Jan 1, 2024
Alumni leading the way
In 2018, while studying in the Post Degree Diploma in Business Administration, a Langara alum received an academic scholarship. The seed was planted for the future. A few years later, when working at an IT company, she shared her idea with her leaders: explore opportunities to collaborate and give back to Langara. They loved it.
“When Lais [Leite] brought the idea to Charmis [DeBoer, COO and Vice-President] and I, we were really excited because we saw it as a genuine opportunity to be involved with the school and the community we serve”, shared Andreas Karakas, CEO and President of Innovation Networks, a leading provider of managed IT services, cloud and web services, technical support, and more. Charmis was already connected with Langara through her daughter, a recent Langara alum.
“We have a lot of students who do their work experience, co-op, and practicum with us. To see their transition from being a student to becoming a skilled worker in the IT industry is something that we’re really proud of. We thought what else we could do to help them succeed, to alleviate some of the pressures we know exist.” Andreas added.
In addition to establishing a new scholarship to support students taking the Business Computer Applications courses, Innovation Networks wanted to collaborate and contribute to the next generation of talent. They joined the Program Advisory Committee for the new Business Information & Technology Management programs that Langara is working on. It looks to bridge the gap between business needs and technology, a field that Innovation Networks understands very well.
Andreas continues by saying, “We give through scholarships, computer recycling programs, and others because we believe that there’s no such thing as isolated success. We believe that giving back is the only way for the community to develop and grow. As a business, the more we invest in our students today the better workforce we will have tomorrow. They will be more prepared to enter the market and to provide better services.”
“Prior to Langara, I had been working on a clerical job for over seven years. Wanting a career change, I decided to return to school, a daunting and intimidating endeavor at the time. Being able to attend school, to challenge myself intellectually, and to pave a pathway for a new promising and rewarding career has been life changing. To receive this scholarship is not only an incredible blessing financially, but to be recognized for my academic achievements is truly heartening and encourages me to continue further excelling in my studies. Thank you so much again for your support and wonderful generosity!”, Michelle Lam, student recipient.
If you’re interested to learn more about working with our students or to create a new award, please contact lgriner@langara.ca.