30 years of - Mount Saint Vincent University

ALUMNAE NEWSJanice Graham-Migel, BSA ’78, BEd ’79,MAEd ’83, is a tremendous example ofan alumna with a life-long connectionto the Mount. Besides completing threedegrees at the Mount, she taught in theDepartment of Office Administration, wasa researcher with the Institute for theStudy of Women, served on the Boardof the Mount Saint Vincent AlumnaeAssociation (1999 - 2007), was a memberof the Board of Governors (2005 - 2007),and Co-Chaired the Metro Chapter AnnualDinner for several years. Over the years,she also supervised several Mountstudents as part of their practicums andinternships in schools.Graham-Migel is currently a schoolguidance counsellor at Ridgecliff MiddleSchool in the Halifax Regional SchoolBoard where her responsibilities includecoordinating a Comprehensive Guidanceand Counselling Program. In contrastto the traditional way of guidance andcounselling, this Program is designed toassist the personal, social, educationaland career development of studentsby shifting its focus from a position toa total school program that requiresa professionally qualified counsellorfor full implementation. The Programis based on a needs assessment andongoing evaluation and has an advisorycommittee consisting of the schoolguidance counsellor, teen health centrecoordinator, administrators, teachers andstaff, students, parents and communitymembers.She is presently in the third year ofpiloting a program at the junior highschool level based on the frameworkof the senior high school “Options andOpportunities” (O2) Program – whereJanice is once again giving back to theMount. The program is a partnership withRidgecliff, the Mount and the Nova ScotiaCommunity College (NSCC). Grade 8 and9 students learn portfolio development,resume writing, and visit the campusesof the Mount and NSCC where they‘test drive’ various diploma and degreeprograms. Not already busy enough,Graham-Migel is President of the SchoolCounsellors Chapter of the CanadianCounselling Association and she alsorecently completed a PhD in EducationalAdministration at the Ontario Institutefor Studies in Education of the Universityof Toronto.“My academic studies, as well as myteaching and research experience at theMount, prepared me well for my workin Education over the years. It was aprivilege to serve as a member of theBoard of Governors and to be able togive back to the Mount through myvolunteer work as a Board Member ofthe Alumnae Association.”I’ve been at Oxford University for6 months now, and am havingan incredible experience. I get toattend lectures by world leaders,have access to an amazingwealth of information and workwith some of the best researchfacilities in the world. Of course,without my training from theMount, it would have been amuch tougher transition. Mypractical skills have been putto the test here, and my Mounteducation hasn’t failed me.I’m loving it here, but still missbeing back home.MSVUHalifax NSB3M 2J6CanadaGreetings from Oxford!Jake Yorke, BSc ’08, Rhodes ScholarJakeFolia Montana 13