Alumni Profile: Greg Gagnon, backbone of Accessibility Learning Services team
Mohawk alumnus and Mohawk employee Greg Gagnon has “it”: expertise, character, and passion that have led to two highly esteemed awards.
In his role as Accessible Learning Services (ALS) technician, Greg received the 2023 Mohawk Award of Excellence and the 2024 Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan) Leadership Excellence Award for Non-Managerial Staff.
“I was totally surprised when I got the Mohawk Award of Excellence,” Greg said. “I remember when Katie Burrows started presenting the award, and how it slowly hit me that she was talking about me. My hands were shaking the whole time after I sat back down.
“At the event, they told us we’d be Mohawk College’s nominees for the CICan awards,” Greg said. “I thought there were others who deserved it more, but I gave it my best shot. When the deadlines passed without any news, I figured someone else had been chosen. So, when I got the email from then President, Ron McKerlie, I was blown away. It came late at night, and I had to wake up my wife to share the news with her.”
Receiving these awards could have something to do with Gagnon’s colleagues describing him as the “backbone of the Accessibility Learning Services team.”
It could also be because of his mentioned love for helping others.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to know that what I do makes a real difference in someone’s journey,” Greg said.
Before working at the college, Greg was a Mohawk College student. After some time in the Network Engineering and Security Analyst program, he realized programming was his “true passion.”
“Switching to the Software Development program led me to graduate with diplomas in both Software Support and Software Development,” Greg said. “My journey wasn’t a straight line. I took some time to figure things out—faced a few bumps along the way—but eventually I found my path. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing support and guidance from the staff and faculty at Mohawk College. Without their help, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”