Alexis Fisher had always known she wanted to work with people, but it was a Career fair at College of the Rockies that opened her eyes to the educational opportunities available to her.
Walking away from that career fair, Alexis had a new goal – a Bachelor of Social Work degree. Wanting to remain close to home when first starting post-secondary, Alexis applied to the same College that inspired her in the first place. Completing five semesters of University Arts and Sciences courses at the College allowed Alexis to say home near her family and other Ktunaxa Nation members.
An unexpected benefit of staying at her home college was the opportunity to take part in some amazing adventures.
“A College instructor helped me apply for two field schools, one to Guatemala in 2014 and another to London in 2015,” she said. “It was incredible. I had never had the chance to travel before then, so I am grateful for those experiences. I wouldn’t have known about it or how to apply without the instructor’s guidance. My other instructors were also super accommodating with my time away, so that helped as well.”
After finishing her schooling at College of the Rockies, Alexis achieved her goal of earning a Bachelor of Social Work degree.
But she wasn’t done yet, she was also accepted for the Advanced Master of Social Work program at UBC in 2019.
“When I think of the College and how it prepared me for VIU and UBC, I think of my relationship with my instructors. The College is where I learned how to reach out when I need help. I remember struggling with the transition from high school to post-secondary and the instructors helped me through it. I’m now comfortable reaching out to my instructors because I realized that may be the difference between my success in my studies and struggles. That was hugely important when I did my BSW through distance at VIU. I’m very thankful to the College and all the instructors there for starting my post-secondary career off right. I love school and a large part of that is the College and how welcoming and accommodating it is.”
In the short time since Alexis was a student at College of the Rockies, international opportunities at the College have grown substantially. Students may now participate in:
- Mountain Sustainability Field School in Andorra
- Nursing Online Exchange and Field Trip to Denmark
- Health and Wellness Development Field School in Kenya
- Geneva Global Health Field Trip to Switzerland
- Semester abroad for Business students in either Andorra or Denmark
- A Sustainable Development Goals Summer School
With each of these opportunities, students – like Alexis – can have life-changing experiences that dramatically impact their education, making them better prepared for employment in our global and sustainability-focused world.