“I’m happy to work on this so that other students have the same opportunities as me.”
Those were the words of Manuel Perez, one of the final term students in the Carpentry and Renovation Technician Co-op program who lent their time and talents to handcraft a new visual marquee display that will be unveiled on April 6 at the 32nd Annual Niagara College Gala, the College’s signature fundraising event.
Manuel Perez working in the Carpentry lab.
Perez, an international student from Chile, received top marks in the School of Trades, earning him an Academic Award valued at $500 for the Winter 2024 term. In 2023, Perez also received the Keith Segal Guard.Me International Scholarship for academic performance valued at $1,000.
“It has helped me out to pay my tuition and it was a great relief, so I’m happy that other students will have the same opportunities as me,” said Perez.
The three-foot-tall display features four free-standing letters and NC button crafted from birch plywood and poplar veneers, spray-painted NC-blue, and lit by Edison bulbs – 56 in total.
Manuel Perez and professor Alexander Lukacs.
“Our team is excited and proud to be highlighting the talents of our incomparable skilled trades students and faculty at this year’s RenaissaNCe Gala, taking place on April 6,” said Shannon Boeckner, Senior Director, Development and Donor Stewardship. “We are grateful for their exceptional work and dedication to showcasing their skills — all in support of NC’s largest annual student fundraiser event.”
Perez was joined by fellow students Cole Ciceron of St. Catharines, Daniel Diaz Garcia of Colombia, Shan Ye of China, Yonelissa Encarnacion Lagares of the Dominican Republic, Tony Chan of Buffalo, NY, Waldeck Demetrius of Haiti, and Rishi Avinash Loorkhoor of Trinidad and Tobago. The team worked over in the carpentry lab throughout the Winter to get the project done in time for the Gala.
The team of NC woodworking wizards spent over 200 hours on the display using the skills they acquired in instructor Alexander Lukacs’s Architectural Millwright course. The project was a chance to learn new techniques like making thousands of meticulous saw cuts to create the curves of the “G” and NC button, and detailed spray-painting work.
“Projects like these allow our students to hone the skills they’ve learned or are currently learning here at Niagara College in a controlled environment,” said Lukacs. “It also gives them an opportunity to see and experience the pressures of delivering a project to a customer for a set deadline while working alongside their instructors. For us as faculty, it’s a chance to connect with our student body on a more personal level and experience the college through their eyes.”
The student team was led by expert faculty, including professors Alex Lukacs and James McQueen, and technologist Marco Giorgi. The project was a collaborative effort with electrical professor Tim Bunz who installed the wiring for the lights, Civil Engineering program coordinator, Tony Ogilvie, who designed the lighting schematic, and Peter Voynovich from the School of Media who created the design.
Thirty-seven-year-old Perez studied Carpentry at a university in his native Chile before deciding to pursue his studies – and a new life with his wife – in Niagara. He completed his co-op with Empire Communities, a local housing development company, taking on the role of Project Manager where he learned the ins and outs of the inspection process.
“This region is going to grow a lot because of the housing crisis so we can expect growth and that population needs the trades.”
“The work of carpentry is beautiful. When you do it, you fall in love with it,” said Perez. “For me, it is a perfect match between creativity and building the ideas that you have in your mind and turning it into something physical.”
The letters display will be featured at the Gala annually as a visual reminder of the talents of NC students and the impact of the generosity of donors who have raised more than $3.3 million in support of equipment, learning resources, scholarships, and bursaries during the Gala’s 30-plus year history.
About the 32nd Annual Niagara College Gala
NC’s 2024 RenaissaNCe Gala will be an elegant celebration of student success featuring decadent dining, live music, entertainment, special announcements, and live and silent auctions that raise funds in support of equipment, learning resources, scholarships, and bursaries.
Learn more and purchase tickets here: niagaracollege.ca/gala.
