Kaitrin McDonnell
Career and Academic Advising Certificate
Kaitrin McDonnell lives in a small town outside of Calgary with her young son, and works as a counsellor in the local high school. She loves her job and she loves the town.
"Having a degree helped me get my foot in the door and get hired for my position. But, in the role I'm in, I needed specific certification to get ahead," she says. "So I enrolled in the Career and Academic Advising Certificate through Continuing Education at U of C, and very quickly, I saw it making a difference."
Kaitrin admits that at first, her motivation to enrol in the program was for the credential, and the financial rewards that would come with it. But once she was in the program, she realized she was also getting the tools she needed to excel in her position.
"There were times when I would read about something in my course, discuss it on the discussion boards with the other students, and then the very next day, I'd be able to help a student with something because of it."
"I thought the profs were awesome, as were the students. They came from many different education levels, and there was a wide range of experience among them, so the questions were widespread. And I thought that was great."
"Completing this program has inspired me to continue my education. Now, I'm planning to go on to a Master's degree."