Dozens of prospective students checked out the NIC campus in Port Alberni on March 6 during NIC Fest.
The event—the second annual career and education festival—was the first of three NIC hosted in the northern half of Vancouver Island. Events were also held at the Campbell River and Comox Valley campuses.
Students from nearby Alberni District Secondary School, Eighth Avenue Learning Centre and the general public were invited to visit NIC’s Port Alberni campus and talk to people from various programs and departments.
At last year’s NIC Fest the college presented a new pre-health science program. The inaugural class will wrap up its first year in the spring, said Alex Blair, math and science department chair. Blair added that interest for both the pre-health science and engineering programs continue to grow.
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There were several new things introduced for 2024. Carissa Wilson, executive director for the North Island Students Union, offered snacks for the festival from the site of the NIC cafeteria. They said the cafeteria will reopen for the first time since the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The NISU has an office at the Port Alberni campus and will have staff on site five days a week.
Paris Gaudet, head of NIC alumni relations, was at her first NIC Fest. The alumni program is new for NIC, and Gaudet has been with the institution for seven months. “We’re just building out the program for alumni,” she said.
Students past and present who have taken one course or full programs are encouraged to check out the alumni website at www.nic.bc.ca/about-us/alumni and consider registering.
Jenni Osborne, awards officer with the North Island College Foundation, told visitors she has one of the most fun jobs at NIC: she gives away money to students for scholarships and bursaries. This year the foundation has approximately $600,000 to give away; the average per student receiving a scholarship is $1,500.
“We have an incredible Port Alberni donor population here,” Osborne said. “They are so good about supporting our students. For our program you only have to apply with one application and we match students to the awards.”
For more information, go online to www.nic.bc.ca or email futurestudents@nic.bc.ca.