What's New - College of the Rockies' Monthly Newsletter

February 2022 Edition

Stories Making News!

StartUP! Entrepreneurship Office

Students interested in being their own boss or who have a business dream they'd like to pursue have a new resource at the College. The StartUP! Entrepreneurship office will support student entrepreneurs to find the help they need to start their own business. Services include weekly office hours with mentors and a Invited Speaker Series. The inaugural presentation Apprentice to CEO: Launch Your Own Business with Your Trades Training by Sue Ross from Futurpreneur took place on January 18.

Let's Talk Day

During our Home Opener weekend (January 21/22), our College of the Rockies' Avalanche teams teamed up with the Camosun College Chargers to raise the #BellLetsTalk flag to help create positive change!

Scholarships for Students

Current College of the Rockies students can apply now for financial awards to help offset the cost of going to school.

Apply now

Alumni Focus

Michelle Chan

"Creating my company is my way to give Black women and my community their power back."

In 2016, at only 18 years old, Michelle Chan took a leap-of-faith and moved halfway across the world to pursue her goal of making the most of what life had to offer. Her journey from Nairobi, Kenya to Canada led her to the Bachelor of Business Administration: Sustainable Business Practices (BBA) program at College of the Rockies.

Michelle graduated from the BBA program in 2020 with a sense of purpose.

“The BBA program exposed me to great opportunities that nourished my education, moulded me as an individual and set me on the right trajectory career-wise,” she said. “I recently started a small online business – Ihsani Co. – selling hair products and crafts. I wanted to create something for Black women by Black women. Living in small town BC, most of the goods and services available cater to a mass market, with a niche like this often neglected.”

Giving Back

Honouring his uncle's legacy

Bob Bjorn always found the story of his late uncle, Verdun Casselman, inspiring. A World War II veteran, Casselman never went to school beyond grade seven, yet he went on to write a book: Ties to Water: The History of Bull River in the East Kootenay. After his death, Cassleman's neighbours worked together to establish the Verdun Cassleman Memorial Scholarship at the College. This scholarship is awarded to a full-time student studying agriculture, history, or journalism, all passions of Casselman.

In an effort to continue to support the scholarship, Bob ordered a new printing of his Ties to Water. For every book he sells, he gives five dollars back to the scholarship, in addition to personal donations he makes regularly.