Through his 23 year career at Lambton College, President and CEO Rob Kardas still finds no better inspiration than to see students cross the convocation stage. It’s the product of countless hours of hard work and years of program courses, all leading to goals being achieved and futures being started. While earning a diploma, degree, or certificate is undeniably the highlight of a student's college experience, the entire Sarnia-Lambton community benefits from this collective success.
“Lambton College is just so proud to be Sarnia-Lambton’s community college and we’re proud that our students are Sarnia-Lambton’s future workforce,” said Rob Kardas. “Our students are obviously going to be taking care of this community in the future and it’s our responsibility, and it’s a significant responsibility to prepare them for that.”
Lambton College understands its position as a key part of Sarnia-Lambton’s workforce sustainability. In recognition of this, it does its best to showcase the welcoming community that students will one day be a part of. The college strives to keep its students happy and healthy, giving them every reason to stay and thrive in the area. One major effort that Lambton College has put forward to establish this is its effort to prioritize equity, diversity, and inclusion on the campus.
“We want Lambton College to be a place where everyone has the opportunity to live a full and authentic life,” said Kardas.
Lambton College is proud to have a diverse community, benefiting from that diversity in terms of new ideas and innovations. Its emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion is a major push to continue improving the student experience at the college. Lambton College also remains committed to improving the overall student experience by regularly modernizing campus facilities and enhancing all aspects of student life.
“A tremendous amount of work has gone into the campus and that goes back many years. And of course, we’re driven by the need to provide a world-class education and student experience for our students,” said Kardas.
The ongoing updates and renovations go towards new labs, equipment technology, modern classrooms, and study spaces, all major components of Lambton College’s experiential learning opportunities. It provides for the kind of hands-on studying that allows Lambton College graduates to make a seamless leap from working in practice, to professionally. Additionally, the college takes steps to ensure that these efforts also have a beneficial influence on the larger community.
“We’re always thrilled to see our campus filled with community members,” said Kardas. “Whether it’s at events we’re hosting or just on a daily basis as they maybe walk through our beautiful campus.”
The continuous updates of the campus and the focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion all go towards setting each and every student up for success. Every student has a different background, with different interests and aspirations. That’s why Lambton College does everything it can to meet these individual needs so that students can do their part in accomplishing their final goals.
“Every student is really unique, but the one thing they have in common is their dedication and persistence they show in attaining their education,” said Kardas. “I know the work they’ve put in, I see the pride in their face, and I know what they are capable of in their careers and their lives, and it just makes me so proud of each and every one of them when I see that.”