Life
to celebrate Spring Festival with Dragon Dance
February 12, 2024
As the Year of the Dragon approaches, Okanagan College is gearing up for a vibrant celebration to ring in the Lunar New Year on Feb. 13 at the Kelowna campus. Ren Tianjiao, an international student from China, shared their excitement for the upcoming event, explaining that the Spring Festival at means an opportunity to share one of their cultural traditions with their friends and community. "The Spring Festival means the beginning of a new year, the best wishes for this coming year, and family reunion to me,” said...
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New Touch Coffee machine brings Ukrainian coffee experience to OC’s Kelowna campus
January 18, 2024
When Eugene Pavlov and Yaroslav Khaynas came to Canada from Ukraine in November 2022, they didn’t know that they would later open a new coffee shop at Okanagan College’s Kelowna campus. Touch Coffee, an automated coffee machine, has been serving coffee to students, employees and visitors since last September, an idea that first sparked while the pair were studying in the classroom. “Our early days in Canada revolved around taking English courses, as we knew that mastering the language was crucial to realizing our dreams in this...
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Caring Canines to visit to boost student mental health
January 15, 2024
Meet Bella and Wilson, a pair of fun-loving dogs that will soon be the center of everyone’s attention at Bella and Wilson are therapy dogs, and a regular part of the mental health supports that students receive. This week they will be at as part of the College’s efforts to support students with several initiatives taking place including the annual Bell Let’s Talk fundraising campaign, Jan. 24 “The therapy dogs are really amazing and provide our students with so much stress relief that it is re...
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Celebrating the career of Dr. Bill Gillett
December 13, 2023
With the retirement of Dr. William Gillett (Bill), will certainly miss the former Dean of the School of Business. But we are in a celebratory mood and wish Bill all the best with his well-deserved retirement after a long career. "It has been a distinct pleasure and true privilege to be a part of the Okanagan School of Business and witness the incredible skill and dedication of the faculty and instructors as they inspire and guide our students to success in their careers and lives," said Bill. "The entire Okanagan communit...
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Meet Jessica Skerlec
December 8, 2023
What is your name? Jessica Skerlec What are your pronouns? She/her Where is your hometown and where are you located now? Raised in Kelowna and still currently living in Kelowna. What did you take at OC? What campus did you attend? I took my Bachelor’s of Business Administration at Okanagan College, specializing in Human Resources Management at the Kelowna Campus. What is your current position? Negotiator for the National Collective Bar...
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Dr. Samantha Lenci appointed Okanagan College Provost and Vice President, Academic
October 25, 2023
Dr. Samantha Lenci, a well-respected leader with experience working across multiple post-secondary institutions in Western Canada, has been named the new provost and vice president academic at Okanagan College, effective Dec. 1, 2023. “Dr. Lenci is an outstanding leader and team builder who brings expertise in program design, development and implementation, as well as an understanding of the transformative power of post-secondary education in communities,” said Dr. Neil Fassina, president. “Most importantly, in addition to...
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OC’s Red Dot Players present The Haunting of Hill House
October 23, 2023
As the weather gets chilly something is heating up the stage at A supernatural horror story that promises to be a hauntingly good time for attendees. The Red Dot Players are excited to present The Haunting of Hill House, a psychological horror story about an investigator of supernatural phenomena who arrives at Hill House to unravel its morbid history. The play is written by F. Andrew Leslie and based on the novel by Shirley Jackson. The performance is directed by faculty member Sarah Foss. "I wa...
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hockey players chip in for collegiate hockey team
October 20, 2023
The Okanagan Lakers hockey team, consisting of students from Okanagan College, earned two wins in the B.C. Intercollegiate Hockey League last weekend, beating rivals Logan Lake/TRU and Simon Fraser University. The team is back in action this weekend with games Friday October 20 at 7:30 p.m. against the University of Victoria Vikings and Saturday Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. against the Vancouver Island Mariners. The win over the SFU Red Leafs last weekend, a 5-3 victory over the perennial powerhouse SFU club on Saturday night, was the ...
