Throwback-worthy moments from SAIT's 2023

Remember when…? Look back on some of our favourite moments from 2023 #HereAtSAIT and share a smile this holiday season.

1) SAIT in the spotlight in The Last of Us

SAIT was on set to bring Joel and Ellie’s story to life in The Last of Us. The production crew spent six days decorating campus with leaf piles, twisted old vines, and rusted bikes and newspaper boxes before filming began. A number of SAIT grads also worked behind the scenes on the production.

2) A cool festive baking face-off and a sizzling Stampede batter battle

You may have spotted Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor Chef Kevin Conniff cooking up some seasonal spirit as a competitor on Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship.

And, back in July, Chef Instructors Paul McGreevy and Josh Grieman went skillet-to-skillet in the Great SAIT Stampede Pancake Showdown.

3) Taking it to the top

SAIT’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion is just one of the reasons we were named an Alberta Top Employer for the 13th time in 2023.

For the fourth year in a row, SAIT earned a spot in the top 10 on Research Infosource Inc.'s list of Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada.

SAIT’s School of Hospitality and Tourism moved up three spots from last year to claim 15th spot on CEOWORLD Magazine’s list of 2023 Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools in the World. The School of Business made the list of Best Business Schools for the third year running — holding strong as the second highest ranked business school in Canada and #51 in world.

It was an outstanding year for Trojans Athletics. The SAIT Trojans men’s basketball team brought home their sixth consecutive Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) title and went on to win the national title. The badminton teams earned ACAC medals in all five disciplines. Plus, the men's and women's futsal teams secured a silver medal and the women’s curling team captured bronze in ACAC championship competition. The SAIT Trojans also won ACAC banners in men's golf, men's cross-country and women's cross-country. Makenna Fitzgerald clinched her third ACAC women’s cross-country championship. And the women's soccer team claimed top spot at the 2023 ACAC championships.   

4) Indigenous resource centre gifted new name

Elder Miiksika'am, Clarence Wolf Leg of Siksika Nation gifted SAIT and the Chinook Lodge Indigenous Resource Centre with the name Natoysopoyiis (nah-toy so-poh-yees) during a pipe ceremony in September. The name means holy wind lodge in the language of the Blackfoot people.

5) SAIT’s got Skills

SAIT was the most decorated Alberta post-secondary institution at the 2023 Skills Canada competitions. Stay tuned as Noah Harding (Plumbing) and Tyler Cherkowski (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) join Team Canada at WorldSkills 2024 in France.

6) ICYMI: These fun and fabulous vibes

Music and good vibes filled the Irene Lewis Atrium during a dance challenge in celebration of Black History Month.

Our community #HereAtSAIT cheered and celebrated Calgary Pride with a rainbow of events in September.

SAIT's main campus buzzed with dance, colour and light at the Diwali celebration in November.

7) A Giving Day extraordinaire

In just 24 hours, the SAIT community came together in a big way this October. Inspired by this year’s theme to help a student grow, 300 donors came forward to help. Thanks to their generosity, Giving Day smashed the target goal of $130,000, raising more than $143,000!

8) Indigenous Convocation

This year, SAIT held its first Indigenous Convocation ceremonies honouring First Nations, Metis and Inuit graduates. The celebration included a feast, traditional gifting, a blanket ceremony, honour song and round dance, and was an opportunity for friends, family and community to come together in celebration. 

9) That first SAIT Youth programs feeling

150 female grade 8 and 9 students explored a few of the skilled trades programs offered #HereAtSAIT during the Jill of All Trades event in November.

The sun and the smiles shone bright during SAIT Summer Camps.

SAIT’s dual-credit youth programs celebrated 10 years of helping high school students take the future for a test drive.

10) Barbie goes to SAIT

Who’s the ultimate upskilling and career-changing icon? Come on, it was so much fun to jump on the Barbie bandwagon this summer.

11) A first look at the new Campus Centre

In the fall, the SAIT community got a first look at a preliminary rendering of the exterior design concept for the new Campus Centre. Dear 2024, we can’t wait to learn more as the project progresses.

 

🎁 Looking for more memorable highlights from 2023? You can also relive the year through SAIT’s top alumni and donor moments.