wider horizons - spring 2010

ACTIVEACTIVEKEEPINGSENIORSKEEPINGSENIORS

A PUBLICATION OF LETHBRIDGE COLLEGE

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Wider Horizons Spring 2010.qxd:Layout 1 4/1/10 10:28 AM

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single momentbefore starting to improve the world. - Anne Frank

Despite her years – or perhaps because of her youthfulnaivety – the brave young lady quoted above saw beyondher desperate circumstances to distill into a few words awonderfully uncomplicated call to action for us all.

Many of the grads leaving Lethbridge College this monthare entering chosen fields that incorporate the spirit of AnneFrank’s words, careers we celebrate in this issue. They areamong those who have made a decision to wait not a singlemoment longer before improving their communities and thelives they will touch in the decades waiting before them.

The careers I speak of are easy to spot. Nursing, policing,early childhood education: all are among those LethbridgeCollege programs in which we train people to help people.

President’s Message

Dr. Tracy L. EdwardsLethbridge College President & CEO

They’re among the obvious. Ask any who enter them whythey chose their particular paths, and they’ll likely take timeto explain, as our subjects in this issue do, what it means todon a nurse’s scrubs or a police officer’s uniform, or workwith young children: they want to make a direct difference inpeople’s lives.

They will leave our campus with an absolute dedication justas surely as they leave with their diplomas.

That altruism, however, can be found in almost every programwe offer, not just the obvious “caring careers” to which I’vereferred. Every spring, Lethbridge College turns out grads innumerous fields who carry with them a desire to improve theworld.

They go forth as protectors of the environment; asproponents of building sustainability; as journalists upholdingdelicate, hard-won rights. They all take with them anunderstanding that they will shortly be in charge and thatimprovements must be made in the world they inherit.

And there will be no shortage of need for their talents. As ourpopulations live longer and require greater care; as we striveto protect our besieged environment and discover better waysto build; as we continue to nurture and care for our youngergenerations: Lethbridge College grads will be increasinglyneeded on the front lines.

We are imbuing them with the spirit of critical thinking andgiving them the knowledge to not just secure employment,but do so as conscientious members of our communities,ones who can meet the demands of an increasingly complexworld.

Each April, I perform perhaps my most rewarding role aspresident of Lethbridge College: greeting each grad as theywalk across our stage to receive their diplomas, applieddegrees and certificates. Knowing our institution has playeda part in preparing them for the challenge is rewarding;knowing they will measure up is profound.


On Our Cover

What’s Inside

In Every Issue

Lethbridge College’s Therapeutic Recreation-Gerontology program is helpingto ensure practitioners, soon to be in greater demand, are properly trained toprovide the opportunities seniors require to maintain healthy, active lifestyles.Joan Smith, our “motorcycle mama” on a bike provided by Les Billingsley ofAuto Appearance, stays motivated through exercise, volunteering andgrandmothering.

10-second kids .................................…………….........6Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is fully preventable andincurable. Foster parent Jeff Solberg is in class to learn moreabout the challenges his young charges face.

Star of nursing ...............................……………...........12Toyin Bamgbala arrived at Lethbridge College from Nigeria withplans to be a nurse. So far, her grades are off the chart.

Country roads take her home ..................................26Annica Pictin used to tour the Kootenays in her dad’s pick-up.Soon, she’ll be helping to protect the environment she grewup to love.

Our animal act goes global ......................................30Lethbridge College’s amazing Hubbard Wildlife Collection,housed in the Cousins Science Centre, is now available to theworld online and in 3-D.

Bear Trainer .....................................……………….....36As a child, Brad Karren watched his father coach Kodiakswomen’s basketball. Since taking over the reins, he’s made theprogram one of the most successful in Canada.

Vol. 3, No. 3, Spring 2010

Wider Horizons is Lethbridge College’scommunity magazine, celebrating thesuccesses and accomplishments of itsstudents, employees and alumni by promotingthem throughout the community and aroundthe world. This publication aims to educate itsreaders, engage stakeholders and recognizedonors through compelling stories and imagesthat relate to, and resonate with, its readers.

Wider Horizons is published three times ayear by the Lethbridge College AdvancementOffice.

We thank you for picking up this copy andhope you enjoy the read. If you would like torecommend story ideas for future issues orwould like to find out more about ourmagazine, contact us.

