Humber College graduates recently came together for Alumni Weekend to connect with old friends, classmates and faculty, while also enjoying events and outings.

Alumni Weekend ran September 16 to 18 and included a game at the Toronto Blue Jays’ College and University Night on the Friday, a day of activities and experiences at North Campus on the Saturday and a trip to Canada’s Wonderland to close the weekend on Sunday.  

“Events such as these provide the alumni team the opportunity to connect with alumni, hear their stories, and enhance their connection to Humber,” said Karina Butzek-Morris, manager, Alumni at Humber. “Through these unique experiences, we are able to strengthen our relationships with alumni.”

Back to campus  

The day at North Campus included Qigong workshops and tours of the Tzu Chi Clinic of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Alumni also worked on their swings at the Humber Golf Lab, met Pepper the humanoid robot while checking out the latest in robotics at the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, boosted their wine knowledge at a wine pairing workshop and watched the Humber Hawks women’s rugby sevens team play in a tournament, among other activities.

Alumni also had the opportunity to reminisce and take a stroll down memory lane as they toured the campus and connected with faculty and student volunteers.   

Marcos Harston graduated from Humber’s Broadcast Television/Videography program in 2010 and was impressed when he returned to North Campus as part of the weekend.

“It was moving to walk the hallways of a place I spent so much time passing through as a student – now seeing it again with all its modern tools, labs and classrooms,” said Harston. “You can’t help but notice the heights the college has reached and the potential it has while simultaneously being reminded of my own goals and dreams.”

Jesse Major, who graduated from Humber’s Fitness and Health Promotion program in 2018, attended this year’s reunion. It was his first time at Alumni Weekend.

“It’s great to see how the alumni want to remain connected to Humber,” said Major, who’s now enrolled in the college’s Wellness Coaching graduate certificate program. “It’s a great chance to connect with friends you haven’t seen since you were in class together. I’d definitely sign up for this again.”

He also ran into an old classmate he hadn’t seen since graduation.

Major left the weekend with a Humber gift bag full of swag as well as a new Nespresso machine after winning a raffle offered by affinity partner, Manulife, which had an information table set up at North Campus.

Carmelina Manno is the national director, Partnerships and Development with Manulife and was at North Campus on the Saturday.

"Humber College and its Advancement and Alumni department have been a partner of Manulife for many years and it was such a special opportunity for us to be invited and welcomed back to campus for this outstanding event," said Manno. "Humber is a special institution that produces some truly outstanding people and the relationships that I have been able to cultivate are incredibly special to me. Thank you for such a wonderful experience."

More education offerings for graduates

Humber’s Continuous Professional Learning department was also on campus on the Saturday to let alumni know about the programs and courses they offer.

Kimberly Carter, associate dean with Continuous Professional Learning, said they wanted to be there to share with alumni information on how they can enroll in programs to upskill or reskill and how these courses help build learners’ networks.

“It's a natural fit because they are all people who have already chosen Humber once to fulfill their educational needs,” said Carter about reaching out to alumni. “Our courses can help you stand out from the crowd in a competitive labour market.”

Those interested in learning more about Humber’s connections with its alumni can visit the Advancement and Alumni website for more information.