I was born and raised in Ireland. I remember being fourteen when I
entered the workforce. It was quite normal at that time. Not many people went
on and got a secondary education. My first job was working in a diamond factory
cutting and polishing the diamonds. That job lasted less than a year, then they
closed down the factory. I moved around a bit and then worked in construction.
That was when I moved to the United States, working in construction in New York
and Alaska. In the late seventies, I stopped in Calgary. When I saw all those
construction cranes, I knew it was the place for me!
After working as a general labourer, I became a heavy equipment operator.
But I always wanted something more stable and challenging. I always felt in the
back of my mind I would go back to school one day. I'm sure lots of people do
who leave school early. But most people never follow through. The recession
made the time right for me, there wasn't much work. I started an evening
program at BEAD.
This program met my needs at the time. I had been away from school for 20
years. As you mature, you get these ideas in your head that you could study and
pass exams without a problem. But they are false. You really have to go back
and do the work. You need to see what it is like to learn. The BEAD
instructors were all very helpful and easy to work with. The counsellor helped
by telling me that there was a full-time program downtown, and I could apply for
funding. Then I went to AVC, the same counsellor was there. That was important
to me.
When I started at AVC full-time, I didn't have any goals. In three years I
had my grade 12 and was accepted at the University of Calgary. Still I didn't
have a goal. When I started university I decided to be a social worker. I knew
I wanted to work with people. But as time went on I realized I'd spend my life
in an office pushing paper. That wasn't working with people so I changed to the
Education faculty.
Going back to school helped change my life. I suffered from low self esteem
because I didn't have an education. Even though I worked, I felt second rate.
Going back to school boosted my self esteem. It builds up bit by bit. You
write exams and do as well as anyone else. All the sacrifice and loss of income
would have been worth it for this one thing.
However, one has to make sacrifices. I was single and didn't have family
responsibilities. I sold my car to avoid financial pressure that might
interfere with going back to school. You have to adjust your life style to live
within your means. I was able to drive cab on the side which helped me make
ends meet while I was in school. I often jokingly tell people that I got a
better education driving cab than attending university. Studying was very
difficult. It was hard to learn how to study and how to make the time for it.
If you are an adult thinking about going back to school, there are some
things to keep in mind. First, don't take the attitude that you can do this and
not put any work into it. Just sitting in class isn't enough. You have to put
in work outside the class. If you aren't willing to do this don't bother going
back; it will just be a frustrating experience. Second, have a goal. It is
much easier if you know where you are going.
I plan to stay in education. It's like anything else, you have to learn as
you go. I'm pleased with the way things have gone. It's a lot of hard work and
the kids today are very demanding. But you have such an influence on people's
lives at a critical time. I think it's a great profession.
