Home – Summer 2017

Welcome

When I started working at Algonquin College in July, 2015 I knew right away it is a place like no other organization at which I had worked. The pride employees have for this place; the genuine and deep care that people have for the well-being of their colleagues; the commitment and the warmth were immediately apparent to me. And, in the two years since I joined the college, this feeling of a tight-knit, caring community has only been reinforced. As a long-time veteran of the media, political and marketing worlds – used to those hard-bitten, cynical dog-eat-dog work environments – Algonquin is a breath of fresh air. Every day I feel privileged to be part of the college community.

But what I didn’t really know – or just didn’t think about – until quite recently is the fact that the spirit of caring we see every day at the college goes well beyond our campus boundaries. This fact was driven home to me on a recent unscheduled stay in hospital as an acutely ill patient on the surgical unit.

I will spare you the medical details – it’s enough to say that I was in intense pain and great discomfort. Hospitals are no fun at the best of times. Somewhat paradoxically, when you are sick, they can seem like exactly the wrong place to be. The noise, the smells and the constant activity don’t seem conducive to recovery. What makes the difference, though, is the people.

Now, it’s a big part of my job to tell the world about Algonquin College. So I am familiar with the statistics – 60 per cent of front-line health workers are college trained. In Ottawa, that means a large number have an Algonquin College connection.

I was fortunate to see that first-hand. The first night I was admitted, a proud Algonquin-trained nurse told me gently that he would do everything he could to take away the pain and he did. Over the next few days many other alumni – I asked everyone where they went to school – made sure I was comfortable, kept me informed and, most of all, made me feel like my well-being was important to them. That feeling of genuine caring you get being at the college, was there as well. I think we can all be proud of the community we are building.

Scott Anderson
Executive Director
Communications, Marketing and External Relations