The 2023 recipients of St. Clair College's Alumni of Distinction come from diverse backgrounds, but they have all reached great success in their chosen fields.
The honorees for St. Clair College's 30th Alumni of Distinction Awards are the following:
- Bob Bellacicco, Reporter, Bell Media/CTV News Windsor, graduated in 1994 from the Business Advertising program. He is being honoured in the category of Business & I.T.
- Christine Knights, Owner/Registered Dental Hygienist, Bright Smiles, graduated in 2006 from the Dental Hygiene program. She is being honoured in the category of Nursing/Health Sciences.
- Fil Grado, Advance Projects Technical Lead, Stellantis, graduated in 1997 from the Mechanical Engineering Technology program. He is being honoured in the category of Technology / Engineering.
- Dan Janisse, Photojournalist, Windsor Star, graduated in 1989 from the Journalism program. He is being honoured in the category of Creative Arts (Media, Art & Design).
- Julia Lane, Canadian Award-Winning, Multi-Sport Athlete, graduated in 2022 from the Community Integration through Cooperative Education program. She is being honoured as a Recent Grad.
- Cheryl Sprague, Executive Director/Founder, Delta Chi Beta ECE Centres, graduated in 1978 from the Early Childhood Education program. She is being honoured in the category of Community Studies.
This year's list of honourees will bring a total of 131 graduates recognized by the College since 1992.
St. Clair College President Dr. Patti France said the award recipients will be asked to be guest speakers at convocation ceremonies in 2023-2024.
"Nothing epitomizes the importance of St. Clair's role in the community quite as clearly as the Alumni of Distinction program," said College President Dr. Patti France. "Over the years, it has honoured graduates who have used their St. Clair educations to make truly exceptional contributions to the technological, economic, social and medical well-being of southwestern Ontario. The fact that many of our local honourees have subsequently gone on to be recognized with Premier's Awards attests to the impact of a St. Clair education at the provincial, national and international levels. We'll be celebrating all of that as we gather for the 30th annual banquet on April 15, 2023."
"For 30 years, St. Clair has celebrated exemplary graduates who have been recognized for their groundbreaking achievements in a variety of industries," says John Feldman, President St. Clair College Alumni Board of Directors. "Entrepreneurship, research or public service: no matter where they land on that spectrum, these Alumni of Distinction are trailblazers who effect positive change across our community!"
This year's Alumni of Distinction ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 15, 2023, in the Alumni Skyline room at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts in downtown Windsor. Tickets are $75 and available by calling 519-972-2747 or visiting www.stclairalumni.com for more information.