Seneca Alumni E-Newsletter

March 2023

Welcome Ryan Reynolds

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Seneca welcomed the proudly-Canadian actor, producer and entrepreneur on campus, where he generously connected with (many) students and toured the facilities of the Seneca Film Institute. Mr. Reynolds posted about his visit to his 21 million Twitter and 47 million Instagram followers, which has been picked up by many social media and news outlets. Our #SenecaProud posts about his visit have gone viral, reaching more than a million accounts across all of our social media platforms.

Alumni Programming

TD Financial Literacy Webinar: Wealth for Women

Wednesday, Mar. 22

12 to 1 p.m. EST

You are invited to a virtual event focusing on 10 lessons that can guide women on their path to financial security. This event provides financial lessons applicable from young adulthood to retirement and leaving a legacy. It will help young adults learn good financial habits, provide guidance throughout key life events and discuss the importance of financial literacy.

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) – Tips to Help You Land Your Next Job

Wednesday, Mar. 22

5:30 to 6:45 p.m. EST

Are you ready to take your job search to the next level? Join Seneca Alumna Cindy Zarnett for a workshop on leveraging Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to help you find your next job.

In this session, you'll learn:

How ATS technology works and how employers use it to manage their recruitment process
Effective strategies to optimize your cover letter, resume, and online application for ATS screening
Tips, tools, and techniques to help you stand out in a highly competitive job market
Elevate your chances of landing an interview by using generative artificial intelligence (AI)

By the end of this webinar, you'll have a toolkit of actionable insights and strategies to help advance your career.

Seneca HELIX’s #IWD2023 Celebration

Tuesday, Mar. 7

5 to 8 p.m. EST

Join Seneca HELIX for an exciting International Women’s Day celebration. This special event will bring together a panel of inspirational female leaders to explore how they have navigated new pathways to #EmbraceEquity. Panelists include:

Samantha Curnow, Associate General Counsel, Chippewas of Rama First Nation
Anna Kavanagh, Vice President, Affinity Market Group, TD Insurance
Adebola Adefioye, Founder, Afro Women and Youth Foundation
Amanda Collucci, Councillor, City of Markham

This is a hybrid event, which can be attended in-person at Seneca’s Newnham Campus or viewed online. In-person attendees will have access to complimentary parking or public transit passes and child minding for children aged four to 12.

Career Recharge, presented by TD, is an innovative initiative to help prepare for your career future, whether that means re-entering the workforce, advancing in your field, changing careers or starting a new venture. Join us for an upcoming virtual workshop.

Leadership and Management Essentials

Tuesday, Mar. 14

6 to 7:30 p.m. EST

Explore the qualities of an effective leader and develop fundamental management skills.

Interviewing – Monthly InStage Session (Sponsored by Seneca Alumni)

Tuesday, Mar. 21

6 to 7:30 p.m. EST

Head in to your next job interview with confidence. Get tips and feedback from industry professionals on how to impress potential employers.

Emotional Intelligence

Tuesday, Mar. 28

6 to 7:30 p.m. EST

Improve your emotional intelligence and apply its principles to foster positive professional interactions.

Check out the workshop schedule to see the full series.

Seneca HELIX’s HERizons program is helping to dismantle gender barriers in the workplace by providing free career support and training specifically developed for women. HERizons career development sessions are designed to support women looking to enter or re-enter the workforce or advance in their current positions. 

Career Session: Resume Writing

Thursday, Mar. 9

7 to 8:30 p.m. EST

Make your job application stand out by knowing how to sell your strongest skills and accomplishments to recruiters.

Motivational Minutes: Developing Your Leadership Voice

Thursday, Mar. 23

7 to 7:30 p.m. EST

Learn how to find your leadership voice by being yourself.

Get Involved

As winter slowly comes to an end, many of us are starting to look forward to warmer temperatures and longer days. However, for some, the season is far from over. In fact, they're gearing up for Seneca’s Winter Challenge: a combination of the Ice Bucket Challenge and Polar Bear Dip. The Polar Bear Dip will live-stream from Lake Seneca at King Campus on March 9 at 1 p.m. Our 2023 Seneca Alumni Winter Challengers are:

To see the full list of challengers, visit the Winter Challenge website.

