TIMMINS, ON: Northern College is proud to announce the success of its ‘Go to College’ day, which gave almost 200 high school students from across the region access to a variety of unique programs offered at its Timmins campus.

“Any opportunity that we at Northern have to welcome potential students into our classrooms is a chance to inspire young minds to think more tangibly about their future,” stated Northern College President Dr. Fred Gibbons. “Events like this allow us to show high school students that a first rate education can be found closer to home than they might have thought, and thanks to our talented faculty, staff and student body, we can bring that message to life.”

Through hands-on program samplings Northern students and faculty led, grade 10 students were given the opportunity to better picture their careers and begin the process of determining what their future academic path looks like.

“A lot of these students have the idea that they have to go to university or get out of town, so they don’t even consider Northern College,” said Kelly Ann Marks, O’Gorman High School Guidance Counsellor. “They don’t realize the jewel that Northern College is right in their own community, so it’s good for them to come in grade 10 so they can start thinking and planning about their future and whether they see that future at Northern.”

Educators like Marks maintain that providing young students with a clearer picture of what post-secondary life looks like removes some of the fear that comes with making a monumental life choice at such a young age.

“I think it makes it feel less scary, it makes it feel more accessible because it’s not just this far off concept,” said Lise-Anne Gilbert, a Career Studies Teacher at Timmins High and Vocational School. “Students can come here and see that people at Northern are friendly, they’re just like their teachers now, it’s not really going to be very different. Students have this greater sense that this decision is not a big bad wolf down in the future, but instead, is something that is realistic and that they can picture themselves doing.”

For aspiring nurses like O’Gorman High School grade 10 student Emma Mills, an intimate look at Northern College’s renowned Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides an exciting example of what her future can look like.
“I thought it was really cool! Just to see all of the different students practicing their techniques like lifting each other out of beds, it’s just really cool to get a better idea of what school looks like,” said Mills. “I like it because it’s close to home and it provides a stable program, so it’s definitely a place I’d consider going to.”

Northern College is committed to helping students on their path to post-secondary success; a path it recognizes begins long before high school graduation. This effort to provide creative and accommodating supports to regional secondary schools is one that will ensure the long term success of local youth and the overall economic health of Ontario’s northeast.

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Cutline: Students from Timmins High & Vocational School got a firsthand look at Northern College’s Paramedic programming during Go to College day. This annual event is designed to give regional high school students a better idea of what a post-secondary education at Northern College looks and feels like.

Media Contact:
Kyle Gennings
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T. 705-235-3211 ext. 2276
F. 705-235-6888
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