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Alumni members provide time, expertise to help fellow Georgian grads

'Our vision is to inspire lifelong connections, and the best part is being able to be a part of the discussion that shapes, inspires and transforms lives,' says Avery Konda

Whether it's helping out at a soup kitchen or an event, Avery Konda says he finds deep happiness in giving his time to the service of others.

“Volunteering has always been at the core of who I am,” says Konda, a board member with the Georgian College Alumni Association Executive Council (AAEC).

Volunteering for the AAEC was an obvious choice for Konda, since it was an opportunity of giving back to the Georgian College community.

“Georgian College taught me a lot and helped me become who I am today," he says. "If there was any way I could help students have the same positive experience I had, I was going to take it.”

Konda says the AAEC has been instrumental in helping define the student experience and what that looks like when they finish their studies and become an alumni of Georgian College.

“For many, when they finish school, they begin careers, and the AAEC wants to ensure alumni feel supported long beyond their classroom days," he adds. 

The benefits offered by the AAEC, such as connecting with mentorship and job opportunities, didn’t stop even during the pandemic.

“There was a new need to engage students and alumni without the face-to-face interactions we became accustomed to. But we found ways to connect,” he says, adding the Georgian Alumni Network app made it a lot easier to move forward.

As a board member of the AAEC, an advisory committee to Georgian College, Konda regularly attends board and committee meetings to discuss on how to enhance that alumni experience.

“Our vision is to inspire lifelong connections, and the best part is being able to be a part of the discussion that shapes, inspires and transforms lives," he says. 

Konda believes that without the expertise of alumni who have gone through the process of finishing school and moving into the working world, it can be hard to thrive.

To illustrate his point, Konda refers to his atypical academic journey. He started in electrical engineering, graduated in environmental technology, and now works as a staffing manager, with a master of business administration (MBA) in neuro-linguistic programming.

“My journey was very undefined, but with the support I received both as a student and as an alumnus, I never lost confidence in what I could achieve," he says. 

By sharing the challenges and successes of his personal experience, Konda says he hopes to not only provide other graduates with guidance, but also positively impact society.

Before becoming an AAEC board member, Konda worked for a few years in entrepreneurship and helped build businesses. These included working as a business consultant, program lead and co-founder in a wide range of non-profit and for-profit businesses.

Outside the AAEC, Konda has volunteered as a Canadian representative for Global Citizen, a charity aimed of eradicating global poverty, and as a guide runner for athletes with disabilities. Other charitable organizations he has supported include Make-A-Wish and the Canadian Cancer Society.

Currently, Konda volunteers for Global Goodwill Ambassadors.

As for his day job, Konda works for the recruitment company Randstad, where he also helps connect people with career opportunities.