Excitement is in the air as Niagara College prepares to shine a spotlight on its Class of 2023 graduates and two honorary guests: a prominent Niagara leader and a distinguished member of the College’s alumni community for Spring Convocation.

From June 12-16, the Welland Campus will be a hub of activity with eight convocation ceremonies to be held in the Athletic Centre. Over five days of ceremonies, the College will celebrate 4,400 new graduates from NC’s spring Class of 2023 and two guests will be awarded special honours: Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero will be presented with an Honorary Degree in Health Studies, and Amy Audibert (Broadcasting – Radio, TV and Film Class of 2012) on-air broadcaster for the NBA’s Miami Heat, will take the stage with a Distinguished Alumni Award.

“Spring Convocation is the highlight of the academic year at Niagara College. We look forward to welcoming our Class of 2023 and their families to our Welland Campus for the ultimate celebration of student success,” said NC President Sean Kennedy. “This year, we also look forward to honouring two extraordinary guests – a Niagara healthcare leader and an amazing NC alumna — who embody our College’s core values.”

Honorary Degree in Health Studies: Lynn Guerriero

On the morning of June 14 (10 a.m. ceremony), Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero will be presented with an Honorary Degree in Health Studies in recognition of her leadership and community collaboration in Niagara and within the Ontario healthcare system.

Guerriero joined Niagara Health as President in early 2020 and has been President and CEO since early 2021. She arrived in Niagara with more than 30 years of leadership in the Ontario healthcare system, including senior roles at Cancer Care Ontario and as Assistant Deputy Minister for the OHIP Division of the Ontario Ministry of Health.

Since she took the reigns at Niagara Health, Guerriero has supported the hospital team through its COVID-19 response, as well as with all Niagara region assessment centres, temporary management of two long-term care facilities in crisis, and the region’s largest vaccination clinic.

Under Guerriero’s leadership, Niagara Health has made significant progress with planning for the new South Niagara Site hospital, expanding healthcare research, and embracing innovations in technology to enhance access to safe, quality care and patient information – which are all expected to benefit Niagara.

Guerriero will receive her honorary degree at the morning ceremony on June 14 which will celebrate new graduates from the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker, and School of Justice and Fitness.

Guerriero is currently a resident of Pelham.

Distinguished Alumni Award: Amy Audibert

It’s been just over 10 years since she graduated from NC, and alumna Amy Audibert will receive a Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of accomplishments on June 15.

Audibert, who has been netting success in her sports broadcasting career since she graduated from NC’s Broadcasting – Radio, TV and Film (BRTF) program in 2012, will be presented with the award during the morning convocation ceremony, which celebrates new graduates from the College’s School of Academic and Liberal Studies, and School of Media – including those graduating from the BRTF program.

Originally from Niagara Falls, Audibert currently works as part of a broadcast team for the National Basketball Association’s Miami Heat as a radio and television studio analyst. Previously, she was known as the voice of the Toronto Raptors as a court reporter and analyst for Sportsnet. In 2021, Audibert made headlines when she was selected to be part of a historic all-female broadcast crew – the first NBA broadcast in Canada which featured women in all on-air roles for a televised Raptors game.

Audibert played basketball for the University of Miami before she pursued her broadcasting studies. As a NC student, she took on the role of assistant coach for the NC Knights women’s basketball team (2011-2012) and honed her broadcasting skills at NC Knights games.

After graduating, she worked for a variety of sports media networks including CBS Sports, NBATV, and NBATV Canada.

Eight spring ceremonies

NC will host eight Spring Convocation ceremonies at its Welland Campus including:

• June 12, 3 p.m. (programs within the School of Business and Management);
• June 13, 10 a.m. (programs within the schools of Hospitality and Tourism, and Business and Management);
• June 13, 3 p.m. (programs within the schools of Culinary Arts; Wine, Beer and Spirits; and Environment and Horticulture);
• June 14, 10 a.m. (programs within the schools of Justice and Fitness, and Nursing and Personal Support Worker);
• June 14, 3 p.m. (programs within the schools of Technology, and Trades);
• June 15,10 a.m. (programs within the schools of Media, and Academic and Liberal Studies);
• June 15, 3 p.m., (programs within the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker); and
• June 16, 10 a.m. (programs within the schools of Allied Health, and Community Services).

A highlight of Spring Convocation will be the presentation of the prestigious Governor General’s Academic medals to two graduating students who have achieved the highest overall grade-point average – one from a diploma program and another from a degree program (to be announced). Throughout the week, eight graduating students will also be presented with Dean’s awards for scoring the highest GPA within their school of study.

To view the schedule and list of programs graduating within each School, visit the ‘Ceremony Schedule’ section of NC’s Convocation website.

NC’s in-person Spring Convocation ceremonies will also be livestreamed. Visit the convocation website at niagaracollege.ca/convocation. Ceremonies will also remain on the site for later viewing.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.