The Summer Ashton Achievement Awards

On June 22, Ashton College held the Ashton Achievement Awards, a garden party-themed celebration at Trout Lake Community Centre to commemorate Ashton graduates’ accomplishments!

In a room featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, all the attendees were able to overlook the gorgeous views of Trout Lake Park. It was a great turnout, with over 150 people in attendance. It was also a wonderful opportunity for graduates to network with their peers and faculty. It was exciting to see our online graduates meeting their classmates and instructors for the first time. Advisers, families, and friends were congratulating graduates on their achievements. The room was filled with jubilation as everyone enjoyed great company and delicious fruit, cookies, and sandwiches

Every organization needs someone with vision to lead the way. At Ashton College, the one who builds the blueprint and helps turn vision into reality is our president, Colin Fortes. Along with the continuous applause he received, Colin was also welcomed to give an inspirational speech.

“You have worked hard to get to where you are today, and I am happy for you. Remember how accomplished you feel today and use that same motivation to succeed in your career goals,” he told our graduates. “Don’t be afraid to do the small jobs that will help you succeed in your career. I hope you will continue to be trustworthy and passionate in everything you do.”

Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes. To further motivate our graduates to achieve their life goals, we invited Marco Pasqua, a professional speaker, to share his personal story with our graduates. When Marco was born, he was three months premature and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Marco’s parents raised him to believe that no goal was too far out of reach, and that no challenge was too hard to conquer. With that in mind, he used his talents to successfully enter the gaming industry. However, when he realized that his true passion was to be a professional speaker, Marco left the gaming industry to start his journey following his passion of becoming an entrepreneur.

Marco was excited that he had the opportunity to share his story with our graduates and inspire them to overcome life’s challenges. He ended his speech with an inspirational quote: “You have to be true to yourself and your goals. Don’t be afraid to take the risk to start a new career that you’re really passionate about.”

After all the inspirational speeches, the Ashton Achievement Awards reached its climax: the recognition of our graduates and special awards presentation.

On Saturday our graduates, were recognized for successful completion of the following programs: Diploma in Accounting, Certificate in Bookkeeping, Certificate in Business, Diploma in Business, Diploma in Business Management, Certificate in Business English Communication, Diploma in Business English Communication, Certificate in International Trade, Diploma in International Trade, Diploma in International Trade Management, Certificate in Sales and Marketing, Diploma in Sales and Marketing, Diploma in Sales and Marketing Management and Immigration Consultant Diploma. Family, friends, faculty, and staff gave graduates a big round of applause to recognize their achievements.

The first award given out was the Academic Achievement Award. We awarded this to Charlotte Humphries, who completed our Immigration Consultant Diploma Program. She achieved the highest marks of all the June graduates.

She was excited and surprised to receive the award. As a mother of two young children, Charlotte went to great lengths to balance the demand of her personal life with her studies. This is inspiring. She is an excellent model for her daughter and son, as well as for her peers.

Based on the evaluations for faculty that we received from students, we awarded the Faculty Award to Becky Wong who possesses a sense of leadership within the school community and demonstrates a positive and professional attitude within the workplace.

It takes a lot of determination to complete a program at Ashton College. We received a large number of nominations from faculty and students for the Perseverance Award. Ki Seo Hong and Mariana Soengkono stood out from rest, and were awarded the Perseverance Award.

Last but not least, we awarded the President’s Award to Ishita Snehil. Ishita exhibited leadership, represented the college’s values, demonstrated a positive attitude, worked well with others, and achieved a high level of academic success. Congratulations to all the award winners!

It was an inspirational and memorable day, filled with lively atmosphere, motivational messages, and, most importantly, great people. Congratulations to all of our graduates once again, we wish you the best as you move onto the next chapter of your lives.

We’ve already started planning for the next Ashton Achievement Awards! The date is set for December 7, 2013. Please stay tuned!