Holland College Sport and Recreation Management

🌳💙 Thank You, Recreation Professionals!

As we celebrate June is Recreation and Parks Month, the Holland College Sport and Recreation Management Program would like to recognize and thank the recreation professionals who make our communities stronger every day.

Whether you're organizing programs, managing facilities, maintaining parks and trails, planning community spaces, leading events, or creating opportunities for people to connect, your work has a lasting impact on the health, well-being, and quality of life of Islanders and communities across Canada.

Your passion inspires the next generation of recreation leaders. Our students learn from your example through mentorship, partnerships, and real-world experiences that prepare them for rewarding careers in the recreation and parks sector.

Thank you for everything you do to build healthier, more inclusive, and vibrant communities.

Happy June is Recreation and Parks Month! 🌲

| Recreation PEI | CPRA - ACPL

Congratulations to counsellor Emily on graduating from the Sport and Recreation Program at Holland College!

We are excited to welcome Emily back again this summer with Canes Camp. She can’t wait to get started leading our Young Leaders program this summer.

There is still availability in some of our Young Leaders weeks. Register today to secure your spot!

https://recreation.hollandcollege.com/program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=0670ad4e-020f-4b37-9bb9-d10be4ea6aba

Congratulations to Emily and to all the graduates this year. We wish you continued success in all that’s ahead!

🎓 SRM Academic Year in Review | 2025–2026 🏃‍♀️

What a year it has been for our Sport and Recreation Management students! The 2025–2026 academic year was filled with hands-on learning, community engagement, and experiences that brought the classroom to life.

Some of this year's highlights included:
✅ Facility Tours
✅ Alumni Industry Panel with the Kinesiology and Sport and Recreation Management Programs
✅ Student-Organized Industry Volunteer Expo
✅ Terry Fox Run on the Confederation Bridge
✅ The Affleck Cup – a friendly competition between the SRM and Kinesiology programs
✅Campus events and recreation programs
✅ Community Research

From planning events and building industry connections to giving back to the community, our students embraced every opportunity to learn by doing.

We work hard, but we have some fun along the way too! 💙

Learning by doing is at the heart of what we do in the program.

Interested in a career in sport, recreation, events, or community leadership? Turn your passion into a profession.

🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/HC-Sport-Rec

👉Meet the Instructional Team – Cory Thomas

Cory Thomas has been part of the sport programs at Holland College since 2005, bringing decades of experience in recreation, community development, communications, and leadership to the classroom.

Before joining Holland College as an Instructor, Cory worked as a Municipal Recreation Director and Fund Development Coordinator in the not-for-profit sector. Throughout his career, he has remained deeply involved in community service and public leadership.

He served two terms (eight years) as a Summerside City Councillor, where he chaired Technical Services and Planning Board and Police Services Committee, while also serving on numerous other municipal committees such as Recreation and Community Services Committee and as the liaison between the City and Provincial Government.

Cory has also dedicated many years to the PEI Home and School Federation, serving two years as President, and has been highly involved in minor sport across Prince Edward Island as a coach, manager, coordinator, referee, and board member. In 2020-2021, he was recognized with Hockey PEI’s Volunteer of the Year Award.

His educational background includes:

• Master of Arts – Integrated Studies (Final Research Project- Community Development and Rural Program Improvement)
• Bachelor of Recreation and Leisure Studies
• Diploma – Recreation Facility Management
• Diploma – Public Relations

Cory’s teaching areas include:

✔️ Community Development
✔️ Parks and Recreation Management
✔️ Public and Media Relations
✔️ Sport and Event Tourism

During the 2024-2025 academic year, Cory took a leave from Holland College to serve as the City of Summerside’s first Communications Coordinator, providing strategic communications leadership for the municipality.

Today, Cory continues to stay active in the industry as:

🏒 President/Commissioner of the PEI Senior Hockey League
⚾ Host Committee Member for the 2026 Baseball Canada Ray Carter Cup & Canada Cup Championships in Summerside
🥅 Minor Hockey and Private Hockey Referee
🏒 Manager of a U15 Spring Hockey Team
📣 Communications Consultant and Media Trainer for small municipalities and organizations

“One of the most rewarding parts of teaching is seeing our students out in the community volunteering, running programs, and gaining hands-on experience through sport and events. Watching them grow into leaders and professionals in the industry makes me incredibly proud.” – Cory Thomas, Instructor

Outside of work, Cory enjoys collecting sports memorabilia and Island history books, biking Summerside’s trails, spending time outdoors, watching sports, and listening to music.

An armchair hockey historian, he has a vast collection of hockey books and can usually be found at a rink from October to May either officiating or watching the game he loves.

And yes current and past students will always say he is cheering and bragging about his beloved Montreal Canadiens!

Cory lives in Summerside with his son Dylan, daughter Kayla, and border collie, Winney!

🎓✨ Sport and Recreation Management – Graduating Class of 2026 ✨🎓

The Holland College Sport and Recreation Management Program is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating Class of 2026!

