Students and instructors being recognized during convocation at Sask Polytech

As for what he plans to do post-graduation, Suchorab said he’s not 100 per cent sure yet as he still has to finish his clinical studies.

Regardless, he hopes the work he did on his research and his paper paves the way to help more people in the realm of mental health and addictions.

“If you portray yourself as that stigma of ‘cowboy up,’ at the end of it, I just want every cowboy and cowgirl or rural person to know if they need to talk, they can and it’s OK.

Another student being recognized is Rajesh Chandran, who will graduate with the Hospitality and Tourism Management post-graduate certificate. He is being given the Outstanding Citizenship Award.

When he got news of the award, Chandran said he was extremely happy about it, noting he has been working very hard over the past year.

When looking back at his experience at Sask Polytech, Chandran said his favourite was being named VP of the Student’s Association.

“That has been a great experience for me because it gave me a sense of empowerment along with responsibility to be the voice of the students,” he said. “I got a chance to bring up students’ issues and concerns with several stakeholders from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Saskatchewan government.”

It’s not only students that are being recognized during convocation but instructors as well.

Nat Strom is a Resource and Environmental Law instructor and received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has been with the program since its inception more than 20 years ago.

She said she was still lost for words after finding out she would receive the award.

“Overwhelmed, humbled, surprised,” she said. “Still wondering a little bit about where this came from, who nominated me and why.”

Strom said what gives her the greatest pride in her work is watching her students head into the workforce whether they become conservation officers, environmental protection officers or police officers.

“To read about them and their success, and many of them circle back as our guest speakers or assist me with practical exercises,” she said, adding that circling back makes the program more of a family than a course.

“We kind of feel like a big family, that we’re connected even when they leave and graduate, they stay connected with the program and they become mentors for the next group of students coming out. It’s very satisfying.”

More than 600 students through 10 different programs have been invited to attend the convocation on Tuesday at Sask Polytech in Prince Albert.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow

by Derek Craddock

Students and instructors being recognized during convocation at Sask Polytech

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