Though he was unsure of his future career path, Kellan Ward chose to attend College of the Rockies so he could play volleyball with the Avalanche. Having the College located less than four hours away from his hometown of Okotoks was an added bonus.
“I was able to comfortably build new networks and meet new people but was still close enough to my hometown to visit without breaking the bank,” Kellan says.
After completing a General Management diploma, Kellan was still unsure what the future held. When he discovered that with just a few additional courses he could complete a second diploma in Marketing while continuing to play another year of volleyball, his decision was made.
As he was finishing his Marketing diploma, the College introduced the Bachelor of Business Administration: Sustainable Business Practices program.
“I decided I wanted to be a part of something new that had excellent potential,” Kellan explains. “The material is very fresh and sustainability is both a growing trend and a necessary way of doing business into the future.”
Kellan completed the degree as well as a Tourism Recreation Management diploma (now Tourism Management and Recreation Management diplomas) in an effort to open up as many career options as possible.
“The opportunity to finish my last year of volleyball eligibility wasn’t a bad incentive either,” Kellan reveals.
Shortly after completing his BBA, Kellan was hired as a Sales and Merchandising Representative with Labatt Breweries of Canada in Edmonton, AB. Over the next two years, he moved up the ranks in a number of territories across Alberta, including as the Sales Operations Manager. He currently holds the role of Key Account Manager in Calgary, AB.