Northern College Student Heads to Skills Canada National Competition

Northern College is proud to announce and offer its congratulations to second year Industrial Mechanic Millwright student Gabrielle Larocque on her gold medal win in the Millwright category at Skills Ontario.

Beating out 13 other competitors in both the college and apprenticeship streams, Larocque’s provincial win marks a first for Northern College and an incredible accomplishment for the second-year skilled trades student, who graduates from her program in a couple of weeks.

“When I found out I was in the top three, I was so surprised and relieved,” said Larocque. “All of the time and effort that I had put into this, something that means so much to me, paid off. I was crying, I was in disbelief, I had to call my family, I was so happy to have placed.”

It wasn’t until the finalists were listed in order, from third place to first, that Larocque understood that she had won.

“When I realized I hadn’t placed third or second, I was in disbelief,” said Larocque. “I’m still processing it, I think this is huge for me and huge for Northern, I can’t wait to see what this does for my program and the college.”“It’s such a great feeling,” added Larocque.

While the podium finish may have been a shock for Larocque, her professors were confident in her abilities and how she would do at the competition.

“It feels really good to mentor somebody of this calibre,” said Professor Marcel Poliquin. “Gabby is very smart and did a lot of this on her own, she is a very driven individual, but the stuff I’ve been able to mentor her on, help keep her on the right path, it’s great to be able to pass that knowledge on.”

“For anyone who teaches, watching your student excel is a truly rewarding experience,” added Poliquin.

Northern College is incredibly proud of Larocque’s accomplishments alongside her fellow Northern College competitors, all of whom illustrated the value of a skills based, college education.

“When we tell our students that they will make an impact in their chosen field of study, that their training at Northern will be second to none, this is what we mean,” stated Mitch Dumas, President & CEO of Northern College. “We are so proud of Gabby and her fellow competitors, all of whom did a fantastic job of representing Northern on the provincial stage.”

Larocque will head to the Skills Canada competition in Regina, Northern College, and its Alumni Association will continue to support her on this journey, cheerleading every step of the way.

“Our Alumni Association is so proud to support Gabby as she heads to nationals,” stated Nicole Gingras, External Relations Officer at Northern. “What she has accomplished is a reflection of everything we work to build at Northern, and we want her to know that as she’s headed to the national stage, she has the support of thousands of Northern College grads who have come before her.”

Larocque says she will stay focused on the task at hand, knowing that she is providing a shining example for women in the trades.

“We did it, we pushed beyond what others expected of us, and I think it meant a lot to Skills Ontario as well,” said Larocque. “I was told last year that I was the first woman to compete in the Millwright category in over eight years, so winning this year and sharing the podium with another women was truly special.”