“I don’t know everything, but I do know one thing: If, at 24 years old, I didn’t walk in to the BRTF wing in Welland, Ontario, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Since graduating from Niagara College’s Broadcasting – Radio, Television and Film program in 2012, Niagara Falls native Amy Audibert has been netting success in sports broadcasting.
In the morning on Thursday, June 15, graduates from NC’s Schools of Media and Academic and Liberal Studies accepted their certificates, diplomas and degrees and celebrated Audibert, NBA broadcaster for the Miami Heat, as she was conferred the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Audibert brought her vibrant on-air television persona to Spring Convocation at NC’s Welland Campus. She addressed graduands in a video message from Denver where she was reporting courtside from the NBA finals between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets.
While the Heat ultimately lost the series, the opportunity to cover the team’s playoff run was a big win for Audibert’s career.
“I don’t know everything, but I do know one thing: If, at 24 years old, I didn’t walk in to the BRTF wing in Welland, Ontario, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Audibert. “I had just graduated from my undergrad and master’s degree in university, and I knew I had something else inside me. It turned out to be this.
“Niagara College has meant the world to me. It has been my foundation.”
Following her time at the University of Miami and an impressive collegiate career with the Hurricanes women’s basketball team, Audibert returned home to NC to jump-start her broadcasting career. Since NC, Audibert worked as a courtside reporter for the Toronto Raptors, and in 2021, made broadcast history as a studio analyst on the first all-female NBA broadcast team on TSN.
In October 2022, Audibert joined the Miami Heat where she works as a radio and television studio analyst for home and road games, pre-, half and post-games shows.
“NC Class of 2023 – that has such a great ring to it… Congratulations to each and every one of you,” she said. “I’m a firm believer that education is one of the very few things nowadays that, once you earn it, it’s yours, and nobody can take it away from you, so congratulations for your foundational knowledge in whatever field you decided to study.”
“Amy is truly an inspiration to so many of our students and a testament to what our skilled graduates can achieve,” said President Sean Kennedy.
A total of 1,339 graduates became NC alumni on Thursday, including over 600 from the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker in the afternoon ceremony – the largest day of Spring Convocation.
Thursday’s ceremonies marked many milestones, including the first graduating class from the Social Media Management program and the 100th graduate from the Community Integration through Co-operative Education (CICE) program.
The morning ceremony also saw two outstanding graduates receive the Dean’s Academic Awards, presented to those who earned the highest GPA in their academic school: Niagara Falls resident Derek Truong and Fort Erie’s Patricia Sabay.
Truong graduated from the Computer Programming and Analysis (Co-op) program and said the award is “a validation of the hard work, dedication, and perseverance” that he put into his studies.
“I feel humbled and grateful to receive this recognition,” said Truong, who cited NC faculty, family and mentors for supporting his success.
Sabay studied in General Arts and Science while juggling work and family commitments. She said she was surprised by the achievement.
“As a full-time mom and student who achieved this GPA, I know that I can conquer any battles that may come along,” said Sabay, who is pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Brock University and following in the footsteps of her family of medical practitioners.
Fort Erie’s Kaleigh Keeping from the Practical Nursing program received the Dean’s Award from the School of Nursing and Personal Support Worker at the Wednesday morning ceremony where Niagara Health President and CEO Lynn Guerriero was also presented with an Honorary Diploma in Health Studies.
Behind the lens of the ceremony livestream were current students in the BRTF program.
The dedicated crew of 11 second- and third-year BRTF-TV students was led by alumnus Parween Taheri (2022) who took on the role of Ceremony and Show Producer. Together, with support of NC staff and faculty like Professor Peter ‘Dutch’ VandenBerg, the crew covered the livestream, pre-recorded videos, and live shots of the ceremonies.
VandenBerg commended Taheri and the crew for their work to deliver the livestream.
“Parween is an amazing young woman who is handling this opportunity like an absolute pro, and the crew is a great group who is working really hard. I am so very proud of each of them,” said VandenBerg.
NC’s Spring Convocation will wrap up with a morning ceremony today, Friday, June 16 celebrating the Schools of Allied Health and Community Services. The College’s Spring Class of 2023 includes a total of 4,500 new graduates.
For more details, visit NC’s Convocation website.
NC’s in-person Spring Convocation ceremonies are livestreamed via the convocation website at niagaracollege.ca/convocation. Ceremonies will also remain on the site for later viewing.
Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.
Attribution: Niagara College media release
fromareportersnotebook 