Multimedia Production student Denise Serrano has been named valedictorian for Lethbridge College’s Fall 2022 Convocation. She will lead the procession of graduates and speak at the ceremony planned for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 15 in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium.
“Words are not enough to describe how I feel to be honoured as the valedictorian,” says Serrano. “Sometimes I still feel like I'm dreaming, or that I've used up all the luck in my life for this moment. It's scary, but also exhilarating. I'm really thankful for all the people who supported me: the Multimedia Production instructors and alumni, my classmates, and my family – I wouldn't be here without them.”
Serrano, who was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Taber at the age of 17, says living in a different place and speaking a different language made it difficult to find where she belonged. But when she came to Lethbridge College and enrolled in the Multimedia Production program, she says she found the missing piece in her life.
“The Multimedia Production program captured my heart the moment I saw it,” she says. “It had all the things I'm passionate about and would like to learn. From coding to animation, all the classes were something I'm willing to struggle for.”
Serrano says her career goal is to create a world of memorable experiences in a digital environment, and she got a lot of great hands-on experiences doing just that during her time as a student at Lethbridge College. She participated in Performance and XR, where Canadian students of game design and performing arts collaborate to create a virtual reality world. In this project, she was one of the very first student XRtists to design and build a world according to the given theme within one week before presenting it to professional creators, designers and developers.
Serrano’s team also won first place in the 7th annual Tecconnect Challenge, which is a real-world training experience to create a marketing strategy and collaborative design for a client. For her capstone project, she created a 3D immersive environment for the Student Core Competencies where people can explore and learn more about the topic in a more fun and engaging way.
In addition to being named the valedictorian of the Fall 2022 Convocation, Serrano was awarded the Most Promising Interactive Developer Grad Award for her outstanding academic achievement of interactive media. Today, she works as a media designer for the college’s Centre for Teaching, Learning and Innovation.
“Denise always put in the effort to make a next level project,” says Tanya Weder, Multimedia Production instructor. “She is what we call a unicorn in the industry because her skills span all areas. She has an excellent eye for design, the analytical brain for coding, and the business acumen to think of ways these creative technologies can be applied to solve problems. Her products address a real-world challenge, look great, and function seamlessly.”
This year’s Fall Convocation will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. For more information, go to lethpolytech.ca/convocation.
The event will mark the first convocation for the college’s new president and CEO, Dr. Brad Donaldson. He will be formally installed as president in a ceremony set for 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, also in the Val Matteotti Gymnasium. For more information about this celebration, go to lethpolytech.ca/installation.