Wider Horizonsc/o The Advancement Office3000 College Drive SouthLethbridge, ABT1K 1L6email: [email protected]: Steven Dyckmanager: Carmen Tothchief writer: Peter Scottphotographer: Rob Olsondesigner: Christine Smith, Idezinemagazine staff: Imarú Baquero,Leeanne Conrad, Michelle Stegen

In addition to free distribution to our regionalcommunity, Wider Horizons is also mailed toall Lethbridge College alumni. Alumni areencouraged to stay connected to the collegeby updating their contact information at theAlumni Relations website:lethbridgecollege.ca/alumni

To share this issue with others, visit usat widerhorizons.ca

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Perspectives……………………………………………………………………………………9Q & A……………………………………………………………………………………………..14Office Intrigue…………………………………………………………………………………20My Life…………………………………………………………………………………………..32College Kudos…………………………………………………………………………………38Where are they now?………………………………………………………………………39


If there was a course Shari Jeffries might havewished Lethbridge College’s TherapeuticRecreation – Gerontology (TRG) curriculumincluded, it would be drumming.

Jeffries, a 2008 graduate and now arecreational assistant at the Bethany CareCentre in Cochrane, is initiating a program forher elderly clients that will have them beatingon 18 Native American and African drums, thefirst program of its kind in a facility of this kind.

“Research has shown that the rhythmicmovement can reduce stress, manage pain, andre-organize the brain,” says Jeffries. “This isimportant for residents with dementia,Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s and similarconditions.”

Jeffries has been asked to present the outcomeof the drumming program to second-year TRGstudents at Lethbridge College this September.The goal is get students to think differentlyabout recreation.

So, drumming may well be added to therepertoire of geriatric specialists in the comingyears. Are you ready to get down with the music?

To their credit, many baby boomers, nowentering their senior years, are staying fitterand healthier than the generations thatpreceded them. They have more disposableincome and a desire to bop till they drop.“People entering their 60s now are healthierthan those in their 60s 20 years ago,” saysKathryn Ervin, a Lethbridge College TRG

SeniorMomentum

James Frey

Our grads help theelderly stay active

4 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2010/Cover Story Colleen Moses works with resident Ruth Johnsonat St. Therese Villa in Lethbridge.


instructor. “We all hear about the 85-year-old that goesskydiving. Soon those people will become common-place,not to mention the 100-year-old marathon runners.” Butsooner or later, they will place huge demands on the therapeuticrecreation field and properly trained practitioners will berequired to keep them active as they enter care facilities.

The college’s TRG program is one of the few in Canada thattrains professionals to work directly with our aging population.It is unique because it specializes in gerontology, the study ofthe social, psychological and physical aspects of aging.

Graduates of the program go to work in the growing numberof long-term care and supportive-living facilities.“Therapeutic recreation is about helping people continue tolive a balanced life,” says Ervin. “Keeping people engaged inrecreation leads to a longer and more enjoyable life.”

And no one knows this better than she. A 1990 graduate of theprogram, Ervin went on to a 16-year career in the therapeuticrecreation field. In 2004 she came back to the college to teachpart-time and in 2006 became a full-time faculty member.

“The benefits of recreation are huge and go far beyond thephysical,” says Ervin. “Individuals can make choices about theactivities and their level of participation. They becomecompetent in their activities. They have control and, in turn,they become more motivated. All of these factors areparticularly important as we age.”

In 2008 the TRG program won a series of awards from theAlberta Therapeutic Recreation Association.

“We really swept the awards ceremony that year,” says Ervin.“One instructor award and two student awards; it was hard tocontain our excitement.”

Colleen Moses, a 2008 graduate and one of the student awardwinners, says TRG considers the whole person.

“Imagine our lives without recreation; not just the physicalaspects, but imagine not being able to read, watch televisionor socialize with friends,” says Moses, who works specificallywith residents with dementia at St. Therese Villa inLethbridge. “Some seniors go through that.”

That was her reason for entering the field. Moses beganworking as a homecare assistant and wanted to do somethingabout the isolation she saw in some of her clients.

“Some of them only wanted someone to talk to,” she says.

But she credits her grandmother as her real inspiration.

“I remember when I was five going to the seniors centre withmy grandmother and dancing the hokey-pokey. Evensomething so simple can bring incredible enjoyment.”

At St. Therese Villa, part of Covenant Health, Moses employsdifferent methods and resources when working with her clients.

“We delve into their past using things like music, dolls andart,” she says. “Talking about their past lives is verytherapeutic. They are really a fun population because they setaside many of their inhibitions.”

Jeffries came into the program from an entirely different field,an English teacher who ran a tutoring business in DraytonValley. She began taking Therapeutic Recreation coursesthrough distance learning.

In 2006, Jeffries began working at Bethany Care Centre anddecided to complete her education. So, at 50, she attended herlast year at Lethbridge College.

“The instructors supported me and helped me withscheduling, knowing that I was commuting to and fromCochrane each week,” says Jeffries.

After graduating, she started full time at Bethany and, besidesthe drumming program, is also responsible for creating a teamapproach to evaluating residents’ needs.

