Students Testimonials and Success Stories, New Opportunities,Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning, Distance and Online Education, British Columbia, Canada

From Post-Secondary status to full-fledged Degree and beyond

Thompson Rivers University, Open learning student, distance and online Diploma in Management Studies

For those who can juggle 12 years of managerial work, a position on the School Board, raising a family and running their own business, how difficult can it be to add a Post-Secondary Certificate program to the mix? Not too difficult if you are a focused and determined individual like recent Certificate of Management Studies graduate Karen Andrews; that is until the institution you were enrolled with cancels the program you were geared to complete.

“I started my Certificate (in Management Studies) in Quesnel, with the College of New Caledonia (CNC) eight years ago,” Andrews recalls. “Then, with two courses left to finish the certificate, CNC cancelled the program.”

Back to the grind, Andrews returned to work in the managerial field until, at the age of 55, she pondered “If I don’t finish this (Certificate) now, then when?”

“I enrolled in TRU-OL and quit my job in order to successful y obtain my Certificate,” Andrews said, explaining that registering into an open learning format of education was a matter of convenience. “I had friends and family in Fort Nelson where I was working, along with a home that I loved so Open Learning was the only option.”

So, eight years after she had begun her Certificate program and with eight credits already gained, in just eight months Andrews completed four TRU-OL courses which met the requirements she needed to graduate with her Certificate in Management Studies. Andrews was able to fast track her education with TRU-OL by utilizing the transfer credit options available to her through Open Learning. “I was very pleased that TRU-OL accepted all the courses that I had completed… this encouraged me to continue,” Andrews said.

Also encouraging was her experience with her Program Advisor. “Gary Bunney went above and beyond to help me with each situation that arose,” Andrews said. “He always helped when he could.”

Now, spurred by her success in Open Learning, Andrews made a leap and moved to TRU’s Kamloops campus where she is dedicating all of her time towards the completion of her Diploma in Management Studies.