The second cohort of the University of Guelph‘s agricultural communications diploma program graduated Friday, following a field trip to Toronto to drop in on Hill and Knowlton, and then to CBC. Thanks to Sarah Andrewes for the hospitality at Hill and Knowlton, and the entire CBC crew for offering an inside look at their amazing news operation. An added bonus was bumping into classy ex-NHLer and Battle of the Blades co-winner Craig Simpson (pictured here with program participant Sarah Van Engelen) in the CBC elevator.
I’m proud of what Sarah, Christine Eisler-Schoonderwoerd, Mary Feldskov and Kathie MacDonald (who took the photo below) have achieved in the program. My thanks to their internship sponsors: Mary Baxter and Robert Irwin at Better Farming/Better Pork, Andrew Douglas and Len Kahn at McCormick Global Communications, Rob Black at The Centre for Rural Leadership and administration at Wallenstein Feed and Supply Ltd. The internship projects were not only superb, they were extremely pertinent and well-mentored.
Thanks too to Ontario Agricultural College dean Rob Gordon for his ongoing support of agricultural communications, and for speaking at the graduation luncheon, as well as to the University’s Office of Open Learning which made arrangements for the graduation and assists with program delivery. Everyone involved can take great pride in helping advance Ontario’s agri-food system by investing in the education and development of these new agricultural communications graduates.