“We take a minimum data set of information from theresidents: their likes and dislikes, their abilities, etc. Duringthe evaluation we involve all members of the team, not justthe recreation therapists.”

By using a more integrated approach they can build a betterpicture of each resident and develop a program that best suitsthem. This team-based approach has now been adopted by theother five sites at Bethany.

When she presents her drumming program results on campusthis fall, Jeffries will complete the circle of learning so valuedat Lethbridge College: a former student who brings back to theprogram the knowledge she has gained in the world.

“Imagine our lives without recreation;not just the physical aspects, but imaginenot being able to read, watch televisionor socialize with friends. Some seniorsgo through that.”

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– Colleen Moses


6 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2010

Jeff Solberg, FASD educationcertificate student and foster parent.


Jeff Solberg admits that when he and his wife brought their six-week-oldfoster daughter home from the hospital, they were a little

overwhelmed. Born with Fetal Alcohol SpectrumDisorder (FASD), she faced failing organs and a host ofother medical issues that required around-the-clock care.

Like most parents in their situation, they were filledwith questions. Luckily, the couple found all the answers

they needed in their own backyard. As the only program ofits kind in Alberta, and one of a handful nationwide, LethbridgeCollege’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Education certificateprogram is helping to meet a distressing and growing need.

Solberg and his wife have six children, two of whom, a boy and agirl, are foster children with FASD. He is in his second semesterof Lethbridge College’s Child and Youth Care program, and isworking on completing his FASD Education certificate in aneffort to gain more knowledge on the subject.

“We started a foster family about five or six years ago,” saysSolberg. “As I got more into the world of children at risk andchildren in need, it was just something that got to my heart. Inthis case, we met a need without understanding it completely,and we took on a child that had [FASD]. It’s something that, quitefrankly, we didn’t know if we were capable of dealing with.”

The first case of FASD was diagnosed in 1973. The syndrome isrelated to brain damage caused by alcohol consumption duringpregnancy. The college began its FASD Education certificateprogram, now offered entirely through distance learning, in2007 after realizing the overwhelming need: today, some23,000 Albertans are living with the effects of FASD.

FASD, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, isa social issue that is not going away.

“Pregnant women's use of alcohol cannot be separated from otherissues in their lives, such as violence and socioeconomic status, andtheir alcohol use is often not easily isolated from other potentiallyharmful behaviours, including tobacco and other drug use,” says the

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder isconsidered by experts to be the leadingknown cause of non-genetic intellectualdisability in the Western world.

Cause: alcohol consumption duringpregnancy

Prevention: abstinence from alcoholduring pregnancy

Cure: none

Documented Incidence: one per cent ofthe Canadian population, or about300,000; four times the rate ofAIDS/HIV. Rates are higher (2.5 to 20per cent) in some isolated northerncommunities.

Genetic links: none; cannot be passedgenerationally

TYPICAL PROBLEMS:• simple math, handling money• reasoning• learning from experience• understanding consequences• remembering things• social interaction

Related physical problems:hearing, vision.

Source: Public Health Agency of Canada(publichealth.gc.ca)

Resources: http://fas.typepad.comhttp://fasworld.com

10-second FASDQuick Facts

7

Christina BoeseCommunication Arts ’08

KIDSProgram helps understanding of FASD


A8 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2010

Ontario graduating this month, says theprogram has given her the tools sherequires to understand FASD and helpthose in need.

“The program has taught me to lookbeyond a disability and into theperson,” says Leiterman. “I havelearned that this college has a kinship,and there are fantastic teachers that areeager and willing to listen, explain, andteach.

“I have also learned that people withFASD are whole people, vital peopledeserving of rights and understandingjust like the rest of us. I have learned tolook beyond a disability and into theperson with an exceptionality, often onethat is well hidden and completelymisunderstood.”

FASD instructor Laura Elliot (Child andYouth Care ’86) notes FASD, for whichthere is no cure, can sometimes bedifficult to pinpoint.

“The main challenge is that this is suchan invisible disability,” says Elliot.“These individuals look exactly liketheir peers most of the time, and thereare very few physical effects that youcan actually see. It’s a truedevelopmental disability.

“They’re functioning at a much youngerage, so they have learning disabilities,but they also have behavioural andsocial skills issues that are brain-based.It is the only developmental disabilitythat is 100 per cent preventable.”

agency’s website. “In general,problematic substance use for women islinked to a range of biological, genetic,psychological, social, cultural,relational, environmental, economicand spiritual factors.

“However, there are good reasons toconcentrate on alcohol alone. Theserange from the various negative healthconsequences of alcohol use forpregnant women, including physical,mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, to the fact that alcohol useduring pregnancy is one of the leadingcauses of birth defects anddevelopmental delays in Canadianchildren.”

Solberg explains much of theirknowledge on the subject came fromlearning day by day, which presented itsown set of challenges.

