REFLECTIONS ISSUE 96 | FALL 2019 CONTENTS 3. Alumni Updates 8. Mock Media 19. Paws and Cuddle 26.Eyes on the Prize Conference 4. Developing the Next 21. Them Gains of Giving 2 7. Bon Appétit! Generation of AI Talent 12. But First, Makeup Back 28. How FASTSTART 6. Durham College’s Very 14. From DC To 23. Animation Nation Turns Big Ideas Into Reality Own Fundraising Prodigy, The Snowy Slopes of 24. Ending the Stigma 30. Where Success Linda Flynn Brimacombe Happens 7. How She Gained the 1 7. How To Get Ahead In Experience Advertising ALUMNI UPDATE 1970 1979 1993 Ron A. Sheyan Dennis Stokoe Scott Wildman Business Administration Food and Drug Technology Sports Management Information Systems Dennis lives in Etobicoke, Scott lives in Maple, Ont., Rob lives in Oshawa, Ont. Ont. with his wife Jackie with his wife Maria and is with his wife, Beth. and works as the Quality the Business Development Assurance & Regulatory Manager at Copywell Affairs Manager with Smith & Printing. Nephew Canada. 2012 2014 Follow us! Racheal A. O’Callaghan Amanda Cunning @durhamcollegealumni Personal Support Worker Office Administration Racheal lives in Newcastle, Amanda lives in Bowmanville, Ont. with her husband Shawn, @alumni_DC Ont. and works as the Leadership Administrative Secretary with the Durham District School @alumni_DC Board. About this issue... Editor-In-Chief: Matisse Hamel-Nelis Production Manager: Katrina O’Neill Managing Editor: Lauren Crummey Digital Content Manager: Liz Morris Art Director: Kris Sonderskov-Lamb Associate Art Director: Alexandria Wilcox Copy Editor: Marissa Campbell Photo Editor: Mauricio Cuellar Developing the Next Generation of AI Talent By Mauricio Cuellar “Being able to deliver expertise Photo credit: Mauricio Cuellar in the domain of AI will create huge economic opportunities roud of his for Canada. Our talent can accomplishments in his 26 P become a domestic export.” years, Amit Maraj is getting According to Indeed, jobs ready to become Durham in Canada requiring AI skills College’s (DC) new program have grown by more than co-ordinator of the first and 1,000 per cent since 2013. only, one-of-its-kind Artificial Additionally, the $125 million Intelligence Analysis, Design Canada is investing through and Implementation (AIDI) the Pan-Canadian Artificial graduate certificate in Canada. Intelligence Strategy is focused Maraj believes every on increasing the number company is transitioning into of AI researchers and skilled using artificial intelligence (AI) graduates. service, but they’re not able DC is helping to solve the to get qualified practitioners shortage of talent by launching to build on their unique value the AIDI graduate certificate proposition as companies. in the fall of 2019. The college “Canada is facing a lack of has relied in Maraj and his skilled professionals who are vast experience to lead this able to implement AI projects,” challenging milestone. says Maraj. Graduating from DC’s Computer Systems Technician Without the program in 2014, Maraj also opportunities“ I’ve holds a Bachelor of Science received from DC, I in Information Technology probably would never Security and a Master of have been able to Science in Computer Science, advance my education both from the University and career as far as it’s of Ontario Institute of Technology. He is currently Maraj has been awarded with the Silver Faculty of Excellence in Leadership by Colleges come. completing his PhD in and Institutions Canada and the Outstanding Faculty Researcher Award by DC. REFLECTIONS 04” Computer Science with a specialization in Natural Language Processing. Maraj is also a principal investigator on the primary research team with DC’s Office of Research Services, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ORSIE), where he has developed and implemented more than 20 industry-centric projects. However, one of the most rewarding parts of his job is being a faculty member with the School of Business, IT and Management. “Giving students the opportunity to work with companies in the industry, gain real-world experience and develop things they never knew were possible is the most rewarding part of my job,” says Maraj. “Without the opportunities I’ve received from DC, I probably would never have been able to With the ORSIE, Maraj helped establish the Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Systems (AI Hub) at Durham College, and created boot camps, workshops as well as several fully documented machine learning examples, which are hosted publicly for students. advance my education and career as far as it’s come.” goal in life. By sacrificing some students become familiar his shoulders to develop Maraj is proud of his of my time now, it will allow working with AI-based the next AI export-quality accomplishments, however, me to dedicate more time to technologies, algorithms