The Open Learning Division of Thompson Rivers University (TRU) marked TRU’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, held September 10, by not only providing tours of the British Columbia Centre for Open Learning, but also by offering two lucky winners the chance to gain monetary support towards online and distance education through TRU, Open Learning (TRU-OL).
The grand prize winners, who each won a $500 certificate towards TRU, Open Learning course registration made prior to March 31, 2012, were TRU students Stacia Woronchak and Irina Khovricheva.
A nursing student at TRU’s Kamloops campus, Woronchak has already completed two courses through Open Learning, both of which count towards her nursing credential. Woronchak decided to complete a required English course during the summer through online and distance education in order to increase her marks as well as reduce her stress during the on-campus school year. In addition, she enrolled in the OL course HLTH 291, Perinatal Nursing: Concepts, for extra credits. “Because of taking an extra nursing course in a topic that wasn’t covered in depth in the classroom, I will have a greater understanding of perinatal nursing which will help with my Registered Nursing exam this year as well as in practice as a nurse,” Woronchak said.
Khovricheva, an International student from Russia, has yet to take any courses through Open Learning but plans to enroll in OL courses that will count towards her Post Baccalaureate Diploma in International Business credential.
Currently in her first semester at TRU, Khovricheva believes adding online and distance education to her studies will help her to manage her time.
Congratulations to these two winners who will be adding OL courses to their on-campus studies over the coming years.
Supplemental Studies
Open Learning helps one OL student fulfill her dream of helping others.
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 in Ottawa where she took Political Science. She then transferred to TRU’s Kamloops campus because she wanted to be both 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 (TRU-OL) because I needed a course as a prerequisite for the Social Work program at TRU,” 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. “Teachers and academic advisors often suggest students take online courses to meet degree requirements or to graduate on time. Online courses are great when you have other demands in your life and when typical in-class learning doesn’t work with your schedule.”
Inspired by the flexibility offered through Open Learning, Waters plans to enrol in TRU-OL’s Graduate Certificate in Child and Mental Health program after graduating from TRU’s Social Work program.
“The Graduate Certificate program is very appealing to me because the credits can be used towards a Masters program,” Waters said. “To me, this sounds like a great thing to do the year after I finish my undergraduate degree because I can work full-time, pay off some debt and also get a head start on my Masters.”
But before Waters grows her credentials further, she will complete her Bachelor of Social Work degree while traveling abroad to Chennai, India where she will engage in her final practicum for three months through the Madras Christian School which is partnered with TRU. Waters explained that it was an OL course that contributed to her opportunity to travel to India to finish her fourth year practicum; an experience she hopes will not only expand her worldview but also help her reach her goal of working for the United Nations.