Prince George, BC – It is graduation day at the University of Northern B.C. and it will mark two important milestones.

 

First, the 750 who will graduate today will mean there will be 10 thousand UNBC alumni. That’s a milestone for the University.

 

Secondly, it will mean all five Callahan children will have a UNBC degree. That is the highest number of graduates from one family in UNBC’s short history.

 

In 1988, Prince George residents Richard and Helen Callahan  donated $5 dollars to sign the petition in favour of creating a northern British Columbian university.  That petition would eventually  lead to the  development of the University of Northern British Columbia.   At the time, they had no idea they were actually investing one dollar for each of their children who would grow up to live and work in northern BC and eventually call themselves UNBC graduates.

 

Son Dennis Callahan was the first to graduate with a BA in English in 2001; he would also later obtain his MBA (’09) from UNBC. Then, sisters Cortnie (BSW Child Welfare Specialization ’02), Jenilee (BScN Nursing ’07) and Tara (BComm Accounting  ’08) followed.

 

This spring, the Callahan family celebrates a “northern flush” as the fifth of the siblings, Tamara, graduates with a degree in Nursing.

 

All of theCallahans are now living and working in northern BC.

 

Dennis is CFO for Northern Development Initiative Trust, Cortnie lives in Prince George, Tara is Manager of Financial Planning and Operations at the College of New Caledonia, and Jenilee is a nurse at the University Hospital of Northern BC. Tamara plans to practice nursing in the north as well.

 

The graduation ceremonies today will take place at the Northern Sports centre with the College of Science and Management ceremonies to begin at 9:30 this morning. The College of Arts, Social and Health Sciences will see its ceremonies start at 2:30 this afternoon.