“A child with FASD is a 10-second childin a one-second world,” he says. “We’vegot children on both ends of the scale:one is moderately affected and the otheris severely affected, and they both havetheir own separate set of problems. FASDis a neurobehavioural disability, andwhile [our foster daughter] may presentwell, speak well and look right, her abilityto control behaviour is affected. Manypeople think she’s a child who won’tbehave, when in fact, she’s a child whocan’t behave.”

Solberg also notes the rewards ofraising FASD children far outweigh any of the challenges that presentthemselves.

“With regular children, there’s areciprocal love, a give and take thatrewards a parent: ‘I love you and youlove me back in a way that societyexpects.’ A child with FASD mayexpress their love in completelydifferent ways,” he says. “The rewardcomes from a whole different set ofcircumstances.”

Kimber Norbury-Sulin, co-ordinator ofthe FASD Education program at thecollege, explains every child born with

the condition is affected differently, andwhat might work for one child mightnot work for another.

“Every individual is going to experiencethe effects of the alcohol-related birthdefect differently,” says Norbury-Sulin.“A child may, for instance, have somelearning difficulties, or have difficultyunderstanding the consequences oftheir behavior, or a combination ofissues of varying degrees.”

She notes more trained people arerequired to support people with theeffects of FASD, and a large portion ofthe people who enroll in the programare professionals looking to extendtheir knowledge about this brain-baseddisability.

“I often get professionals who alreadywork in the field in various capacities,”she says. “I’ve had everybody fromprofessionals working in social servicesto nurses and teachers. At this time, Ihave approximately 30 studentsworking towards their certificate.”

Because the program is offered bydistance, students come from acrossCanada.

“When they find us, they’re very excitedbecause we are the only one designed tosupport children, adults and familiesliving with FASD,” says Norbury-Sulin.

The program can be completed full- orpart-time from home, and the skillslearned can be applied immediately. A fast-track option is available forstudents with a related human-servicedegree or diploma. Those with previouswork experience and knowledge mayreceive advance credit for some courses.

The FASD Education certificate alsotransfers directly into year two ofLethbridge College’s Disability andCommunity Rehabilitation diplomaprogram, which transfers into degreeprograms at various Canadianuniversities.

Marilyn Leiterman, a student from

“A child with FASD is a 10-second child in a one-secondworld. We’ve got children onboth ends of the scale: one ismoderately affected and theother is severely affected,and they both have their ownseparate set of problems.”

– Jeff Solberg


A9

Wider Horizons asked:Do you think society gives you adequate support to do your job?

Drew Clark (EMT ‘08) EMR,EMT-ACoaldale and District Emergency Services

Sgt. Mark Smallbones (Criminal Justice 1998)Lethbridge Regional Police Service

As a police officer, I feel very fortunate to work in a community that is supportive ofits police service. That being said, we recognize times have changed and this supportis no longer just given; it must be earned. The members of our service strive touphold our values of respect, honesty, integrity, excellence and commitment as wework to provide safe communities and earn the public’s trust and confidence. It’salso important for police officers to be active in the community, build relationshipsand get to know the people we serve in order to maintain public support, dispelmyths and help foster a true understanding about what we do. Communityparticipation is equally important for our members because it helps them recognizethat as police officers we have negative dealings with a very small percentage of thepopulation and the vast majority of our citizens are good, law-abiding people.

I am very fortunate to work in an industry where I have the opportunity to helpothers. At the same time, I feel fortunate to be in a career in which I am supportedso strongly by the public. We as EMS professionals rely heavily on support from thepublic in many areas. We often come upon scenes where we need the assistancefrom the public in gathering information as well as in rare instances where we callon the public to assist us in our work. Many services also rely on the public forfunding and donations for extra equipment. I believe that every time I go to work Ihave the full support and backing from the people in my community. I also believethe public respects the work I do, and that gives me great job satisfaction.



THERAPY

MASSAGE

THERAPY

MASSAGE

It’s m

ore

than

a b

ack

rub


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If you have experienced a massage you know about theimmediate physical benefits – relaxation, pain relief, and the big smiles. But there is a huge difference between anoccasional back rub given by a spouse and a 45-minute deep tissue massage by a trained professional.

As the costs and inaccessibility of traditional health carecontinue to rise, more people are looking for complementarytherapies to deal with chronic pain, acute injury and overallwellness. Practical massage therapy training puts people withthe right hands on the job.

The Massage Therapy diploma program at Lethbridge Collegeprovides training that is really hands-on (pun intended).There is an almost one-on-one classroom experience focusingon the technical aspects of human anatomy, businesspractices, and ethical behaviour. Students also spend about athird of the two-year program practicing what they learn, inthe college’s on-site massage clinic or with one of several localmassage clinics.

