Hundreds of students from all academic programs at the Windsor Main and Downtown Campuses officially became graduates and members of the St. Clair College alumni family during the 59th annual Fall Convocation.
Hosted at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont. on Sept. 29, 2026, graduates like Eri Spotton were eager to cross the stage – even if not for the first time.
"I'm actually really excited to graduate this because I've taken a couple other programs before, so this is not my first graduation, but I'm excited to be able to go out into the workforce and be able to help people feel confident in themselves and help them be them," said Spotten, who graduated from the Hairstyling program.
"I'm also excited to help with more community initiatives," she added. "I went and did haircutting at the Soup Shack recently, and I absolutely love helping out in the community and being able to help those who may not be able to afford it."
Spotton was one of about 1,000 recent grads to receive their diplomas, degrees and certificates during the Windsor convocation session.
"You set a goal for yourselves, and you achieved it. That achievement deserves to be celebrated," said St. Clair College President, Michael Silvaggi. "The credential you will receive today represents much more than the successful completion of courses and assignments. It reflects your willingness to challenge yourself, to learn new skills and to invest in your future."
"Throughout your time at St. Clair College, you developed expertise in your chosen field. But equally important, you developed qualities that employers, communities and society value deeply: adaptability, professionalism, critical thinking, collaboration and resilience," President Silvaggi said. "These qualities will continue to serve you long after today's ceremony has concluded."
Students also had the opportunity to listen to fellow alumni and recent Alumnus of Distinction, Jeff Denomme, who delivered the convocation address.
"If I can help inspire some of the students out here – it doesn't have to be about graphic design or art at all, just for them to know you can start something, not know where you're going, and then all of a sudden end up – 20 years later – being the guy trying to inspire the next generation of kids," he said.
For more than two decades, Jeff has been creating art that has become part of the visual fabric of Windsor and beyond. His whimsical characters, bold colours, and distinctive style can be found in murals and public art throughout the community at St. Clair College, the Zekelman Safety Village, throughout downtown Windsor, and in plenty of unexpected places.
Denomme is a graduate of St. Clair College's Graphic Design program, where an important conversation with a professor encouraged him to embrace illustration and explore his own creative voice.
Today, he runs The Haunted Zoo alongside his wife, Christie, bringing art into schools, neighbourhoods, businesses, and public spaces. Together, they have transformed the brand into a creative studio that reaches far beyond traditional design.
His message to graduates was straightforward: never give up.
"You don't get to control your timeline. You might think the path that you're taking isn't the right path or something's different about it, but just embrace the weird path and know that you're allowed to evolve," Denomme said. "You'll know once you're past it, but during the journey, just enjoy it. I've been doing this for 25 years now, and my path is just finally kind of turning into something special."
Denomme's art projects across the community are currently being featured in a docuseries directed by Gavin Michael Booth, titled "The Zookeeper." The six-part series is running on Bell Fibe TV1 this fall.
"Stay on the path. And you might not get rewarded tomorrow. It might be 20 years late," said Denomme. "But it'll come."
