Orientation comes with plenty of opportunities for new students to get acclimated to their school.
This year, a new feature this year came in the form of locks.
Located on the patio of the St. James Campus – now Casa Loma – students have the opportunity to commit to their future by attaching their locks.
Inspired by the Pont des Arts in Paris or Love Locks at the Distillery District, where couples attach locks to symbolize their commitment to each other, the bridge allows students to symbolize their future at GBC in a heartfelt way.
Students placed their locks on the weld, symbolizing their commitment to their future—a powerful gesture for those starting a new academic year and preparing to face the challenges ahead.
Lilly Lazare-Greene, lab development technologist, was responsible for bringing this project to life. She assembled a team of four women, two of whom were students, to ensure the project was a success for orientation/
“I had the help of Asia Taylor, who’s the welding technician here, and two students that were in their first semester, just transitioning to their second semester. So, I picked two female students from that program. I think they’re two of the best in that class. I knew exactly who I wanted to help me with this project.”
Cassie Zinga and Hailey Roseland-Barnes are the students from the welding techniques program, chosen to be part of Lazare-Greene’s team for this project. For them, the experience was unique and a great opportunity to work on a project for their portfolios.
“I think for us, it was more just exciting to actually create something, because in class, you know, we have our projects and stuff, but we’re never really seeing something through from start to finish. So, the opportunity to be able to put something like that on our portfolio, where we, like, Lily came to us with a drawing she drew on a piece of paper, and was like, okay, this what we’re thinking. And we were both so excited,” Roseland-Barnes said.
This project was also supported by professor John-Allen Ellington, who assisted in cutting the letters with a water jet machine.
For Lazare-Greene, this project symbolizes not only the commitment students are making to their futures but also the belief that anyone can pursue their aspirations and achieve their dreams. Completed by an all-female team in a traditionally male-dominated industry, this Lock project stands as a powerful testament to what is possible.
“You see something like this, and it inspires you, because it’s like, [for example] I’m starting on a culinary journey, [and] I don’t know what I’m going to be doing. I want to be a chef. I want to be the next Gordon Ramsay. But here’s this sign that was created by students in the welding department at another campus. And if they can do that, then maybe I can run my own restaurant one day, or whatever you know. It can trigger a motivational switch in your mind that you can do [it]. It’s not related, but it is because it all takes hard work that that is culminated from my hard work, their hard work, years and years and months of hard work up to that point,” said Lazare-Greene.
The lock has been relocated to the Casa Loma campus, where it is now on display for students to reflect on the project and draw inspiration from.
