Love-may2013

Kelly Prudhomme and Roger Batchelor's Farewell message

As we look back over the fifty plus combined years we have spent at Algonquin we both have seen many changes that new technology and the demands of student excellence have made on the College.

New buildings springing up almost overnight in some cases to meet a growing student population, a PC on each employee’s desk where it was required, and a continuing change of staff from the President’s office to Registrar’s Front line support striving to make Algonquin one of the best learning establishments in Ontario and one of the better places to work.

We both found our niche here, friendships were forged and those friends became our working family.

We will never forget all of the people who have touched both our lives and made working at Algonquin a memorable experience.

In our case we found each other!

We both have so much to look forward to in our retirement. Our adventures, whether they are in travel or on the golf course or on the river bank fishing or on our bike rides together. We are both glad we have left the College at an age that leaves us with our health and enough time to enjoy not only each other but the challenges ahead.

We talked about what we both will miss when we start our new lives away from it. We both agree the first thing we will miss is the people we have had the pleasure to work along-side and with during our years here. We do not need to name anyone … all of you know who you are.

We both will miss the daily challenges that both our jobs brought to us each time we stepped through the College doors and the satisfaction we have had in solving student and staff problems, providing new system tools or procedures to help, each time to the best of our ability.

One piece of advice we both feel we can pass on is “don’t put retirement off… seize the day … life is so short”.

None of us know what tomorrow will bring. We all hope a sunny day, better things, good health and happiness. We both wish it for all of our friends and colleagues.

In closing we share the famous words of Mahatma Gandhi “There are no goodbyes for us, wherever you are, you will always be in our hearts”.

Hugs,

Roger Batchelor & Kelly Prudhomme