CAST/UTECH Alumni Names Land Surveyor Distinguished Scholar

The CAST/UTech Alumni Association in Canada has named land surveyor Anthony Sani as its Distinguished Alumna for 2006.
The announcement and presentation took place at the Association’s annual awards banquet and dance held recently in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Sani, owner of Sani-International Technology Advisors Inc. and Spatial Geo-Link Ltd., was presented with his award by last year’s recipient, Olive Steele.
The 2006 distinguished alumna graduated with honours in land surveying from the Old Hope Road-based institution in 1976 and was awarded a British Council scholarship to study land surveying in London, England.
After migrating to Canada in 1981, Mr. Sani worked as a technologist and mapping supervisor before returning to school and earning a master’s degree from the University of Toronto. In 1996, he completed his doctorial studies.
Mr. Sani thanked the Association for bestowing the honour on him and lauded his alma mater for providing him with “self-confidence, a mechanism for getting international recognition and a knowledge base from which to build”.
In his remarks, President of the Alumni Association, Greg Allen, noted that last year was a busy one for the group, which launched a scholarship awards programme and an education forum.
In a message to the organization, President of the University, Dr. Rae Davis, thanked the members for their assistance to UTech.
“The University of Technology is deeply grateful for your continuous support; providing scholarships, facilitating beneficial linkages and helping in various ways to positively build and maintain the institution’s image. Your support is critical to the development and survival of our university and I implore you to be relentless in your service,” Dr. Davis said.
Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada, His Excellency Carl Marshall, also commended the group on its achievements, saying he was always pleased to recognize the purpose-driven engagement of the overseas Diaspora to establish and support institutions in Jamaica.
“CAST/ UTech can be justifiably proud of its achievements, particularly in equipping its students with the technological acumen to prosper in our rapidly changing global environment. That CAST/UTech graduates continue to excel and make a positive impact whether at home or abroad, comes as no surprise given the strong foundation provided by the institution,” said the High Commissioner.
Dale Jones, in bringing greetings from the Jamaican Consulate, acknowledged the contribution of alumni associations to Jamaica and Jamaicans. “Education is the real engine of growth; it is what makes a difference between failure and success. Your actions demonstrate that when a group of persons love their homeland, are proud of their history, and indeed, respect humankind, they are propelled to achieve excellence,” he said.
Guest speaker for the evening was Jamaican-born Dr. Avis Glaze, Ontario’s Chief Student Achievement Officer and Chief Executive Officer for the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, who appealed to parents to become familiar with and know their rights as parents under the Education Act of Ontario.