Back to School Again

I met Corey back in season one when he was working as a multi-media producer, responsible for audio and video production as well as web design. He’s enrolled in the eLearning certificate program at the University of Calgary and is also taking Project Management courses with MacEwan University. Now, I’m putting him in front of the microphone to share his story. We talk about...

• Early career choices and moving from the hospitality industry to post-secondary education
• Changes in the multi-media production landscape 
• Why Corey is back in school and what he hopes to achieve with his new skills 
• Corey's passion for making digital environments accessible
• Overcoming past negative experiences to embrace future possibilities

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

She needed an online program that provided her with the flexibility to study while balancing a demanding job and raising four kids. Athabasca University was the perfect fit, allowing Jackie to turn pretty much every setting (including ringside at her kid’s hockey games) into a classroom. We talk about....

• Loving your work, but knowing you need to upgrade your skills to take on more responsibilities
• Why online learning was the perfect option for Jackie's busy life and independent personality
• How Jackie "triaged" family, work and school to complete her degree
• Advice for those thinking about similar journeys
• Jackie's great new job that leverages her past skills and new credentials

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

It first meant believing that attending university was even possible. Then, once that hurdle had been overcome, Germaine started down the PhD path in her 30s, but life got in the way. Two decades later, fueled by a personal crisis and a well-placed online ad, she connected with Athabasca University. Now, Dr. Chan has completed her degree and landed one of a small handful of tenure track academic jobs in Canada. We talk about....

• How early family life can shape our expectations around education
• The importance of finding what you love (accounting!) and having a role model 
• Why Germaine quit doing a PhD and what made her return to finish it
• How Germaine connected with Athabasca University and why this PhD program was a great fit 
• Finding a community to support what can be a long and lonely journey
• Thoughts on online learning from both the student and teacher perspectives

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

It was a long road, filled with twists and turns, but she did it.  Find how this mom of two managed her long-distance, online education with Athabasca University to achieve her RN. We talk about...

• The beauty and benefits of life in Northern Canada
• Finding the time to go back to school and making sure school plans align with family plans
• The unique challenges of doing a long distance degree and how Bobbi managed to make it work 
• How community support (specifically a guy named Andrew) and the amazing support of her husband were key ingredients that helped Bobbi finish her degree
• Continuing the learning journey 

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network.

Mom, Lola, shares how a rocky start led her to overcoming the challenges of being a single mom and working many different jobs to make ends meet. Now remarried and with her kids grown, she’s recently completed training as a Class One Driver with Women Building Futures. That, in turn, inspired daughter Katelyn, now a first-year electrician, to also take the Women Building Futures journeywomen program. We’ll hear how these dynamic women are forging a path in the trades. We talk about...

• Overcoming obstacles in life and moving forward despite set backs
• Discovering the trades as a place to build a satisfying, well-paid career
• The importance of role models, mentors and community 
• Why Women Building Futures is such an amazing program, the impact it had on Lola and Katelyn and why the trades can be a great place to build a career

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network and learn more about the Women Building Futures program.

He’s now in year two of his degree and is applying his newly honed legal knowledge to his work as a technology evangelist. Tim explains why he’s so enthusiastic about education and how he fits his studies into his busy life. We also talk about our shared passion for technology ethics.  We talk about...

• Why Tim went back to school to study law when he doesn't want to be a lawyer
• The differences in being a student in your 20's and 30's vs in your 50's
• Making time for school while also managing a demanding career and family life
• How Tim's dad was a role model for life long learning
• The learning culture at Microsoft
• Why tech ethics is an important and timely topic

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

She enrolled at the University of Alberta to finish a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology, which also led her to buy a skeleton! We’ll explain more as we explore her back to school story. We talk about...

• The joys and challenges of being your own boss
• How being a wedding photographer was like getting a PhD in psychology
• Biological anthropology, it's dark historical roots and why this field speaks to Kristin
• How it felt stepping into the classroom the first day of school
• Kristin's plans for a masters degree 
• Why there's a skeleton in her living room (and where you can buy one, should you feel so inclined!)

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Armed with a suitcase full of books, Allan (amazingly!) found the discipline to study onboard cruise ships while sailing around the world. Many years, courses, and ports of call later, he now holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is a writer with Monday Magazine. We talk about...

• Why Allan decided it was time to return to the classroom
• The importance of making a back to school journey work for the whole family
• How Allan connected to Athabasca University and how online learning made his academic dream possible
• How learning technologies have evolved from old school bulletin board services to new online tools
• Learning how to learn again
• How to focus and have the discipline to study while travelling the world
• Studying what you love, broadening your horizons and learning more about the world and yourself
• Writing for Monday Magazine and working on a novel about average people caught in a slightly dystopian, uncertain world that's changing them against their will (sounds familiar!)

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Check out some of Allan's work with Monday Magazine.
Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

He applied his skills to help companies find the perfect candidates with the tenacity of a bounty hunter! However, like many people, Gabriel saw his own role downsized with the onset of COVID-19. Now, he’s making the most of this time to add to his education with an MBA. We talk about...

• Choosing open studies before landing on a direction for his degree
• The importance of flexible class schedules when working and going to school and how online learning was a great fit
• The many practical benefits of an education in HR and how Gabriel applied his learning on the job
• Working in recruitment and the differences between a recruitment agency and in house recruitment
• How Gabriel's time as an online student at Athabasca prepared him for learning online this Fall with his MBA program 

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university. Learn more about the Bachelor's of Human Resources and Labour Relations degree. 

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network

Research can be a lonely part of the grad school experience. This Spring, COVID-19 made that journey a little lonelier and a little more chaotic. We talk about...

• Deciding on a research project and conducting literature reviews
• Our diverse research projects which include digital signage and patient experience in healthcare (Cedric), assessing the post-secondary instructor review process (Jane) and applied ethics for AI projects in healthcare (Katrina)
• How COVID-19 impacted us personally and how it impacted our research 
• Ethics applications and the benefits of getting things done early
• Letting go of expectations, accepting the limits that COVID-19 imposed and moving forward anyways
• Supervisors and how they shaped our work
• Life after our master's degrees

A huge THANKS to our season sponsors, Athabasca University, Canada's online university.

Learn more about the Master of Arts in Communications and Technology program at the University of Alberta. 
Find out more about Katrina's research on AI and ethics at Ethically Aligned AI.

Find other great podcasts on the Alberta Podcast Network