“I met my best friend at Dawson and we came together.”

“Dawson made such an impact on me during my first years in Canada; I had to come.”

“There is just something special about the Dawson community and I had to come back and be part of it again.”

These were the sorts of comments we heard from graduates, retirees, employees and even current students who attended Dawson’s first-ever Homecoming on Sept. 23.

Hover over a photo to read the caption.

“We launched the invitation widely and had no idea how many people would respond,” said Megan Ainscow (Class of 2006, Liberal Arts) of the Organizing Committee. “We are very moved by the response! Homecoming 2023 was the test run, the first time ever, and we will learn from it and make it even better next time. We are considering when we can hold the next Dawson Homecoming, possibly in 2025.”

About 800 people attended Homecoming this year. Some came for part of the day and others for the whole program, which began with lunch at 12 PM, continued with tours and activities, program/profile reunions and Dawson Blues basketball games.

A highlight for many were the program and profile reunions. 3D and CGI faculty member Raymon Fong wrote: “Wanted to just congratulate you on the first Dawson homecoming, I was impressed at how many graduates showed up for 3D Animation. It was a very heartwarming and beautiful event! Everyone is already saying they can’t wait for next year!!!”

After the reunions, guests headed to 3C.1 for an evening cocktail reception that spilled outside into the courtyard on the perfect-weather night. An estimated 400 people gathered, chatted and partied for the last part of Homecoming.

Former Dawson student and professional photographer Jacee Juhasz was on duty to capture all the smiles and emotions.

Special thanks to the Homecoming Organizing Committee, the staff who worked on a Saturday to make it happen, the teachers who hosted reunions and our event sponsors: the Burgundy Lion Group, Shaughnessy Café and Chartwells Canada.

Scroll down for a selection of photos. You can also view and download the complete photo gallery.

Stay tuned for a souvenir video!