and talent, he simply wants to be he’s had to make tough the things that are going to be frameworks, and to give them a remembered as a friend. decisions along the way that super important to me in the practical advantage over their “I would like to be have preventing him from future, like becoming a father.” competition in developing AI remembered as someone that reaching his ultimate life goal. For now, Maraj is prepared solutions for companies. people can rely on. I want “I’ve always wanted to be a to launch the AIDI program Despite his talent and everybody to remember me as dad,” says Maraj. “That’s my in September 2019 to help the huge responsibilities on their friend”, Maraj says. REFLECTIONS 05 Durham College's Very Own Fundraising Prodigy, Linda Flynn By: Diane El-Hachem “Our class was the first to graduate with desktop t took her a few years to publishing skills in the get there, but Linda Flynn I program. I was hired at my first landed her dream job at job right out of school,” said Durham College as associate Flynn. vice-president of the Office of Development and Alumni “Having graduated 30 years Affairs. Flynn consistently ago in 1988 and then to come delivers devotion, passion and back now in a leadership role love to all her work. She is part has been amazing,” said Flynn. of a breakthrough in the digital Flynn says her most revolution and brought rare, memorable career highlights highly sought-after skills to the were the community workplace. engagements and the relationships made along the way. Flynn and her team Linda Flynn stands before the newly installed donor wall in the CFCE lobby. recently raised $5-million (Diane El-Hachem) towards Durham College’s “I would say as long as it’s Flynn is an extraordinary new Centre For Collaborative interesting, I’m really happy example of an alumni that is Education (CFCE). where I am,” said Flynn. leading a fulfilling career. She “I am passionate about the Linda advises those in their is a wonderful person that school and the amazing things last year of their program is inflamed with passion and happening here, and also to continue networking and charisma. about bringing alumni back learning. “Do what you love, follow because of the excitement they “Get to know as many your passion. Sometimes it get from coming back here,” people as you can, learn as takes a while to get there at said Flynn. much as you can and soak it times but follow your love. I’ve Flynn strategically looks up,” said Flynn. been really fortunate to be at how Durham College able to do that,” said Flynn. should be engaging with the communities it serves as well as working with alumni. Of I would say as long as it’s interesting, I’m “ really happy where I am. Linda Flynn speaking at the Building course, it helps that she is Something Amazing Campaign that raised doing what she loves. It’s no ” funds for the CFCE. (Durham College) surprise she plans on staying. REFLECTIONS 06 How She Gained The Experience Story and photo by Lauren Crummey Her placements were at gaining valuable knowledge allowing her to transfer her ively, motivated and Youth Connections, a youth of what it would be like in the credits to UOIT’s Forensic Lcompassionate — three program geared toward field. While at Simcoe Hall program. This allowed her to words that describe Nicole under-18 male sex offenders, Settlement House, she ran complete both a diploma and Weller to a tee. A 2017 and at the Simcoe Hall a cooking class, did intakes degree in four and a half years. graduate of the Social Service Settlement House, a non-profit and distributed food to the Her interest in getting to know Worker (SSW) program at community resource centre. community. people and seeing the world Durham College (DC), she “These placements stretched through their eyes helped is currently attending the These placements my comfort zone and allowed encourage her to take the University of Ontario Institute stretched“ my comfort me to get hands-on experience Forensic Psychology program. of Technology (UOIT) for zone and allowed in the field,” says Weller. Her new career path was Forensic Pqsychology. When me to get hands-on “It also helped choosing something Weller didn’t she’s not being a full-time experience in the two things that were very expect. And like many young student, she’s working at one field. different from each other. By adults, she knows it’s tough of her two jobs — running completing my first placement, choosing the right one. Her after-school programming During her time” at Youth it made me realize that I didn’t advice for anyone embarking at the YMCA or creating Connections, she worked days necessarily want to do social on their career journey? delicious drinks as a Starbucks and nights, providing one-on- work, but I wanted to be more “Take all of the experiences barista.