“The students need to get practical experience assessing avariety of clients, developing treatment plans and working ontheir techniques,” says Gloria Cormican, co-chair of the Schoolof Health Sciences. “They can’t fully develop if they only workon each other.”

The training students receive at Lethbridge College is not,however, an industry-wide standard. There are numerousagencies offering massage training, but few that employstandards that will soon be legislated by government toacquire the designation of registered massage therapist.

“In the meantime, it is still possible for anyone to hang up ashingle as a massage therapist,” says instructor Jim Manzara,former trainer for the Lethbridge College Kodiaks. “Soconsumers should really check into credentials of any massagetherapist they are thinking of visiting. The college program isdesigned to meet the guidelines being proposed by theprovince, and we are working towards what is being proposedat a national level. The other provinces will then have to workup to and meet those standards.”

A study in 2007 found that 85 per cent of clients visiting thecollege’s massage clinic cited relaxation as the main reasonthey sought treatment.

“Most of the clients the students see in the massage clinic arehealthy,” says Manzara. “In the real world, clients will come with a variety of issues. Massage is an important treatment for peoplewith acute muscle and joint injuries and chronic conditions.”

This need to work with different populations led the college to develop a unique collaboration with the Kainai ContinuingCare Centre (KCCC) in Standoff on the Kainai First Nation.

Because of its remote location, KCCC has difficulty accessingsome services, including massage therapy. The college’s MassageTherapy program was invited to pilot a practicum experience fortheir students at KCCC. In 2008, students started a 20-hourpracticum placement, working in teams with instructorsdiscussing individual cases and treatment plans. They worked on a variety of clients, some with very complex needs.

“Some clients had terminal conditions and others wereexperiencing chronic pain,” says Manzara. “The experiencegave our students a chance to work on people who might notcome into a massage clinic. The residents also experienced thepositive benefits of massage – relaxation, better sleep andimproved mobility.”

Jennifer Davis, former Massage Therapy practicumsupervisor, wrote an article on the Kainai practicum forConnections, a publication for Natural Health Practitioners of Canada.

“Massage therapy is a more holistic and natural healingpractice and has a natural linkage with the Kainai culture and traditional medicine,” says Davis.

The opportunity at KCCC was not available in 2009 because of the risk of H1N1 infection. But the Massage Therapystudents have been working more in the community: atLethbridge’s two seniors’ centres and serving as volunteers atcommunity events and fundraising sporting events such asruns, walks and dragonboat races.

“Our student massage booths tend to be some of the morepopular activities at these events,” says Manzara.

THERAPY

THERAPY

James Frey

There are numerousagencies offeringmassage training, but few that employ

standards that will soonbe legislated by

government to acquirethe designation ofregistered massage

therapist.


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Toyin Bamgbala admits she’s had some options in her life sofar, but education wasn’t one of them: she made it mandatory.

Growing up in Nigeria with parents who placed an emphasison knowledge, and following six older siblings who havenothing less than masters’ degrees, the family’s“baby” was destined for a life of learning.

This month, Bamgbala finishes her second year in theNursing Education in Southwestern Alberta (NESA) programand is halfway home to a degree that will allow her to fulfilher goal to better the lives of others.

“I’ve always had a passion to be part of people’s lives,” shesays. “Nursing allows you to be part of their lives from thecradle to the tomb. Caring is a foundation of nursing and ofmy own personality. I love working with people.”

And so, after high school and theology studies in Nigeria,Bamgbala set sail for Malaysia where she completed a year ofregistered nursing training. But Canada’s standard of livingand level of education was a strong lure. She discovered theNESA program, which all students enter through two years atLethbridge College and finish with two years at the Universityof Lethbridge.

She was able to transfer her Malaysian credits to NESA andenter as a second-year student. She took on a Herculeanworkload to catch up to classmates, despite gentle advicefrom an advisor concerned she might falter academically.Instead, she is at the top of her class with a near-perfectgrade point average.

Her instructors have been impressed, Tracey Forster among them.

“I absolutely enjoyed having her in my class,” says Forster,who taught Bamgbala clinicals in labour and delivery andsome theory. “Being an international student always has itschallenges, but she exuded confidence and participated indiscussions and communicated easily. Her naturalinquisitiveness was a big asset to her learning.”

English is the national language of Nigeria (the product of astrong British influence in the 19th century), so Bamgbala

learned it as a child and speaks it perfectly. LethbridgeCollege and Chinook Regional Hospital where she does herpracticum have been welcoming, a relief to her after facingsome discrimination in Malaysia.

“People here look at my qualifications, not my skincolour,” she says. “They just want to see thatyou know what you’re doing. I don’t look fordiscrimination, so I don’t find any. I think it’simportant to note that I’ve felt welcome here.”