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Celebrating 60: Welcome to the 2023/24 academic year at OC
September 5, 2023
A message from Okanagan College President, Dr. Neil Fassina: For many people, this week marks the start of a new chapter. The first day of classes, a return to school, those initial moments where you check out the textbooks, syllabus, and materials of a new course – the energy on campus this time of year is electric and exciting. This year is all the more special for OC, because we’re celebrating sixty years since the opening of the B.C. Vocational Institute in Kelowna and the College’s growth through the region in the deca...
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Okanagan College hosts You @ Event to showcase programs and services
June 13, 2023
With summer approaching and many people making their college or university plans for the fall, Okanagan College is extending an invitation to the community to explore the many opportunities available at OC. Applicants, admitted students, parents and anyone interested in learning more about programs and life at are invited to attend You@on Tuesday, June 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the College’s Vernon campus. During the event, application fees for all programs will be waived. You@is an opportunity to explore various ...
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Okanagan College professor and artist receives Tanabe Prize
April 25, 2023
Okanagan College communications professor and artist Amy Modahl has been announced as a winner of this year's Tanabe Prize, alongside artist Robin Hodgson. The two artists, based in the B.C. Interior, will each receive $15,000 in recognition of their exceptional creativity and promise of future achievements. Modahl expressed her excitement and gratitude for receiving the prestigious award, stating, "I'm so honored to have been chosen to receive this award that will support my work as an artist, especially because I also received ...
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profs to share their talents at Valley Voices
April 24, 2023
The following media release is shared on behalf of Valley Voices: Valley Voices to Echo Again in Vernon Published authors to participate in next Valley Voices reading series with a celebration of stories and a book launch at the Bean Scene coffee house May 10. VERNON– As witnessed by the recent packed house upstairs at Vernon’s Bean Scene coffee house, the word is out about a new reading series in the Okanagan. Valley Voices launched in Vernon April 19 during National Poetry Month with an enthusiastic crowd listening to ...
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New Okanagan College student housing, childcare centre on target to open in 2024 in Vernon
April 21, 2023
When she decided to attend Okanagan College, student-parent Sarina Parsons was faced with the challenge of finding childcare while balancing her course schedule. She says it added stress at a time where she wished she could have been more focused on her learning. In just over a year, students like Sarina will have access to childcare and on-campus living options at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus, when doors open at a new mass-timber student housing building currently under construction. The 100-bed student housing project an...
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New Okanagan College student housing centre on target to open in 2024 in Salmon Arm
April 21, 2023
Finding affordable housing isn’t just a challenge in the big city – it can be difficult in smaller, more rural communities as well. For students like Dylan Taylor, who are also focused on completing post-secondary education and entering the workforce, access to housing is transformational. “There are many pressures on students already right now, so having a way to access a place to live on-campus takes away a huge amount of stress and makes it possible to focus on my education,” says Taylor, an Arts student at the Salm...
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English professor’s book on Dickens receives critical acclaim
April 12, 2023
When it comes to studying at Okanagan College, you never know when class discussion will spark ground-breaking academic work. English Professor Terry Scarborough is pausing these days to enjoy the accolades from a high-profile review of his book, Bite the Hand that Reads: Dickens, Animals and Sanitary Reform, a concept that sprung from classroom discussion in English 231: Studies in Popular Narrative. He regularly attends the Victorian Popular Fiction Association’s conference at the University of London and decided to explore t...
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Food for Thought: Okanagan College’s applied research expo unites innovators across timely topics
April 11, 2023
Are you hungry for knowledge and innovation in the field of applied research? Do you want to learn from experts and peers who are tackling some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities in our society? If so, you won’t want to miss the 7th annual Okanagan College Research Innovation Partnerships Expo, or ‘RIPE’, on May 2. RIPE, hosted by OC’s Learning and Applied Research department, is a free virtual event for community members, industry, educators, researchers and students to network and learn about the impact of applied ...
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