A resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, Keith Baldwin, an associate systems engineer with Cisco Systems Canada, made the choice to study at Durham College after a near-death experience caused him to re-evaluate his life. A former soldier in the British army, Baldwin was medically discharged after a bad accident left him with disabilities. He said that because of the help and understanding of the Centre for Students with Disabilities and Durham College’s faculty amazing things were possible. A lover of golf, martial arts and routers, Baldwin’s advice to new students is to live life to the max and don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today.
Sharlene DoucetteSharlene Doucette, a 1997 Office Administration – Medical graduate, chose to attend Durham College because of its program flexibility. The first year of her program focused on office administration, offering students the opportunity to choose from medical, legal or executive administration in their second year. Doucette feels the college is dedicated to student success, noting two great teachers assisted her during some rough times. She values the friendships she made while at college, some of which are still going strong 10 years later! Doucette advises new students to have fun, but work hard and take advantage of what Durham College can offer.
Since graduating from the Business Administration program Paul Fitzpatrick has started two companies, the first generating revenues of $12 million per year. His current company earns him about $7 million per year. Fitzpatrick credits his success to his Durham College education, which he says helped him to manage his companies financially and market them well. During an ice storm in Quebec, the federal government called on his company to charter generators from North America, saving the city of Montreal from loss of power. College memories include pub nights, winning the basketball championship and his teachers.
Melanie FloodA lady who knows what to do in an emergency, Melanie Flood is the charge nurse for emergency and acute care at Haliburton Hospital in Haliburton, Ontario. Flood mentors new nurses using the standards she learned while at Durham College, standards that continue to be a solid base for her in her practice. She was a member of the volleyball team and said the team took a great trip to Florida. Flood lives in Haliburton with her family.
Ron Fornarolo is a local primary care paramedic who works full-time for Toronto EMS and part-time for Durham EMS. A former volunteer with St. John Ambulance, Fornarolo spends his extra time doing landscaping, working out and reading. His best memories of Durham College are chatting with Roger Anderson (a former Police Foundations professor who has since passed away), and spending time with friends and classmates after a hard study session. Durham College played a huge role in his life by allowing him to get started on the job he always wanted by teaching him the skills required to perform at work.
A graduate of the Electronic Engineering program, Chris Gill is now a telecommunications and project manager with Bell Canada, dealing with fiber optics, copper and electronic switching equipment and overall network design, maintenance, installation and upgrades. Indicating Durham College’s programs are seen as a benchmark of excellence by many employers across Ontario, he credits his diploma with opening up many doors. Gill fondly remembers Durham College, especially the Last Blast of 1988 and the Student Association trip to Quebec. In addition to his career success he has received awards from the United Way including Outstanding Contribution in Community Building.
For George Hood, receiving his diploma wasn’t the only plus about attending Durham College. It’s also where he met his wife, Jean who was the subject of a psychology paper he wrote while at the college. Hood is currently the president of Herzing College in Toronto where he enjoys seeing his students succeed and volunteers for the National Association of Career Colleges. His best memories of Durham College are the conversations had by the baby boomer generation and playing in his old rock band.
A fundraising expert, Linda Marco is the national manager of Communications and Development for the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. She has her Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) accreditation and has taught fundraising lectures at the national conference for the Association of Fundraising Professionals. When Marco thinks of Durham College, friendships, dedication to success and supportive teachers come to mind. She said she still relies on the basics from her college education including writing, analytical and desktop publishing skills. She spends her free time reading, rollerblading and spending time with her kids.
A love for music plus a diploma from Durham College has equalled great success for Dan McInally who works as the lesson co-ordinator at Long & McQuade and runs an independent record label called Eternal Rest Records. He values the volunteer work he did as a student for Canadian Music Week. McInally’s favourite memories of college include creating Backrow Records, playing shows at E.P. Taylor’s pub and class trips to Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He says Durham College impacted his life by preparing him to work and run his own music business.
Paul Timpano lives in Barrie, Ontario with his family and is the owner of Timpano Ltd., a tuxedo business, and New Leaf Holdings and Consulting Ltd., a trade show promotion, marketing and consulting business. Timpano believes the foundation provided by Durham College helped him immensely on his road to success and will assist many future graduates accomplish great things. While a student, he won sports awards in badminton, basketball, volleyball and hockey and was named Athlete of the Year. His favourite memories are of Last Blast, the great teachers and his friends.
Lindy Whyte pursued a post-secondary education at Durham College because she believed the school would offer her a quality educational experience. She felt genuinely cared for by staff and faculty during her time on campus. She advises new students to study more than they think they need to and to begin assignments before they think they need to.