Algonquin College open house draws thousands of potential students

Algonquin College’s open house offered thousands of curious youths a glimpse at an education with the local college. CTV’s Kimberley Johnson reports.

Algonquin College held a fall open house Saturday to showcase its programs and give prospective students a hands-on example of what class-life could be like at the local college.

Prospective student Trystan Marshall got a chance to try out the equipment in the paramedicine department.

“It’s definitely sparking my interest here,” Marshall told CTV News Ottawa. “I’m planning on being an air paramedic.”

The Kingston high school student is one of thousands of possible future Algonquin college students visiting campus for the fall Open House.

Marshall says after seeing the campus, meeting current students and testing out the learning equipment, he feels attending the college “is definitely a step in the right direction.”

Algonquin College says it offers more than 250 programs ranging from firefighting, to robotics and culinary arts.

Saturday’s tours also allowed students to see the campus, including its new state-of-the art science lab.

Adam Shane, the colleges science department chair, says the school faculty hopes that students walk away knowing what could be ahead of them.

“They can see firsthand some of the things that the program offers,” he explains. “Also, they can meet our faculty and give an understanding what the programs are all about.”

Earlier this year, the college announced it was cutting 40 academic programs and closing its Perth Campus as it deals with a multi-million dollar deficit.

Michael Kowal says he was accepted into the broadcasting program at Algonquin and drove up from Belleville to see the facilities. Kowal says he doesn’t anticipate his program being affected by cuts.

“I’m really not sure if it would affect the digital media program, but if it does, it would be really, really massive shame,” he says.

He says the changes have not affected his plans to learn about broadcast engineering but knows that’s not the case for everyone.

“I just hope that that doesn’t happen to my field of being behind the camera in some sort of way,” he said.

Algonquin College says 3,600 students registered for the Open House, which is a light increase compared to last year.

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