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Achieving Her Dreams

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Image of dark haired woman smiling.

When we first met Candus Johnston, she was a student in our Human Service Worker certificate program.  She came into the program as a single mom of two children, living with a permanent disability.  Needing to improve her English 12 grade, Candus started in the Adult Upgrading program.

Through the support of her English instructor, Sharon, and the College’s disability coordinator, Candus found the Human Service Worker program and found it to be a great fit.

“I hadn’t ever considered a career in human services but as a person with a permanent disability, I have life experiences that fit well with this area of work,” she says.  “I like to help people and make a difference in their lives.”

Candus has now graduated from the Human Service Worker two-year diploma.  Her instructor, Louise, remembers two things in particular about her time in the program – her tenacity and her smile.

Louise describes Candus as having a quiet, calm and unwavering strength.  “Candus knows how to work really hard and not let go of a goal.  If she didn’t get the grade she wanted, she asked how to get it and then did what she needed to do to improve the next time,” she adds.

Since graduating from the program, Candus has found employment working as a youth support worker for high-risk youth in the foster care system.  She is currently living in Kamloops, BC and plans on continuing her education by earning a degree in social work.

“I’m loving my job here and am absolutely thankful for my education at College of the Rockies.  I miss my teachers already.”