President Patti France with Andrew Faas at St. Clair College in Chatham. September 17, 2018. (Photo courtesy of St. Clair College via Twitter).President Patti France with Andrew Faas at St. Clair College in Chatham. September 17, 2018. (Photo courtesy of St. Clair College via Twitter).
Chatham

St. Clair alumni encourages students to foster relationships

The student centre at St. Clair College Thames campus will now reflect and honour the work of a former student.

Andrew Faas graduated from the Business Marketing program at St. Clair College in 1972. Now, a retired managing partner and executive vice president of corporate development at Shoppers Drug Mart, Faas is giving back to the community in hopes of inspiring others.

Faas has been an active supporter of St. Clair College, as well as other organizations dealing in education or health care.

A naming ceremony of the student centre at the college in Chatham was held on Monday.

"I don't think there's any greater honour than to be recognized from whence you came so it's a real thrill for me," he said. "We were brought up to give back, not just financially but to also be part of a community."

Faas said the reason for supporting the college's student centre and Healthplex specifically has to do with his goal of facilitating relationships between students. Faas said the "art of dialogue" is being lost and centres that allow for interaction is where people will be able to build on key social skills.

"We need to get back to environments where people can have those essential discussions and disagreements and debates and just overall dialogue, which will foster the relationships," he said. "Right now, it's actually worldwide, there's a loneliness crisis."

Looking back, Faas said his personal goals never involved having a building named after him.

"What is my aspiration is to kind of lead a legacy where I've been able to influence positive change in society," he said. "I'm encouraging others to have similar aspirations to leave their mark on the world."

The student centre at St. Clair College is a renovated area that features study areas, lounges, a boardroom, as well as an expanded cafeteria -- plenty of space for students to interact with each other.

-With files from Matt Weverink.

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