Conestoga news

November 29, 2022 12:34 PM

Conestoga graduate honoured with Premier’s Award

Conestoga graduate Jennifer Green was honoured with a Premier’s Award on Monday, November 28 during a gala event held as part of the Colleges Ontario Higher Education Summit in Toronto.

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Conestoga graduate Jennifer Green has been honoured with a 2022 Premier's Award.

The awards, established in 1992, acknowledge the social and economic contribution that Ontario college graduates make to the province and throughout the world. Award recipients, chosen from nominations submitted by the province’s 24 colleges, have demonstrated outstanding career success related to their college experience and have made significant contributions to their community

This year, 126 graduates were nominated for the awards which recognize graduates in seven categories: Apprenticeship, Business, Community Services, Creative Arts & Design, Health Sciences, Recent Graduate and Technology. Green, a 2008 graduate of the Industrial Mechanic Millwright program, was recognized in the Apprenticeship category.

The only woman in her program during her time at Conestoga, Green is a recognized leader in the skilled trades. As director of competitions at Skills Ontario, she leads Canada’s largest skilled trades competition with 2,400 competitors across 74 contests, 37,000 visitors and 800 volunteers.

In 2020, Green was appointed chair of a team of apprenticeship youth advisors who were invited to work with Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development on a provincial strategy to attract youth to the skilled trades. She has also been named one of WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women and a Universal Women’s Network Woman of Inspiration.

“These awards are a great tribute to our college graduates’ phenomenal success in Ontario and throughout the world. We’re very proud of all of our nominees and recipients and congratulate them on everything they have achieved in their chosen fields,” said Linda Franklin, president and CEO, Colleges Ontario.

Six other Conestoga graduates were also nominated for this year’s Premier’s Awards:

  • Business nominee: Nick Heibein; Bachelor of Applied Technology — Architecture, Project and Facility Management '07
  • Community Services nominee: Luke Antonio; Bachelor of Applied Technology — Architecture, Project and Facility Management, '12
  • Creative Arts & Design nominee: Erin Martin; Graphic Design '09
  • Health Sciences nominee: Rachel Radyk (Waabanokwe); General Arts and Science — Health Option '16, Practical Nursing '18
  • Recent Graduate nominee: Margaret Tavares; Computer Programmer Analyst '19
  • Technology nominee: Yumna Nasir; Bachelor of Applied Technology — Architecture, Project and Facility Management '13

“The extraordinary success of these graduates shows how our colleges are preparing students with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to have rewarding careers, supporting the workforce of today and tomorrow,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “Their incredible achievements are helping to strengthen our economy and make very real and tangible differences in the lives of Ontarians.”

In addition to this year’s recipient, several other Conestoga graduates have been recognized with Premier’s Awards in the past, including Massi Basiri (Business, 2021), Meti Basiri (Business 2021), Clarice Ward (Apprenticeship, 2019), William Werth (Recent Graduate, 2019), Kevin King (Health Sciences, 2019), Don Gosen (Apprenticeship, 2018), Allie Libertini (Recent Graduate, 2018), Marianne Walker (Health Sciences, 2015), Tahani Aburaneh (Business, 2013) and Charmeli Naraine (Business, 2012).

Visit the Alumni website for profiles of our Premier’s Award winners and the 2022 Conestoga nominees.