Donna Latta

Environmental Management Certificate (2010)

When Donna Latta's role with an energy company began evolving, she started looking for an educational program that would expand her knowledge of the environment in relation to the oil and gas industry.

"I knew there was so much more I should know....just keeping up with regulations is a huge responsibility," says Donna, now an Environmental Management Certificate graduate who works as an environmental coordinator for Trilogy Energy. "I felt I needed some formal training."

Donna reviewed the Continuing Education program guide and discovered the Environmental Management program. She was pleased to see that it offered a range of courses and that she'd be able to choose those that best suited her needs. In addition, because she and her husband still had a young daughter at home, and because she would continue to work full time, it was important to find a program that could fit into her life.

Having been out of school for more than 20 years, Donna worried about fitting into the university setting, but once she was settled into her first course, everything fell into place. It took three years of evening and weekend classes to complete the program.

"It was a great experience," she says. "I was surrounded by people—instructors and students—who were passionate about the environment. That had a big effect on me."

"The instructors were wonderful...each one was different. I could listen to their stories forever, they were so inspiring."

"The students were wonderful too. They were a mix of young and old, from different cultures. There was so much to learn from their experiences."

Donna can see that she's benefitted from the program in many ways—in addition to gaining the knowledge she set out to learn. "I have much more confidence in my job," she says. "I've received recognition from my employer and colleagues. I've made friends that I still keep in touch with...and through my class projects, I've gained valuable public speaking experience."

Donna was able to apply much of her learning to her work immediately, and feels well prepared for her company's impending growth. "There's a lot that I learned that I haven't yet had the opportunity to use, but it gives me something to work toward," she says.

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