A message from President Kennedy:

Yesterday, our exceptional College community came together at our annual Holiday Celebration to toast an incredible year for NC. It was wonderful to see so many of you as we closed out the 2024 year while looking ahead to 2025.

This year marks over 30 years of generous contributions to the United Way by the Niagara College community. It brings me immense pride to share that, with this years’ donation of $59,432 we have reached – and exceeded – our cumulative goal of one million dollars in donations! This achievement is truly remarkable, and a shining example of the spirit of giving that is alive and well at NC.

Thanks to the generosity and caring nature of our students and employees, many in our community will have a brighter holiday season.

Some examples include our recent Giving Tuesday activities through which more than $26,000 was raised for the Nourishing Minds Fund to help students battling food insecurity. Students in our Hairstyling program helped those in need look their best for the holidays, offering free haircuts in partnership with Open Arms Mission in Welland. Our students put NC Life on display in our community at the Santa Claus parades in Niagara Falls and Welland. And our Recreation Therapy students supported seniors living in long-term care homes through their Stockings of Love initiative.

As we reflect on 2024, I think fondly of our many accomplishments – in the face of extraordinary challenges – that are a direct result of our commitment to work collaboratively, think creatively, and be innovative.

Among many awards and accolades – and for the second year in a row – we celebrated NC’s No. 1 ranking as Canada’s top college for research funding – a testament to our enduring spirit of innovation. Our consistent ranking among the top 10 research colleges is a truly remarkable achievement that gives our college community great pride.

As we launched our new Sustainability Plan, we positioned the College as a leader and role model in stewarding our land and the environment to preserve it for future generations.

We continue to make great strides in our Together Campaign, which is raising money for transformative change at NC, including support for students, the skilled trades, and frontline healthcare.

And at a time when engaging future students is more important than ever, we were energized by a record turn-out at our Fall Open House.

Looking ahead to 2025, we know that we have challenges to tackle and that we will do so with a firm commitment to student success. We will continue to be guided by and draw strength from our student-focused, welcoming, trailblazing, and passionate characteristics that make NC so special.

On behalf of NC’s Executive Team, I offer you our deepest gratitude for all that you do to make NC such a wonderful community where our students thrive.

Warm wishes for a safe, joyous, and restful holiday season!