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Niagara College students brought home three gold, one silver and four bronze medals from the Skills Ontario Provincial Competition in Toronto on May 4–5, 2026. Thirty-five students from the Schools of Media, Trades, Technology, Environment and Horticulture, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality and Tourism took part.
Madeline Rekker (Restaurant Service), Victoria Paladino (Hairstyling) and Lauren Thiessen (Graphic Design) each won gold, earning the right to compete at the national competition.
“Their achievements not only speak to the calibre and strength of our programs but also our people: the faculty whose guidance, mentorship and unwavering commitment help our students reach their full potential,” said NC President Sean Kennedy.
Gold medal stories
Restaurant Service: Hospitality – Hotel and Restaurant Operations student Madeline Rekker delivered a five-course table service under a judge’s watchful eye, explaining every service decision along the way. She said the competition felt just like her daily work at the College’s Benchmark Restaurant.
Hairstyling: Victoria Paladino’s win, with Jada Capinding taking silver, marks the second year in a row that NC Hairstyling students have topped the podium. The competition included three timed challenges, from a layered cut with colour to a French twist updo.
Graphic Design: Third-year student Lauren Thiessen had seven hours to rebrand a chocolate company, creating a package design, a flyer and a website from a short brief. “Knowing I’m the best in Ontario is such an amazing feeling,” she said.
More medals for NC
Bronze medals went to Isaac Skinner (Computer Aided Manufacturing), Sebastian Garrett (3D Digital Game Art), Keiryn Cox (Landscape Design), and James Lammers and Brady McLaren (Horticulture and Landscape). Lammers competed with his arm in a sling after breaking his collarbone days earlier, and the judges were so impressed they offered the pair a job.
Photo gallery
