Georgian College

15 GEORGIANVIEW SPRING 2022 PREMIER'S AWARDS Andrew Cywink, who completed the Electrician - Construction and Maintenance program at Georgian, grew up in Elliot Lake and is a member of the Whitefish River First Nation. He's a certified 442A electrician and an engineering technologist with the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT). For nearly two decades, Andrew worked in the automation and machine maintenance sectors, and has supported numerous integration projects. In his current role as a research and innovation technologist at Georgian College, Andrew is responsible for providing operations support for activities that occur inside the Alectra Centre for Research, Innovation and Commercialization, The Technology Project Space, and the Peter B. Moore Changemaker Space. When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in 2020, Georgian's Research and Innovation department recognized and helped to alleviate a need for personal protective equipment at local hospitals and health-care providers across Barrie, Orillia, Midland and Alliston. Andrew co-ordinated the technical specifications and manufacturing protocols for face shields, allowing the team to use 3D printing to contribute to the production of thousands of face shields for local hospitals. Andrew is also a contract faculty member with Georgian's Electrical Engineering Technology and Apprenticeship programs, helping students develop practical and technical skills while equipping them with knowledge of the latest industry standards and technology. "I didn't get here the typical way," he said during his 2021 Premier's Award nominee speech at a special reception in November 2021. "Like so many people, I was pushed into going to university first, which I did for a year, but I didn't enjoy it." After finding his way to college, everything seemed to fall into place. "I've met a ton of people over my career who have helped me to find my focus and direction," says Andrew. "People like Tom Roberts who was a co-ordinator at the Midland Campus. I owe him a ton of gratitude for helping me to find that direction in my career." Closing his speech, he adds: "I have been the recipient of a lot of good fortune and good luck in my life, but more importantly, I am the product of the people who have walked beside me, and helped to push me forward, and I will be forever grateful to them." A student becomes the teacher | Andrew is responsible for providing operations support for activities inside the Alectra Centre for Research, Innovation and Commercialization, The Technology Project Space, and the Peter B. Moore Changemaker Space.

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