Okanagan College will be recognizing the achievements of more than 1,450 students who will be earning credentials from a variety of academic, vocational and trades programs throughout the course of three Convocation ceremonies in Kelowna this weekend.

Among them will be Reid Schretlen, a graduate of the Bachelor of Business Administration’s honours program. Schretlen, like many of his classmates, struggled to make a decision about where his future would lead him after college.

Presented with the opportunity to bend the ear of one of the region’s best-known entrepreneurs, Schretlen didn’t hesitate and ended up receiving the advice that would land him his ideal job.

“I had a chance to speak with Club Penguin co-founder Lance Priebe and he said the job search is more about finding people you think would be awesome to work with, so that’s what I decided to do,” said Schretlen.

The technique clearly worked.

“I met one of the coolest bosses in Kelowna and that’s exactly how it all fell into place,” he said. “I told the owner I want to work with a team of incredible people, and now here I am.”

Schretlen is a few weeks into his new position as Manager of Client Services for HuStream – a video strategy company based in Kelowna.

He said when he talks with fellow students many say they have no idea what they’re going to do next.

“What I did was look more for the kind of people that I would want to work with. Look for the team, rather than the job,” he said. “I already knew I wanted to work in a start-up environment so this is perfect.”

Schretlen is just one of hundreds of Okanagan College students from the graduating class of 2013 who have secured work prior to receiving their diplomas.

Convocation celebrations begin at 6 p.m. Friday, June 7 when the College recognizes the achievements of more than 1,000 Trades students from throughout the region.

On Saturday, there will be a morning ceremony at 10:30 a.m., followed by an afternoon ceremony at 2 p.m. During that time, degrees, diplomas and certificates will be conferred on 464 students from various fields. Among them will be students receiving their Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, Associate of Arts or Science degrees, Commercial Aviation diplomas, Engineering Technology diplomas, and many others.

Also on Saturday, Ernie Philip and Alan Gatzke will be recognized as Honorary Fellows of the College.

Philip, who is an elder of the Little Shuswap Indian Band and an acclaimed international dance artist and lecturer, will be receiving his honour at the morning ceremony.

Gatzke, a third generation farmer and proprietor of Gatzke Orchards in Oyama and an early and successful adopter of the agri-tourism concept, will be honoured in the afternoon.

This year’s third Honorary Fellow, Kelowna Flightcraft CEO and past President Barry Lapointe, will be honoured at the College’s Summer Convocation on June 27.

News from © iNFOnews, 2013