June 16, 2010
Media contact: Patty Wellborn
Office: 604-795-2819
patty.wellborn@ufv.ca
UFV’s Karl Bardossy wins Lieutenant Governor’s medal
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| Lieutenant Governor's medal winner Karl Bardossy with VP Academic Eric Davis. |
A few years back UFV student
Karl Bardossy lived, breathed, and dreamed soccer. It was all he thought about, all he wanted to do. So he played a lot of soccer and he did it well. As a teen, he played in the Abbotsford organization, moved on to the metro league, earned a spot on the B.C. team, and ended up on the Canadian junior national team.
“I grew up playing soccer and it’s all I wanted to do,” he says. “With the Canadian junior team, I was lucky enough to travel with them to Ireland. It was truly a great experience.”
But reality interrupted Bardossy’s soccer dreams — he needed a paying job and a niggling shoulder injury was plaguing his love of the game. However, Bardossy, who lives in Mission, was so wrapped up in his training and games, he never gave much thought to what he would do if he couldn’t play soccer. But with bills to pay, he took the first job that came his way and spent almost two years driving a fork lift in a warehouse. Then he got laid off.
“I knew I needed a job, but what I really wanted was a career. I wanted to learn a skill where I would earn a decent pay. I knew it was time to go back to school.”
Karl, 22, and his brother
Kyle, 21, both registered for UFV’s newly-introduced Plumbing and Piping Technician Certificate program. The 34-week hands-on certificate program was just what Bardossy was looking for. His girlfriend’s dad is a plumber so he had a good idea of the skills needed, working hours, and high demand of the industry. Still, being out of school for a few years, Bardossy wasn’t quite sure what he was up against, and was nervous about his new beginnings.
“I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into that first day when I walked into the classroom. But right away I had 20 new friends. It is an awesome program, and the instructor Rodney Smith is a great teacher.”
And, as if he was still playing soccer, Bardossy tackled his studies full on — giving it 100 per cent, all the time. That little bit of extra effort has paid off as Bardossy has been awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal at UFV’s convocation. The Lieutenant Governor’s Medal is awarded each spring to the student with the highest academic achievement in a certificate program at UFV.
Instructor Rodney Smith is not surprised the accomplishment goes to Bardossy, a student who stood out from Day One.
“On the first day of class I introduced myself and had each student give a brief story of themselves,” says Smith. “Although most were interesting stories, Karl came across as a student who was there for all the right reasons and had his goal’s set out for the year.”
Bardossy is in the first graduating class of UFV’s Plumbing and Piping program as it was introduced in September 2009. It is an apprenticable program, meaning after completing the program, and during their employment with a plumbing company, graduates can enter into a piping apprenticeship. The classroom theory and the 450 hours acquired through the program, along with the hours required from their employer, will give the students their first year plumbing apprenticeship credit.
Smith says it was pleasure teaching this first cohort in the Plumbing and Piping program. And he’s extra proud that one of his students won the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal. He says Bardossy took his education seriously and was interested in every subject. While he also thrived in the theory modules, Smith says it is Bardossy’s willingness to help other students that really makes him stand out as a first class person.
“I found Karl helpful to students who seemed to be struggling in some areas of the course and was very professional and courteous to everyone around him. Karl’s hard work and devotion to this plumbing program showed me that he was my choice for the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal. I hope the best for him and I know that he will make a great tradesman in the plumbing and piping industry for many years to come. Good job Karl!”
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