👏 Samarth Deo served as Valedictorian for the Class of 2026, representing the graduating class with leadership and excellence.

👏 Kelly Dunn received the Sport and Recreation Management Community Leadership Award in recognition of her tireless volunteer work and dedication to the sport and recreation community.

👏 Hannah Brown received the prestigious President’s Award for Dedication along with the Sport and Recreation Management Academic Excellence Award for her resilience, leadership, and commitment to academic success.

To all of our graduates , congratulations on this incredible achievement! Your hard work, passion, and dedication have made us extremely proud, and we cannot wait to see the impact you will continue to make in sport, recreation, and communities across Canada and beyond. 💙

|Holland College Foundation & Alumni | Holland College

🌟🏐 Congratulations to Hannah Brown! 🏐🌟

Recently at the Graduation, graduating Sport and Recreation Management student Hannah Brown received the prestigious President’s Award of Dedication, recognizing her resilience, leadership, and outstanding contributions to athletics and communities across.

Hannah’s journey throughout her time at Holland College is truly inspiring. After sustaining a significant knee injury before her first season with the Hurricanes, she showed incredible perseverance through rehabilitation and recovery. Following another devastating injury that ended her playing career, Hannah redirected her passion for sport into coaching and leadership.

She stepped into roles as an assistant coach with the Holland Hurricanes Women’s Volleyball team and with AAA women’s volleyball team. Wanting to create more opportunities for young female athletes in PEI, Hannah founded the Shoreline Volleyball Club, a competitive and inclusive program designed to support and develop young volleyball players. The program has already seen tremendous success and positive community impact.

Beyond athletics, Hannah has also excelled in the classroom, consistently demonstrating leadership, academic excellence, and a commitment to supporting her peers.

In addition, Hannah received the Sport and Recreation Management Award for Academic Excellence, presented to a student who continuously strives for academic excellence within the program.

👏 Hannah, your resilience, leadership, and passion for community are truly inspiring. We are incredibly proud of you and cannot wait to see the impact you continue to make!

| Holland College | Holland Hurricanes

🌟 Sport and Recreation Management Alumni Profile 🌟

The Holland College Sport and Recreation Management Program is proud to highlight alumnus JP Desrosiers, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Summerside and graduate of the program’s Class of 2004.

After graduating from Holland College, JP continued his education through the articulation agreement pathway with University of New Brunswick, building on the strong practical foundation developed through the Sport and Recreation Management Program.

Throughout his career, JP has remained passionate about recreation, community development, and public service, helping create vibrant, connected, and healthy communities. From leading recreation and community initiatives as Community Services Director to now serving as CAO for the City of Summerside, his journey reflects the impact sport and recreation leadership can have far beyond the playing field.

Today, JP oversees the operations of 13 municipal departments, helping guide the strategic direction, growth, infrastructure, sustainability initiatives, and overall future of Summerside. His work continues to shape community life, strengthen communities, and improve quality of life for residents every day.

💬 “The Sport and Recreation Management Program at Holland College provided practical, hands-on experience that directly translated into my career. The program helped develop the leadership, communication, organizational, and people skills that continue to benefit me today in municipal leadership. It also reinforced the importance of community building and the positive impact recreation and public service can have on people’s lives.” — JP Desrosiers

We are incredibly proud to celebrate JP’s accomplishments and the positive impact he continues to make in Summerside and across Prince Edward Island through his leadership, vision, and commitment to community growth.

👏 Thank you for representing the Sport and Recreation Management Program so well, JP!

| The City of Summerside | Holland College | Holland College Foundation & Alumni

SRM faculty are very involved within the sport and recreation community. SRM Instructor Meagan Ferguson recently represented PEI as PEI's U18 Flag Football Head Coach at Football Canada Elite Flag Nationals held at Queens University.

This past weekend at Football Canada Elite Flag Nationals held at Queens University, there was no shortage of Hurricanes representation!

Featured in the photo: alumni Mitch Spence (Ontario U19 Male Assistant Coach), Jake Henderson (tournament Official), and Mitchell Peach (PEI U14 Head Coach), our coordinator Colleen Henderson (PEI U14 Manager), and coach Meagan Ferguson (PEI U18 Head Coach).

Missing from the photo: current player Chayton Tremblay (PEI Assistant Coach), alumni Kyle Nowlan (PEI Assistant Coach) and Grayson Rutters (Ontario Assistant Coach), and coaches Mitch Osmond and Andrew Beck (both New Brunswick coaches).

Football PEI Ontario Football Football New Brunswick

Congratulations to Sport and Recreation Management and Kinesiology Alumni, Logan Rempel on his award! We are very proud of you!

| T3 Fitness and Kinesiology

Welcome to Sport and Recreation Management 🏀

COMMITTED 🏀
Join us in welcoming Kaymon Grouse to the Hurricanes Family for the 2026-2027 season!