. “And I remember the first year I absolutely hated it. I was never coming back after the first year. They always made me water and sweep; I hated watering because you’d just get soaked and then you had to bike home after a long day of watering and you’re cold.”

When the job ended that June, Labbe thought he’d hung up his hose for the last time. But when spring rolled around again, he couldn’t resist the lure of a payday. Twenty-six years later, the 2000 Landscape Technician grad has taken root as Shelmerdine’s vice-president and co-owner.

“This business grows on you,” he says, no pun intended. “When you plant a crop and look back one week, two weeks, a month, six months later … the rewards are just right in front of you; the fruits of your labour, if you will.” (Pun intended that time.)

It took a while for Labbe to recognize that he has a green thumb, but he’s since come to realize he’s a natural-born gardener. His knack for greenhouse work came to light five years into his budding career, after he entered RRC’s four-year Landscape Technician apprenticeship program.

Read More →

Highway Star: Municipal Engineering Technology program paved career path for RRC grad

November 23, 2016

Rising with the sun and working until dusk isn’t for everyone, but it’s right up Jillene Rodgers’ alley.

Since graduating from Red River College’s three-year Municipal Engineering Technology program last May, Rodgers, 23, has been spending quality time on a highway construction site in Portage la Prairie.

Putting in 14- and 16-hour days at her new job with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, Rodgers inspects asphalt and grades, and generally ensures contractors adhere to the highway department’s project plans, regulations, and guidelines.

“We do not actually do any of the physical labour, we just make sure the contractor does what we ask,” she says. “We want to make sure the contractor is following our rules and regulations, while staying within the budget.”

The best part of the job? Getting her fill of fresh air in the great outdoors and spending her days around big machinery.  Read More →

William Prince Concert: Indigenous Alumni Reception Recap

November 18, 2016

RRC Indigenous graduates got together for an evening of networking and reminiscing on November 17, 2016 at the College’s School of Indigenous Education alumni reception. Guests were treated to a concert by William Prince, prayers by RRC elder Mae Louise Campbell, and a welcome song by Aki Ikwe drum group. It was a beautiful evening filled with friends, family, and community members. Thanks to everyone who was able to come out – see you at next year’s reception or at another alumni event in the near future.

Rebel Generation Alumni Award – November 30 deadline

November 16, 2016

Rebel Generation Alumn AwardIf you’re enrolled in a full-time program at Red River College and the dependent of an RRC graduate/apprentice, you are eligible to apply for the Rebel Generation Alumni Award. Two $1000 awards (one in the fall and one in the spring) are available each year.

All you have to do is provide two letters of reference, write a personal essay, and supply proof of your guardian’s graduation from RRC to be considered.

Deadline to apply is November 30, 2016. Click here for more information on eligibility and requirements.

RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anishininwak, Dakota Oyate, and Denésuline, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.