Seneca News and Stories

A passion for sustainability starts a journey from Colombia to Seneca

Studying at Seneca was Camila Acevedo’s first step toward creating a more sustainable world.

Ms. Acevedo earned a business degree in her home country of Colombia in 2019. Short stints in banking and marketing revealed that she wanted to be on a different path.

“I have always been passionate about the environment,” she said. “When I graduated, I thought about what I could do to link business with the environment, and that’s when I found sustainability.”

Read the full story

Internationally educated nurse finds success in Canada and continues to give back

When Chris Fernandez graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Central Philippine University in 2005, he didn’t know where his career would take him. After years of work in the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Bermuda, he was thrilled to come to Canada in 2018.

“I started thinking about it in 2013,” Mr. Fernandez said. “I had visited family in Canada and liked everything I knew about it.”

Despite being fluent in English and having years of work experience it wasn’t easy for him to practise in Canada. His path forward began with an application to INSCOL — a service that helps internationally educated nurses get the education and permits they need to work in the country.

Read the full story

Perseverance pays off for award-winning filmmaker

Kelly Fyffe-Marshall knows that the road to career success isn’t always short or linear.

The Seneca graduate spent nearly a decade working her way up in the world of film and television, trying out different roles and responsibilities before finding what she considers to be her true calling.

“I always say that my life and career goals were a series of very unfortunate events, a lot of ‘no’s’ that led me to the right path,” she said. “I know that everything had to happen in the order that it did for me to be where I am now.”

Further Your Studies

Centre for Executive & Professional Learning

Conveniently located in downtown Toronto, Seneca’s Centre for Executive & Professional Learning specializes in courses to prepare you for executive leadership. Our flexible programming options include executive certificates, microcredentials, workshops and courses.

Learn more and register to start in May

Seneca-Niagara University Partnership – Virtual Information Session

Are you interested in pursuing a master’s degree? Graduates from select honours bachelor degrees (BACF, BBM, BHM, BHRM, BMI, BMRK, BSD, BTM, CFP, DSA, IFS) may be eligible to pathway into either the Master of Science in Information Security and Digital Forensics program or Master of Business Administration programs at Niagara University. Join a virtual session to learn about admission requirements, scholarships, transfer credits, course delivery options, fees and more.

Monday, March 6

Virtual (Zoom)

4 to 5 p.m. EST — Master of Information Security and Digital Forensics

5 to 6 p.m. EST — Master of Business Administration

How to register:

Email Jose Gonzalez or register through WhatsApp at 416.823.9517.

Ontario Student Transfer Fair

Seneca is proud to be number one among Ontario colleges for pathways. Attend the Ontario Student Transfer Fair, happening Monday, March 6 to Friday, March 10 to explore your options.

Visit the Seneca booth to speak to one of our Pathways experts, and to discover hundreds of pathway options. Whether you’re interested in furthering your education in health care to technology, business to creative arts, community services to arts and sciences, Seneca’s polytechnic education can help take your career to the next level.

Seneca Works Leadership Workshop Series

Employers and supervisors are welcome to attend the Winter 2023 Leadership Workshop Series, hosted by Seneca Works. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics such as coaching, equity in the workplace, sustainability, technology and updates to employment standards. Don't miss this valuable networking opportunity. All workshops are complimentary.

Visit the event page for more details and to register.

Whether you’re starting out or starting something new, our career-focused part-time programming and flexible learning options will help you achieve your goals, your way. Explore more than 150 programs and 1,000 courses in a range of areas and credentials.

Open House

Join us in person or virtually to discover programs, meet Seneca experts, attend live presentations and explore our campuses.

Saturday, Mar. 25

9 a.m. to noon

Learn more

Alumni Benefits

Take advantage of your benefits with preferred rates on home, auto and tenant coverage with affinity program partner TD Insurance.

Learn more about TD Insurance discounts

Use your free Perkopolis membership to enjoy great savings on entertainment, travel, attractions, shopping and more.

Check out the Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club, Canada’s first and only professional rugby union team.

Alumni can receive buy one get one free on tickets or 25% off VIP tickets by using code "SENECAALUMNI."

Check out your alumni benefits

Update your contact information

Visit our alumni website

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