Indigenous 
St. Lawrence College (SLC) will unveil The Next Wave, a new campaign and brand platform that reimagines its iconic wave logo as a symbol of momentum, leadership, and collective impact. The Next Wave marks a strategic evolution in how SLC tells its story to prospective and current students, employees, alumni, and the broader community.
Developed in-house, The Next Wave was led by Sean McDade, Director of Recruitment and Marketing, and Debbie Rogers, Associate Director of Global Marketing, with SLC’s Graphic Designers Heidi Wallace Patenaude and Vince Perez developing its creative concept and visual identity.
The Next Wave builds on the foundation of SLC’s previous recruitment campaign, Find Your Door, which invited prospective students to imagine where their journey could begin, to focus on what comes next: positioning students not only as career-ready graduates, but as the future leaders, innovators, and changemakers, according to Sean McDade, Director of Recruitment and Marketing.
"This campaign is about possibility in motion," McDade said. "It empowers future students and invites them to imagine the impact they can have, while giving our current students, employees, and communities something they can proudly see themselves reflected in."
At the heart of the campaign is a distinctive visual identity including bold, high-contrast black-and-white photography of SLC students. Each portrait is built around a single point of focus to represent clarity of purpose and individual determination. The approach is designed to move beyond illustrating academic programs and instead capture something more aspirational.
"The Next Wave reflects where SLC is headed as an institution," Rogers said. "We wanted to create more than a recruitment campaign. We wanted a platform that inspires students, connects our college community, and reflects growth and opportunities."
The wave has long been part of SLC's visual identity, reflecting its connection to the St. Lawrence River. The Next Wave builds on that foundation, using the wave as a symbol of progress, leadership, and the lasting impact SLC graduates have on their careers, industries, and communities. Rooted in SLC's strategic priorities of people, programs, students, and communities, The Next Wave provides a unifying platform that celebrates achievement and inspires future success.
While the campaign will initially support student recruitment, its broader purpose is to connect the college community together during a period of growth and change, including SLC’s ongoing work to integrate with Fleming College, according to Glenn Vollebregt, SLC President and CEO.
"Today's students are entering a world that's changing faster than any generation before them," Vollebregt said. "The Next Wave is our commitment to evolving alongside them, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and experiences to shape what's next. As we work to integrate with Fleming College, which will see our programs and communities merging, I am very proud that our own in-house design team created this campaign; their talent, hard work and professionalism is incredible."
The Next Wave will roll out across SLC's recruitment, brand, employee, and alumni communications in the coming months.
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