U of G’s OpenEd Celebrates Graduates at Fall Convocation

On Friday, October 11, Open Learning and Educational Support (OpenEd) hosted the 2019 Continuing Education Convocation at the Arboretum Centre, University of Guelph. The ceremony began with welcoming remarks from Michelle Fach, executive director, OpenEd, who emphasized the importance of lifelong learning. Cate Dewey, associate vice-president (academic), led the convocation address and spoke about family support throughout the educational journey.

Guest speakers Gayle Ecker, Monica Laane-Fralick, and Sarah Bannerman participated in the graduate address, with personal success stories and words of reflection.

Ecker, director, Equine Guelph, holds an honours BA, a bachelor of education, and a master of science. She recently added one more credential to her list: a Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization. During the ceremony, Ecker spoke about pathways for learning through OpenEd, transforming knowledge into action, and creating strategies to overcome barriers.

“The knowledge mobilization course has helped me combine my knowledge as an educator, and my strong support and advocacy for equine welfare,” says Ecker. “It has pushed me to take a good hard look at the programs to see how we can make them more effective in achieving our goals.”

Laane-Fralick graduated from the Equine Studies Online program with a Certificate in Equine Business Management and a Certificate in Equine Welfare. She reflected on how the education acquired through OpenEd will benefit the equine industry and where her education will take her next.

“When I started all of this, I had no real idea of where I was going or what I was going to do with all this knowledge,” says Laane-Fralick. “Now moving forward, I feel the best contribution I can make to the equine industry is to share what I have learned and what I continue to learn. My desire is not so much to physically work with horses but contribute to the education and research side of the industry.”

Bannerman graduated with a Diploma in Human Resources Management and aspires to be a supervisor or manager. A single mother, she commented on the flexibility of OpenEd’s courses, which allowed her to maintain a steady day job while pursuing a university education. “When I saw that I could attend university in the evenings, I took up the challenge,” says Bannerman. “In a way, I wanted to show myself that I was capable of any goal, but also to show others that it can be done when you want it badly enough.”

Graduates from more than 25 continuing education programs were featured at this year’s convocation. For more information about courses and programs, visit the OpenEd website.