Students from the Computer Systems Technician (CST), Computer Programming (CP) and Computer Programming and Analysis (CPA) programs crowded the halls of The Core on NC’s Welland Campus on April 6 to celebrate student success at their end-of-year event. A platter of retro video games and delicious snacks, individual awards recognizing student excellence, and friendly connection and conversation left students and employees leaving The Core smiling.
While the video games, such as Mario Kart: Double Dash and Super Smash Bros., were a popular draw amongst students, the main highlight was the recognition of student excellence. Professors Jim Schinkel, in the School of Technology, and Melissa VanderLely, in the School of Media Studies, were thrilled for their students.
“It was a really relaxed atmosphere,” said Schinkel. “Students came in, played video games, had food, and then we had the award ceremony. It was a nice way to unwind and celebrate everything they have done.”
Schinkel recapped the layout of the room to create an automatic visual: a Wii set up on the overhead projector with four chairs and controllers; multiplayer races off to the side by the pool tables; four consoles beside the arcade-style basketball game; and lots of pizza, chicken bites and other snacky foods.
Both Schinkel and VanderLely spoke proudly of their students and the efforts they put in to get them there.
“They put in that work, they put in that effort and they’ve asked questions,” said Schinkel. “But it’s also awesome to see what they do outside of the classroom. Broadening their horizons through things like building their own Minecraft servers. Learning doesn’t just happen inside of the classroom.”
“We want students to know they are appreciated and it’s important to celebrate what they’ve accomplished,” said VanderLely. “It’s a great opportunity for us to tell them that we noticed, and for them to connect with one another and meet students from other levels of the programs.”
While overall program success was celebrated, one student from each program received the honour of the Associate Dean’s Award of Excellence.
Associate Dean’s Award of Excellence Recipients
John Rookwood, CPA
John Rookwood (middle) receives the Associate Dean’s Award of Excellence alongside School of Media Studies Associate Dean Michelle Giroux (left) and Melissa VanderLely (right).
Hailing from St. Catharines and currently finishing his second year at NC, Rookwood will be graduating from the CP program after a late-year switch to the program. His work ethic, consistent support of his classmates and ambassadorial presence in the CPA program helped him earn this award and left a lasting impression on VanderLely.
“John is somebody who is always here working on projects, day or night,” said VanderLely. “He’s at every open house speaking to prospective students, he’s a fantastic teammate, and he has a work ethic that is almost contagious to those who work with him. He’s a fantastic ambassador for our program.”
Rookwood was flattered but humble in his acceptance.
“I’m honoured to receive this award, but I also see so many other talented, hard-working people in this program. I’m very thankful to have been recognized.”
Rookwood’s next step will see him enter NC’s Cybersecurity program, where he’ll be bringing the skills he has already learned at NC with him.
“Basically everything I’ve already learned at NC has some applicability to cybersecurity,” he said. “Even beyond technical skills, things like problem solving and working with groups, which can be undersold on importance at times. Being able to work with a team plays massive importance in finishing projects.”
Jeonghwan Oh, CP
Jeonghwan Oh (middle) receives the Associate Dean’s Award of Excellence alongside School of Media Studies Associate Dean Michelle Giroux (left) and Melissa VanderLely (right).
A second-year CP student, Oh’s outstanding performance over the course of his NC career was not missed by VanderLely, who sung high praise for the Yongin-si, South Korea native.
“Jeonghwan is just an excellent, well-rounded person,” she said. “He shows up every day, puts in a full effort, he’s gracious to his classmates and is there to help whenever they need him. He’s a consistently strong contributor of team cohesion.”
While Oh’s interpersonal skills have helped get him to this point, VanderLely is also impressed with his talent.
“He’s a very skilled programmer. We held a coding competition in our department and Jeonghwan helped come up with the problems they were solving and helped run the competition. The opportunities that he has been involved in came about because he put himself in that position.”
Oh, who studied contemporary music in South Korea before coming to Canada in 2024, enjoyed the experiential aspect of the CP program, especially the fourth-semester community sponsored project.
“We were tasked with building applications for real-world clients, and for me, this was developing a client management system for a physiotherapy studio,” said Oh. “Being placed into a situation with real-world constraints and regulations was a valuable experience.”
Beyond the work he put in during his time at NC, Oh credited the people he has met along the way for their part in his development.
“It’s always a good thing to have good people around. The support from the faculty and my classmates has been great,” said Oh. “This event allowed us to reminisce, play some Mario Kart and enjoy hanging out with our peers and professors.”
Liam Neill, CST
Liam Neill (middle) receives the Associate Dean’s Award of Excellence alongside Jim Schinkel (left) and his dog, Turner (right).
A second-year student from Niagara Falls, Neill reminisced about his time in the program.
“I’ve really found a passion for technology, and being recognized for something that I’ve come to love is an honour,” he said. “If I’m going to do something, I’m going to give it 100 per cent. So, to be recognized for two years of hard work, getting my assignments done and passing tests, it was really kind of like that payoff.”
As Neill closes in on his graduation, he mentioned his particular interest in cloud, physical and software networking. He credits the CST program with teaching him a variety of skills.
“We learned a lot of things like troubleshooting, hardware skills, server-building, programming and script-building skills,” he said of the CST program. “And also interpersonal skills like teamwork, problem-solving, time management and organizational skills. It’s a well-rounded program that has taught me a lot.”
Schinkel, one of Neill’s professors, spoke highly of him.
“Liam is one of those students that works hard to get himself ahead,” he said. “He talks to everybody in class, he has a very positive attitude and he’s never afraid to ask for help or assistance if needed. This is a tremendous accomplishment for Liam that he whole-heartedly deserves.”
The CST, CP and CPA programs open plenty of doors for their students, such as Neill’s interest in networking and Rookwood’s in cybersecurity. VanderLely spoke highly of the potential that the CP and CPA programs give their students.
“Our program really positions you well to make future decisions,” she said. “It’s about building that strong foundation and then seeing where you want to take it. We try to display a lot of different possibilities so students can take their diploma in computer programming anywhere.”
While proud of his students’ accomplishments and the foundation they have built for themselves, Schinkel emphasized that the road to career success does not stop here.
“We’re here to help lay out the groundwork and build those foundational tools, but we’re not going to take you to your end point – we’re going to put you on a path to your end point. It’s always good to keep learning, even after school.”
