Cambrian College president reflects on his time at the school

The president of Cambrian College in Sudbury is stepping down. Bill Best will be leaving the college in the New Year after eight years at the helm.

He said stepping down was not an easy decision.

“It’s really tough, to be honest,” Best said Wednesday.

“So many great memories, so many great people here at Cambrian and I’m going to miss them all … the students, the staff, faculty and the community.”

Best said there have been many changes over the years.

“One of the most significant changes that the organization has gone from is really being a traditional eight-month college to now we refer to ourselves as a 12-month global degree granting college,” he said.

“That takes a lot of work and a lot of effort.”

Best said during his time at Cambrian, the number of international students has grown significantly. When he first started at Cambrian in 2014, there were roughly 170 students and now that number is just under 1,700 from across 67 countries.

“We started with a very simple concept, which was ‘if Cambrian College won’t go to the world, then we’ll bring the world to Cambrian,’ and the reality now is we have now have so many cultures and it’s really an education just being at Cambrian,” said Best.

“If you slow down and listen to the stories, the cultures, the traditions they have and you embrace that, which I see happening every day at Cambrian …we’re just a better college for it.”

Some international students said there are multiple reasons why they chose to study at Cambrian College.

“It’s a great college, I love being here, the staff are really good, everything is really good with Cambrian. People are so humble, and so loving,” said Dayana Roy, international student at Cambrian College from India.

“I wanted to go into a career that’s a little more hands-on and fast-paced, so I went to paramedicine and I’ve been really enjoying that. The profs are awesome, they’re all paramedics so they have great communication skills,” said Malachi Misitano, international student from Pennsylvania.

As for Best, he has accepted a new position at the University of New Brunswick.

His last day at Cambrian will be Jan. 3.