RRC Polytech’s Winkler campus celebrated the success of over 60 graduates across eight programs at its 2025 convocation June 12.
Family and friends gathered at the P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall to cheer on the grads of the local business and management, community services, education, and health sciences diploma and certificate programs as well as those receiving their mature student high school diploma through the adult learning centre.
“We know that these outstanding graduates will enrich your communities as well as their own lives with what they have learned through their programs,” said college president and CEO Fred Meier in his address.
Graduation is a milestone achievement, he noted.
“Your new credentials that you’ve earned through all this hard work will open up tremendous opportunities for you, but I know that getting to this point hasn’t always been easy. There were likely some tough times that were filled with challenges or difficult decisions or trade-offs that you had to make. But through it all, you persevered and you made it to today.
“I also know that you were never alone throughout all of that,” Meier added. “Behind the scenes, a great number of people have helped you along the way. I’ve heard some amazing stories about the spirit of communities and about individual supports that people have received and how each of them have inspired you to rally on and continue with your studies. Their unwavering support combined with your determination has brought you all here today.”
As they join the ranks of the more than 100,000 RRC Polytech alumni, Meier reflected on some of the values he hopes they learned during their time at the school.
Chief among them is adaptability in the workplace.
“As the world around us continues to evolve at an incredible pace in 2025, your technical skills will serve as a solid foundation,” he noted. “But it’s your curiosity, it’s your openness to new perspectives and your ability to pivot that will set you apart.
“Always remember that learning doesn’t stop with your diploma, your certificate, or your degree,” Meier stressed. “Commit to lifelong learning and embrace opportunities to reinvent yourself along the way.
“In a world where skills can become obsolete almost as quickly as they’ve been acquired, those who continue to grow, evolve, and seek out knowledge will not only stay relevant—in fact, they will be the ones that lead.”
Winkler campus instructor Fred Thiessen wrapped up the ceremony with a reflection on the impact education can have on one’s life.
“Twenty-eight years ago I sat in the same chair you are, graduating from RRC Polytech’s business administration program. I remember the excitement and uncertainty. What I didn’t yet understand was how valuable my college experience would become and how it would open a door to a meaningful, fun, and diverse career.”
Thiessen’s career—he works today at Precision Cabinet Doors—has taken him all over Canada, and he often finds himself encountering fellow RRC alumni.
“Some of them didn’t end up in the careers they originally imagined, but that’s okay. Life has a way of surprising us. What I hear over and over is how grateful they are for their education at RRC Polytech and how it helped shape their journey.
“After today you are no longer just a student. You are now alumni, part of a strong, talented, and hardworking group that represents this college around the world,” Thiessen told the graduates. “Our alumni are community leaders, mentors, and teachers, and even your future employees.”
“As you move forward, take chances, make mistakes, find success, fall down, get back up,” he urged. “Be bold, be generous, be proud of who you are and where you came from. Live with courage and conviction, help build stronger communities, and carry that RRC Polytech pride with you wherever you go.”
