April 27, 2017

The 25th Annual St. Clair College Alumni of Distinction Awards took place last night at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts. The yearly event honours a chosen group of accomplished St. Clair College alumnus in the fields of creative arts, technology, business, health sciences and community studies. Past honorees include: Marketing CAO of the Town of Tecumseh, Tony Haddad; CEO of The Job Shoppe, Meighen Nehme and Broadcast Journalist and AM800 Radio personality, Lynn Martin.

This year’s honorees include: Andrew Banar, Group Hug Apparel; Daniel Miskokomon, Walpole Island First Nation; Elizbeth Farano, Douglas Marketing Group; Judy Robinet, A Life Worth Living; Dr. Snezana Ninkovich, Windsor Regional Hospital and David Sellick, Sellick Equipment Limited.

I had the distinct pleasure of attending this year’s event to hear the unique story of each of the well-deserving honorees. I listened intently as they not only thanked the friends, family, clients, managers and co-workers who helped them along the way, but also to hear what helped get them to this distinguished point in their career. A point I can only hope to achieve myself one day. Here are a few direct quotes from each honoree.

Andrew Banar

“Be strong, rock on.”
Which is not only Andrew’s catchphrase but also the words he shouted with pride just as he closed his acceptance speech. Throughout Andrew’s video and speech it was clear that positive thinking was something Andrew practiced on a regular basis. It’s that positivity that has led to Andrew’s Group Hug Apparel donating over $40,000 to help raise awareness for Down syndrome.

David Sellick

“Why work for someone else.”
The words David’s father Walter Sellick spoke to David shortly after David graduated from St. Clair College in 1968 which led to them starting the family business Sellick Equipment Limited. They, along with David’s twin brother, have now built their company into a worldwide recognized brand that grosses nearly $35-million in sales each year. A true entrepreneurial success story!

Judy Robinet

“It will always be in your hands.”
I’ve always been one to take on challenges head-on and I truly believe that with a little hard work, perseverance and luck you can achieve all your goals. That’s why when Judy mentioned this quote in her video last night, it really struck a cord with me. Her charity A Life Worth Living has been a resource to hundreds of Canadians seeking answers about their impairments and it’s because of her hard work that it’s been able to help that many people.

Dr. Snezana Ninkovich

“Pursuit of education has always been paramount to my life.”
Preach! Being in a technology-based industry like digital marketing, I constantly have to keep learning. Whether it be through online certifications, enrolling in additional courses at St. Clair College or just attending speaking sessions of well-known marketers, education has always been paramount to me as well. Dr. Snezana is an ER physician at Windsor Regional Hospital but her education at St. Clair College, UofW, McMaster and Western is what helped get her there.

Elizbeth Farano

“I have a career, I’m a mom but I want to give back.”
The idea that community plays a huge role in the lives of successful individuals was very apparent at last night’s ceremony. Liz spoke of all her wonderful career achievements but the one she spoke most passionately about was her role with 100 Women Who Care of Windsor-Essex. Giving back to the community is something I believe in as well and I plan to get more actively involved in volunteering and community work, starting with the Heartbreaker Challenge next month.

Daniel Miskokomon

“I don’t read speeches, I shoot from the hip.”
Chief Daniel Miskokmon was probably one of the most entertaining and funny “speeches” of the evening, mostly because he didn’t have a speech prepared at all. As he mentioned he “shoots from the hip” so it allowed him to really show his true personality on stage. I like to do the same in meetings and presentations to really engage with my audience and give them an idea of who I really am.

– –
Congratulations again to all the St. Clair College Alumni of Distinction recipients this year! Wishing you nothing but continued success!