Life is truly a 'choose your own adventure' type journey, often guided by an underlying ethos that will ultimately design an individual's future. No better is this demonstrated than in Meghan Waters’ educational journey.
"Similar to many other young people, I have not always known what I wanted to do or what field I wanted to work in," Waters, a full-time student in her fourth year of Social Work at Thompson Rivers University, explained. "This became a personal challenge for me while attending school."
Waters began her educational adventure at Carleton University where she took Political Science. She then transferred to TRU’s Kamloops campus because she wanted to be closer to her family, and because she wasn’t sure if the Political Science program was her true calling.
"I believe that the only true happiness in this world is when we give back to others," Waters said, explaining that this ethos is what led her to enrol in the Social Work program at TRU. "Social Work allows me to give to others on a daily basis."
Unfortunately, in order to be accepted into the Social Work program at TRU, Waters needed a specific course, which was not offered on-campus when she needed it.
"I enrolled in TRU, Open Learning because I needed a course as a prerequisite for the Social Work program," Waters explained. "If I had waited until the course was offered on-campus I would have missed the application deadline for TRU’s Social Work program. Taking the course through Open Learning allowed me to continue my education at a pace that worked for me."
"I feel very fortunate that TRU-OL offered the course I needed because I might have changed my mind if I had to wait an additional year to be accepted into the program."
While Waters is enrolled in the traditional, on-campus program, she would take more social work courses through Open Learning "in a heartbeat" to fast track her degree.
"TRU-OL is very accessible to on-campus students," she explained. "Online courses are great when you have other demands in your life and when typical in-class learning doesn’t work with your schedule."
Next in Waters’ education-inspired adventure is a trip to Chennai, India to complete her final practicum. Waters explained that it was an OL course that contributed to her opportunity to travel abroad, an experience she hopes will not only expand her worldview but also help her reach her goal of working for the United Nations.
Meaghan Waters
Kamloops, British Columbia
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