Hometown: Drayton Valley, AB
Program: Primary Care Paramedic certificate
Lori took the first big step toward her career goal when she graduated from the Primary Care Paramedic program in 2021. It was a hard-won victory, as Lori had returned to school as a mature student with two kids at home.
“I was really nervous. I was fearful that my classmates wouldn’t accept me because I was too old. I worried that I would fall behind on my studies because of the heavy workload or that I would lose time with my family when I was focusing on my studies,” the Métis woman says. “Turns out, I was wrong. My classmates were wonderful and managing the school-life balance was hard, but manageable.”
We asked Lori what she would tell her younger self if she could go back in time. “I think I would tell myself that it’s okay if you don’t end up exactly where you thought you would be at a certain time in your life. I have always been hard on myself for not working harder on my education and pursuing my dream career sooner in life. I wish I’d given myself a little more grace, because I was only creating more anxiety for myself about going back which steered me away from my goal, rather than pushing me towards it.”
Lori says her Sask Polytech experience was amazing. “I loved the inclusivity aspect, the commitment to hands-on learning, especially amidst a pandemic and the support from the faculty,” she says. “I could feel that they wanted me to succeed.”