Arriving in July 2009, Bamgbala also had theopportunity to ease into winter, a season sheclaims to enjoy, although she was warnedabout the cold by her college dean inMalaysia. She has enjoyed a Lethbridge

Hurricanes game, and, although it’s Swiss byorigin, not Canadian, has been fascinated by fondue.

Skype and email have kept her in touch with herfamily – her siblings, three of whom are nurses, arespread around the world – whom she credits with heraccomplishments.

“My family is my greatest motivation,” says Bamgbala. “If Iam a success, it is because I am loved and because I havepeople who believe in me. I have a responsibility not todisappoint them.

“I believe that with hard work, determination and faith,anything is possible.”

The NESA curriculum and the instructional style at LethbridgeCollege has impressed her because it encourages criticalthinking and lifelong learning.

“An instructor told me I won’t just finish this program anddrop my books,” she says. “I value that part of the program; Iknow I made the right choice to come here. My practicum atChinook Regional Hospital also stresses critical thinking andan application of ethics. You have a chance to affect thewhole person, not just follow rules like a robot.”

The college’s SPHERE (Simulated Patient Health Environment forResearch and Education) allowed her to discover her ownabilities and gain feedback from colleagues while working on ahuman patient simulator “without the fear I would kill a patient.”

Nursing, she says, will offer her a different set of decisions tobe made daily, and her learning will never be completed. Shewants to practise in Lethbridge because she says she believesin working close to where she obtained her education.

“Education is the greatest way you can empower a person,”says Bamgbala. “Every day you are responsible for your ownimprovement. From my parents, I got the drive to be my bestand to shoot for nothing less.

“If I have the resources, I will be learning until I die.”

of


A


QQ&Awith Matthew BerriganMatthew Berrigan, the 2010 winner of Lethbridge College’s Rising Star award (see page 23) came to the campus following a difficult high school career in BlackDiamond. Knowing he wanted to be a teacher, but wondering if he had the jam to make it first as a student, he enrolled in General Studies, strategically selecting courseshe knew would transfer to the University of Lethbridge’s Faculty of Education. Turns out he had jam to spare.

Berrigan graduated fromGeneral Studies in 2003,from the U of L in 2006, and has taught upperelementary school since.After two years in Cayley, he moved to Turner ValleySchool. In 2007, he wasFoothills School Division’snominee for the Edwin ParrAward, a rookie-of-the-yearhonour and in 2009 hegraduated with a Master ofScience from the Universityof Scranton in Scranton, Pa.

Wider Horizons: You came to LethbridgeCollege a little older thanthe typical high school grad.Matthew Berrigan: Yes, Iwas 21. I took some time offafter high school, which forme was tremendouslydifficult. Success ineverything I tried waselusive. Lethbridge Collegewas a pivotal year. It was thepoint at which everythingbefore, nothing had goneright and everything after,

everything went right. Isettled myself and learnedwhat I wanted to do. Now Ifeel I can take on anychallenge.

WH: What was differentabout that year?MB: I was able to refocus. Iknew I needed the skills andthe confidence to get where Iwanted to go, which wassocial studies education. Ithas an obscene GPArequirement. In high school,

I scored 58 per cent; it wasmy Everest. Instructors suchas Marko Hilgersom andFaron Ellis spent hours withme going over papers andshowing me how I couldimprove. That assistancemade possible my success inhumanities at the U of L. Ileft Lethbridge College withthe confidence that I coulddo it, and with the skills toactually do it. That can’thappen in a class of 200students. I doubt, except for


15

my education professors, anyU of L profs remember me.After seven years, myLethbridge Collegeinstructors still remembermy name.

WH: Now that you’re infront of a classroom,with young students, doyou incorporate any oftheir teaching skills?MB: I hope I do. I certainlyaspire to carry into my ownteaching role what my college

instructors did for me.

WH: Do you see yourselfat their age in some ofyour students? MB: Every year, there’s one inwhom I see myself, one wholacks success socially andacademically and whom I seeas a shadow of me. I’m drawnto those kids, although whenyou work with children everyday, you’re drawn to all ofthem. But when I can identifywith them, it’s easier to meet

their needs, or find other waysin which to relate to them.

WH: You’ve institutedsome sports programs atTurner Valley.MB: Right. I and severalother teachers in the areainstituted a flag football anda volleyball league. After thefootball season, we were ableto take all the kids to Calgaryto play on the turf atMcMahon Stadium. It was a real thrill.

WH: What’s the maindraw for you to teaching?MB: It’s the interpersonalconnection to the kids andthe community and to beable to fulfill a role in theirlives. I teach upperelementary, kids who are at a fantastic age – 11 and 12 –who truly feel they can dowhatever they set their mindsto, from becomingveterinarians to the NHL. It’s my job to foster those big dreams.



