Alumni in Focus

Brendan Kennedy

Music Business Administration, Class of 2013

Coming from a musical family, with both of his parents being teachers, Brendan Kennedy was encouraged to pursue a post-secondary education in an area he felt passionate about. He enrolled in the Music Business Administration program at DC and graduated in 2013. Since graduation, Kennedy has been on the road with different bands consistently for more than 10 years touring Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada and the United States. At the 2026 Canadian Live Music Industry Awards he was named Tour Manager of the Year, recognizing his career working with bands including The Beaches, The Glorious Sons, Valley and Billy Talent. He was previously nominated for this award in 2024. “The best part was it is that it was voted on by my peers,” said Kennedy. “It’s a great feeling to be recognized by them and other people in the music industry.”

Alex Chipman

Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training, Class of 2017
Fire and Life Safety Systems Technician, Class of 2019
Primary Care Paramedic, Class of 2024

Previously completing the Firefighter – Pre-Service Education and Training and the Fire and Life Safety Systems Technician programs at DC, DC alumni Alex Chipman worked in the fire alarm field for nearly five years before returning to DC to pursue a new career. Alex enrolled in the Emergency Services Fundamentals program, which helped build his confidence and set him up for academic success as he continued his education in the compressed format of the Primary Care Paramedic program. He fondly remembers the friends he made at DC, many of whom followed the same pathway from the fundamentals program to their specialty in paramedicine. Alex is now a Primary Care Paramedic in Toronto and hopes to one day move into an education role to help inspire future college students.

Heather Brown

Social Service Worker, Class of 2021
Human Resource Management, Class of 2022

With multiple years of experience working in a post-secondary setting, Heather Brown is now the Curriculum Coordinator for Queen’s University Lakeridge Health MD Family Medicine Program. In addition to the skills she acquired during the Social Service Worker and Human Resource Management programs at DC, Heather found great value in getting involved. Particularly, she found a group of like-minded people with Enactus DC, a national network of post-secondary student leaders committed to using business as a catalyst for positive social and environmental impact, “Enactus caused a life changing shift in how I view myself within the world, my ability to make change and be successful.” Beyond graduation, she continues her involvement as a team liaison and was recently named Alumni of the Year for Enactus Canada. Heather is currently completing a Masters of Global Leadership at Royal Roads University.

Brittany Bunn

Emergency Services Fundamentals, Class of 2016
Primary Care Paramedic, Class of 2018

Brittany Bunn graduated from the Emergency Services Fundamentals program followed by the Primary Care Paramedic program. Now a Primary Care Paramedic for the City of Toronto, she has been awarded the Ontario Medal for Paramedic Bravery, recognizing her courageous actions while attending to a patient in crisis. In 2025, this honour was awarded to only seven paramedics across the province.

Brittany credits her education at Durham College for providing an in-depth understanding of all areas of the job through in-class learning and multiple field placements, “During my preceptorship I also had the pleasure of learning from two fantastic medics who I carry with me in my practice on a day-to-day basis. As prepared as I felt upon graduation, the reality of this job is to expect the unexpected and continue learning everyday.”

Shawn Walsh

General Arts and Science, Class of 2001
Entertainment Administration, Class of 2003

Two-time Durham College (DC) graduate Shawn Walsh remembers hosting a weekly radio show with a classmate when the college’s radio station was in the back of the cafeteria. He now owns Step By Step Pro DJ, providing award-winning service to his clients since 2012. After graduation, Shawn gained experience in the entertainment industry by securing gigs through contacts he met during his time at DC. This is where he learned to DJ and emcee weddings and corporate events, which would later become the building blocks for his own business. Throughout his career, Shawn has stayed connected to the business community volunteering with organizations including the Whitby Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian DJ Association for Toronto East.

Paul Fritzsch

Horticulture – Food and Farming, Class of 2023

After a 20-year career in software technology, Paul decided to follow a lifelong passion for agriculture and return to college. While at DC, he participated in the Student Work program, where he gained invaluable experience in his role as Community and Edible Gardens Ambassador representing the Barrett Centre of Innovation in Sustainable Urban Agriculture. During his last semester, he founded Urban Farm Solutions, an urban agriculture company with a mission to help create holistic communities that are food-sovereign and connected to the health of their own environments. By transforming underutilized urban green spaces into productive and beautiful market gardens, much of the food grown can be donated to local food banks and care organizations.

Zenon Issel

Mechanical Engineering Technology, Class of 1998

Our next #AlumniInFocus is Zenon Issel, a 1998 Mechanical Engineering Technology grad and founder of global watersports brand @surffur. After graduation Zenon dedicated 24 years to his role as a mechanical engineer at Solar Turbines in San Diego. Alongside his engineering career he started several businesses and, in 2007, founded Surf-fur, inspired by a deep passion for the ocean and watersports including surfing and spearfishing. “My education at @durhamcollege provided the practical knowledge I needed to hit the ground running in my career from day one,” said Zenon of his time at DC. “We had a great mix of theory and hands-on training which really tied everything together.” With a true entrepreneurial spirit, Zenon continues to invest in businesses, mentor other entrepreneurs, and pursue personal growth. His latest venture involves active ownership in a mortgage business in Hawaii, where he and his family relocated to in 2020.

Jessica Coleman

Electronics Engineering Technician, Class of 2017

A proud DC alumna, our next #AlumniInFocus has followed her career path back to @durhamcollege as an Automation Systems Support Specialist for DC’s Electromechanical Engineering Technology program.

“It is amazing to now support the labs I learned in, alongside the faculty I learned from,” explained Jessica.

After graduating from the Electronics Engineering Technician program in 2017, she started her career in the nuclear industry as a Junior Process Engineering Analyst and, throughout her tenure, held the positions of Process Engineering Analyst and Maintenance Planner.

In addition to the technical skills needed for a career in automation and robotics, she values the soft skills she learned during her education at DC: teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking. She fondly remembers the late nights spent studying with her classmates in the Integrated Manufacturing Centre. “There was such an immense sense of camaraderie amongst the group, it always felt like we were working towards a collective finish line. It was a lovely community to learn and grow in.”

An avid volunteer, Jessica currently lends her time to Stand in Pride International, serving as a virtual or in-person support for those in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, as well as Be My Eyes answering on-demand calls for sighted support