Once again one of our province�s post-secondary
students has been recognized for a national award. Mr. Michael Small, a
graduate from College of the North Atlantic�s Corner Brook campus, was
the winner of the 2008-2009 Fourth Class Student Award. The award is
given by PanGlobal, a national publisher of training materials specific
to the power engineering occupation. It recognizes excellence in
achievement and is highly sought after by almost 40 colleges across
Canada which submit student names for nomination.
The first place winner is chosen by combining
in-school marks with the student�s results in the national standardized
examinations. Michael had a combined average of 89.5 per cent � the
highest in the country. The award consists of a $1,000 cash prize, plus
travel and accommodations to attend the award presentation, held earlier
this week in Montreal. A book contribution in Michael�s name will also
be made to the college�s reference library.
Mr. Small joins a long list of post-secondary students
and graduates from this province who are recognized nationally and
internationally for their knowledge, skills and innovation. For example,
next month an earth sciences team from Memorial will represent Canada at
an international competition called the Imperial Barrel Award. A student
from Grenfell College represented Canada at the World Water Forum in
Istanbul in March. Students in Free Enterprise � or SIFE Memorial � will
represent Canada at the international world cup, and hopefully bring
home the first place prize for the second year in a row. And the
legendary Eastern Edge robotics team, comprised of students from MUN,
the Marine Institute, College of the North Atlantic and for the first
time this year a student from Academy Canada, are consistently the team
to beat at the annual international robotics competition.
We truly have a lot to be proud of. As these few
examples show, our post-secondary institutions are preparing our
students for success, not just nationally but internationally. They can
complete with the best and come out on top.
To support our students, we continue to make
unprecedented investments in our post-secondary system. In Budget 2009,
an additional $21.1 million was allocated for Memorial, while College of
the North Atlantic will see an increase of $8.3 million. In fact,
funding for our post-secondary institutions has increased 77.6 per cent
over the past seven years � a clear indication that we are committed to
an affordable and accessible post-secondary education system that is
second to none.
On behalf of this Honourable House, I offer sincere
congratulations to Michael Small, and best wishes as he pursues his
chosen career.
2009 05 28 2:05 p.m.
