Backgrounder
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P.O. Box 398, 1450 Nakina Drive, Thunder Bay Ontario Canada P7C 4W1 www.confederationc.on.ca Backgrounder Featured below are special interest stories by six 2015 College graduates. Bobbi-Lee Anderson - Afternoon Ceremony Graduate of the Construction Techniques program Bobbi-Lee Anderson completed her Masters in Mathematics at Lakehead University, but decided to switch gears – and careers. “I would like to be able to construct a house from bottom to top,” Bobbi-Lee said. “Now that I know a little bit more about how to build a house, it’s more complicated than I thought.” Bobbi-Lee graduates this June with a one-year Construction Techniques certificate, which will help her on her way to becoming a carpenter. She originally applied to the Women in Skilled Trades (WIST) program in 2007, but couldn’t complete it since she was already in her Masters program. “I wish I could have stayed in it – I know I would have really enjoyed it,” she said. Bobbi-Lee worked at Lakehead as a contract lecturer in the math department and eventually Scholar’s as a tutor. But the lure of carpentry kept drawing her back. “Finally I thought, ‘Well, I should probably do something that I really want to do.’ ” Confederation College was the first step in that direction. Currently Bobbi-Lee is looking for a job in the industry, and will likely return to Confederation College in the future for the General Carpenter Apprentice program, she said. She already had her first paying job in the industry, teaching visiting Grade 7 and 8 students how to build bird feeders during Confederation College’s School-College Work Initiative. “The students got to come in, tour the shops, and then build some bird feeders – it was kind of like a little introduction,” Bobbi-Lee said. “It was really fun.” Anton Bokhanchuk - Afternoon Ceremony Graduate of Instrumentation Engineering and Control Technician program When Anton Bokhanchuk came to Confederation College to take the two-year Instrumentation Engineering and Control Technician program, he already had a strong background in computer science. Not only had he completed his Bachelors at the Royal Military College, he worked as a computer programmer at the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI), presenting his software at an international workshop in Belgium this past April. But it was Confederation College that helped him take the next step in his career, and fulfilled him in ways pure programming could not. “I have two sides to me,” Anton said. “I have my mechanical side and I have my electrical, computer programming side. I find that instrumentation combines both of those things. You have to be able to use a hammer or a screwdriver as well as know how to program.” While at school, he held two part-time jobs and still graduated with a 4.0 GPA. One week after his final exams, Anton started work as an electrical technician at Resolute Forest Products, and is planning to take his industrial electrician apprenticeship. “I had multiple job offers right out of Confederation – I think that’s a great position to be in,” Anton said. “The job I have right now, it holds a lot of opportunity for me to excel.” Although his previous background helped, he couldn’t have gotten the position he’s in now without Confederation College. “I definitely needed my diploma,” Anton said. “The professors were great, and the way the courses were presented was really well done.” Cheyanne Degagne – Morning Ceremony Graduate of the Aboriginal Community Advocacy program Cheyanne DeGagne graduates this June with a diploma in Aboriginal Community Advocacy, but it’s just the first step towards a specialization in Aboriginal law. “I want to eventually work with First Nations doing things like land claims and treaty rights,” Cheyanne said. Thanks to a transfer credit agreement Confederation College recently signed with Trent University, she and her husband Joseph Thomas – who also graduated from Aboriginal Community Advocacy – will be entering the third year of an Honours Bachelor of Indigenous Studies. Once complete, she plans to apply to law school. Confederation College was an obvious starting point for her, she said, because helped her learn how to be a student again. “I dropped out of high school when I was 16, so I didn’t really feel I had the practical skills necessary to go to university right away,” she said. “I knew the College had smaller class sizes, and they were a lot more hands-on in terms of ensuring student success.” The college also helped her find placements best suited to her goals. “The professors take a keen interest in you personally,” Cheyanne said. For example, they knew she was interested in pursuing a law career, so they arranged a placement for her at Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic. It went so well that she will be working there this summer before starting university in the fall. “They did that for everybody, catering to each person’s interests.” “Confederation College is really, really good at ensuring students have the tools they need to be successful.” Sandra Fox – Afternoon Ceremony Graduate of the Business Administration – Accounting program Sandra Fox set out eight years ago to get her diploma. Despite the challenges, she graduates this June from Business Administration – Accounting, a moment made even better by the fact that she is graduating with her daughter, Pamela Chapman. “She will be in the morning graduation and I’ll be in the afternoon, so I’ll be able to see her get her diploma. I was worried I wouldn’t!” Sandra said. Originally from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nation, Sandra brought her two youngest of five children to Thunder Bay for school (the other three are already adults) with the support and encouragement of Equay-wuk Women's Group. She took classes on and off for several years, hampered by illness followed by lost funding and family issues, as well as the daily struggles of raising two children as a single mother and paying the bills. Things were getting back on track when, last fall during her fifth semester, her father passed away. “The professors were awesome after I lost my father – they were so accommodating and understanding,” Sandra said, adding that she couldn’t have done it without the support of her study group. She was able to reschedule tests and assignments, and ultimately still graduate this year. Sandra is going back to KI for the summer to be with family before looking for a job. The sense of accomplishment Sandra feels and the boost of self-confidence she has knowing she can overcome obstacles to achieve her goals is reward in itself, she said. “The best thing I did was to go back to college.” Reeni Rajan – Morning Ceremony Graduate of the Critical Care Nursing program (International student) Reeni Susan Rajan knew all about Canada before she left her home in India to take the one-year Critical Care Nursing certificate at Confederation College. While completing her Masters of Psychiatry Nursing, she met several Canadian students who shared videos of home. “I met students from the University of Saskatchewan,” Reeni said. “After that, I went for my Masters in Psychiatric nursing with the dream in me (to come to Canada).” Reeni appreciated all the help staff and instructors gave her as an international student, from helping her get textbooks to finding an apartment. What she really liked though was the casual, interactive classrooms – much different from the formal lecture theatres in India. “We can ask questions, but we’re not supposed to interrupt class. Over here, it’s a friendly, open approach. You call the professors by their names, which we didn’t do there,” Reeni said. “It’s a really good education system here.” Reeni chose this opportunity over a job offer and her PhD studies in her home town of Pathanamthitta. “After coming here, I never had any regrets because each experience they provided… made us keen to learn more and more.” Reeni is part of the first graduating class of critical care nurses from Confederation College. She would like to find a job here, though she has to take the NCLEX exam for international nursing students before she can apply. In the meantime, she is enrolled in the Concurrent Disorders program at the college in September. “I would love to stay in Thunder Bay – it’s quiet and hassle-free, and you have the beautiful Lake Superior right in front of you.” Paul Robitaille – Afternoon Ceremony Graduate of the Forest Ecosystem Management Technician program Paul Robitaille came to Confederation College on a Métis Nation of Ontario scholarship to take the two-year Forestry Ecosystem Management Technician program – but he got much more than he bargained for. Although Paul already had a degree in Environmental Science from McMaster University, he didn’t have the hands-on experience needed to find a job. “Unless you’ve gone for engineering or nursing or another applied degree, employers aren’t really knocking on your door,” Paul said. “I found it useful to have a balance between that academic background and the tangible skills that employers find desirable.” Paul, who is from Midland, Ont., loves the forest and was on track to become a forestry technician. But several opportunities came his way including working on a College-led bio-energy study in remote First Nation communities, facilitating student engagement for the Métis Nation of Ontario, and becoming the Student Union’s Sustainability Ambassador, among others. “There are tons of opportunities here, and what I really liked most about Confederation College is that they are there to support you in whatever you do,” he said.