Deciding how to distribute what we own after we passaway and taking steps to see that our wishes will becarried out are definitely among those “shoulds” oflife. So, too, is providing for the possibility of losingcapacity to make decisions for ourselves. However, evenfor subjects like these that we might prefer to avoid ordefer (but really ought not to), a little learning is often agood answer. It can help us get past that uninformed,intimidated space in which we’re often stuck before we’reready to move ahead to take some actual steps.

Lethbridge College’s Public Legal Educationprogram has a presentation for just this kind ofsituation. It’s called An Enduring Power of Attorney;A Personal Directive; A Will - A Legal Toolkit. It willgive you some basic familiarity with these threedocuments and their requirements.

For instance, you’ll learn about the responsibilities of apersonal representative under a will, and that in a will youcan set out what happens to your property after death, butthat there are certain types of property a will does not cover.The other two documents can help you address those potentialcapacity issues. You can appoint an agent in a personal directiveto make personal decisions for you if you are unable to, and an attorney in an enduring power of attorney to make yourfinancial decisions if you become incapable.

Now, you could ignore the whole thing. If you don’t make avalid will, you actually do have one anyway, by default. Albertaintestacy law sets out rules for what happens to the propertyof people who die without a will; that may be all you want orneed. However, it may not. For example, you may want to giveproperty to somebody not listed in this law, or set up specialarrangements for young children.

Likewise, if you become unable to make your own decisions,and don’t have a personal directive or enduring power ofattorney, someone can apply to the court for an orderappointing a person to make those decisions for you.However, that procedure is more cumbersome and quite likely more expensive than having the documents in place,

and the decision about who to appoint could be, depending oncircumstances, no longer yours.

You should be aware that public legal education is generaleducation and information only and no substitute forobtaining legal advice. For someone to sit down to give youlegal advice specific to your situation, and to prepare thedocuments for you, you need to see a lawyer.

Legal Toolkit presentations are available from the Public LegalEducation program either as evening programming atLethbridge College, or at Law At Lunch at the LethbridgePublic Library. If you can’t attend either of those venues,video conference delivers the presentations to sites in manyareas of Alberta.

For more information on wills and other legal situations,check the Public Legal Education program section inLethbridge College’s Mind Body Home course catalogue orlethbridgecollege.ca/go/MBH

Where there’s a willPaul GerhartPublic Legal Education co-ordinator

Why you should write it down


Diaphoretic, cyanotic, tachycardia: terms that most Englishspeakers do not sprinkle through their everydayconversations, regardless of their language skills.

So, imagine someone for whom English is not their firstlanguage attempting to learn these terms common toCanadian nurses.

Qualified foreign nurses who want to practise in Canadamight possess the required clinical skills, but fall short onoccupational English proficiency.

Come September, they’ll be able to logon to LethbridgeCollege to upgrade their skills in the language of nursing,allowing them to pass accreditation exams.

Nursing, like many technical occupations, comes with its ownset of terms, and a communication style different from otherprofessions. Dealing with patients, reading prescriptions andfollowing procedures all require an understanding of nuance.

“Our target market consists of internationally educated nursespreparing for certification exams,” says Philip Harttrup,director of Lethbridge College’s English Language Centre(ELC) who pioneered the online process. “However, we’deventually like to see it expanded to nursing students whomight be struggling with their courses because of thelanguage barrier.”

The ELC secured a grant of $306,000 from AlbertaEmployment and Immigration to create four onlinecomponents: reading, writing, speaking and listening.Two other courses are being added by NorQuest College in Edmonton, which developed the classroom program.

The Lethbridge College initiative comes at a prime timeconsidering the looming nursing shortage; it was a calculationHarttrup built into his response to the government’s requestfor proposals.

“Canada benefits through improved healthcare,” saysHarttrup. “The end result will enhance the integration of thesenursing students into our society, better preparing them toadvance in their field and in their careers.”

Besides international students, says Harttrup, the programcould assist new Canadians, including those now in highschool. English as a Second Language programs normally donot include occupational components.

“We’re aware there are many immigrant students in highschools whose mother tongue is not English and who couldbenefit from this type of learning,” he says.

The college has many international students on campus, andenrolment is rising in the types of professions requiringtechnical and vocational education and training.

Several of these programs would attract more foreign-language students if they offered additional language training,while the students taking them would achieve job readinessmuch more quickly by learning the language specific to theprofession.

“diaphoretic”“cyanotic”

“tachycardia”

College program will help nurses speak the languageESL in the TLCESL in the TLC

Nursing, like many technical occupations,comes with its own set of terms,

and a communication style different from other professions.

19



Penguin: sits beside Our Iceberg Is Meltingby John Kotter, a book

on leadership.

