Alumni & Friends Network

The Algonquin College Marc Maracle attended in 1979 was in many ways the same college that presented him with an honorary degree four decades later. But in at least one way, today’s Algonquin has profoundly changed, he says.

Algonquin remains as great a place to learn as it was when he studied Architecture Technology and Mechanical Systems from 1979 to 1983, says Maracle, Executive Director of the Gignul Non-Profit Housing Corporation. But now it is also a welcoming place for students of diverse backgrounds, and an institution conscious of the values inherent in its name. Continue reading →

It took a high school drama class for Lisa Murray to settle on a career. However, her decision had nothing to do with acting, directing, or production.

During the class, Murray volunteered to support two classmates with Down syndrome. She was amazed at the attitudes of the young men, the happiness they found in the smallest things.

“It really made me (question) why I was stressing about these big things in life when I could focus on a simple smile from a friend,” she says. “They really just changed my outlook on life so I decided to start doing this full-time.” Continue reading →

Just seven years after graduating from Algonquin’s Public Relations program in 2006, Kelly Rusk found herself working as a digital media expert at Banfield, a well-known Ottawa marketing and communications agency that’s been around since the word digital meant a wristwatch with flashing numbers.

Within two years of joining Banfield, she was a partner in the business and now serves as the agency’s digital director. If this seems like overnight success, don’t be fooled, says Rusk. Continue reading →