Mike Ray

Health, Safety and Environment Certificate (2010), Environmental Management Certificate (In Progress)

"Guess what? I'm back for more," says Mike Ray, a recent graduate of the Health, Safety and Environment Certificate program, and now a student in the Environmental Management program. "And, I'm sure I'll be back again."

Mike, a University of Calgary alumnus with a BA in Communications, began his career in banking. It was a good start, but not completely satisfying. A chance meeting with a client—an environmental management consultant—led Mike to a completely new phase in his career and gave him the opportunity to transition into a field that could give him the job satisfaction he craved.

The career transformation began with a job offer. In exchange for the soft skills that Mike could bring to his consulting company, the new employer would introduce Mike to the environmental field. It was he who first suggested Mike take some courses to establish a knowledge base.

"I looked around and found the Health, Safety and Environment program at U of C. What appealed to me is that at the end of the day, I'd be ready for the CRSP (Canadian Registered Safety Professional) designation. That's the gold standard in health and safety. I decided if I was going to do it, I was going to do it right."

Mike began taking evening classes and immediately knew it was the right direction for him. "The learning was directly applicable to my work," he says, and it gave him the motivation he needed to complete his certificate in just two years. A married man, Mike juggled his learning to fit his work and personal schedule. Throughout it all he continued to teach Martial Arts. Sometimes he did one course at a time...and towards the end, he pushed himself and managed four in one semester.

The quality of instruction impressed Mike from the start. "All the instructors have had real world experience and they share it. That helped boost my confidence...it gave me the confidence to share the knowledge I was gaining with others."

Mike has since earned his CRSP designation, and has moved on to another certificate program—Environmental Management—and an EP (Environmental Professional) designation. Eventually he hopes to move into an MBA program.

Mike has moved on since that first job in the industry, and recently, accepted the position of Health, Safety and Environment Team Lead role at Sanjel Corporation, a specialized energy service company, headquartered in Calgary.

Mike believes the knowledge he's gained through Continuing Education has been instrumental in his advancement. "Without question, Continuing Education has helped me move along. I think companies want people who are willing to invest in themselves. They want people who want to advance and progress. When you show that you are willing to take courses at night, and then are able to apply that learning, you add value to your organization."

Mike—whose father is a professor at U of C—has grown up with an appreciation for education. "Education is big in my family," he says, "and I believe it's paid off for everyone."

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