Three people with connections to Red Deer College will be celebrated as part of the college’s 50th convocation ceremonies.
On top of an honourary degree being bestowed upon former city mayor Morris Flewwelling, alumni Randy Harper and Tim Guilbault and former RDC instructor Don Hepburn will be recognized with different awards at the convocation taking place at the Westerner, 4847A 19th St. today.
Guilbault, who was shot and killed in 2012 at his Red Lodge Estates home, is being recognized with the 2014 Alumni Legacy Award.
He started his post-secondary studies at RDC in the 1970s and served on the students’ association executive from 1973 to 1975.
He would later complete a bachelor of commerce and a masters of communication studies in 1997 at the University of Alberta.
He was a Red Deer city councillor from 1986 to 1995 and served on the RDC alumni board from 1997 to 2002.
He also worked for the Red Deer Co-op, Nova Chemicals in Joffre, Union Carbide, Halliburton, CEDA International Corporation and Brookfield Residential in Calgary.
The Alumni Legacy award is a posthumous award recognizing an alumnus’ contribution to the community.
The award will be presented to Guilbault’s grandsons, Ethan and Lucas Tymko.
Harper enrolled at the college in 1968 and he will be honoured as this year’s distinguished alumnus.
He started at RDC working towards university transfer credits and would go on to complete a bachelor of commerce in management. He would then transform his family’s scrap metal service to Harper’s Metals, a multi-million dollar business.
He became a director for Parkland Savings and Credit Union, now known as Servus. The distinguished alumnus award goes to former students who have achieved much in their lives, be it personal, academic or in public service.
One of the first instructors teaching at the college, Don Hepburn, is receiving the G.H. Dawe Memorial Award.
Hepburn started with the college when it was founded in 1964, teaching educational psychology. He has served on the local Council of Canadians, the Red Deer Centennial Steering Committee and was a part of the national Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The award is typically given to a person who demonstrates excellence in characteristics held by G.H. Dawe, including commitment to community, education and student success; prominent leadership in the community; uncommon warmth with high integrity and ethical standards and dedication to and appreciation for Red Deer College.
These three individuals were honoured at the RDC 50th Anniversary Awards Dinner Thursday night.