Framed cover ofPowder magazine,featuring husband

Randy Samuel.

Office Intrigue:Old-style photo of

school’s administrativeassistants, Jane’s

“valued employees.”

Print of the BlueDog, picked up in

New Orleans.


21

As her bookshelf proves, Jane Friesen, Lethbridge College’s dean of Health, Justice andHuman Services, believes in leadership development. She and her team are working toenhance programming to reflect the needs of employers and the learning needs ofstudents. Born in Saskatchewan, Friesen was raised primarily in Red Deer and came toLethbridge from Grande Prairie Regional College.

[email protected]

Office Intrigue:Old-style photo of

school’s administrativeassistants, Jane’s

“valued employees.”

Photo withDean Sandy

Vanderbergh inWaterton.

Five Rules ForMastering

Leadership.

Shot of Himalayancats Tenzing and

Hillary.



Our Star Alumni

For the strong sense of dedication to his community he displays through hisprofessional and personal involvement, Colin Ward is chosen by LethbridgeCollege as its Distinguished Alumnus for 2010.

“This is a big honour, especially knowing who past recipients are,” says Ward, who obtained a Civil Engineering Technologydiploma in 1995.

As manager of Ward Bros. Construction, a locally owned family business, Ward has overseen major components on theLethbridge landscape, among them the Enmax Centre addition and renovation, the Sunrise Poultry hatchery and processingplant; renovations to the Cousins Science Centre at Lethbridge College and Gilbert Paterson Middle School, Ecole St. Mary and1st Choice Savings and Credit Union’s Fairmont Branch.

“I’m still using the skills I learned at Lethbridge College, such as drafting and estimating; everything except the math,” saysWard with a grin.

His expertise in his profession has led him to represent the construction sector on the Economic Development Lethbridge boardof directors, on which he has made significant contributions, supporting the board’s development of regional economicopportunities in renewable energy and creation of a technology commercialization centre.

Ward has sponsored several charitable causes, such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Steps for Life, the Crohn’s and ColitisFoundation, St. Michael’s Health Centre, Interfaith Food Bank and the school breakfast program in both city school divisions.

He has long been a supporter of Lethbridge College, creating the Ward Bros. Construction award, enabling students withfinancial needs to pursue careers in carpentry. He further demonstrates dedication to the institution by supporting its initiativesand advocating for many fundraising activities. He sits on the Lethbridge College Foundation Board, is past-president of theLethbridge Construction Association, and is incoming president of the Alberta Construction Association.

Ward is a successful business leader who continues to devote his energy and resources to the economic, social and culturalfabric of Lethbridge, making a significant contribution to ensure its future prosperity. Congratulations, Colin.

Colin Ward Distinguished Alumni Award

Civil Engineering Technology, 1995

Each April, Lethbridge College sends a new crop of students on its way with our best wishes. They have all impressed us with their diligence and thirst for education.

We are confident all will succeed in their chosen fields, or course, but every yearthere are those who leave us possessing something that raises them above theordinary, much like the four people described here.

The Office of Alumni Relations honours, from the many nominations received,those graduates who have risen above, and demonstrated those specialcharacteristics and achievement. They are our Distinguished Alumni, chosen in four categories.

We are proud to introduce the 2010 recipients:


23

For his dynamic development as an educator,Matthew Berrigan is chosen by LethbridgeCollege as winner of its Rising Star Award for2010.

“The college gave me a lifelong love of learningthat is integral to me today in my life as ateacher,” says Berrigan. “The opportunity that Ihad to explore a multitude of disciplines in theGeneral Studies program helped me discover avariety of passions that define who I am today.”

When he came to Lethbridge College in 2002,Berrigan came with a goal: to obtain a teachingdegree. He took General Studies courses gearedto university transfer. In 2006, he earned aBachelor of Education (Great Distinction) from

For her compassionate, life-long contributionsto the nursing profession, Maggie (Hayden)Olson is chosen by Lethbridge College asrecipient of its Career Virtuoso Award for 2010.

Olson graduated from Lethbridge College’sRegistered Nursing program in 1973, practisingfull time for the next 36 years. She still findstime now to work on a casual basis at PincherCreek Hospital.

“I’m quite humbled by this award,” says Olson,who originally considered a teaching career.“I’m used to giving recognition, not receiving it.”

A career counsellor, noting her proficiency insciences, suggested she consider nursing atLethbridge College, which she credits as a

turning point in her life.

Olson served her profession in the operatingroom, maternity ward, intensive care, and inemergency, serving also in general medicalnursing. She has taught student nurses,supported and encouraged colleagues andmaintained her multiple certifications.

She served as head nurse of Pincher Creek’scombined surgical/obstetrical unit, takingmanagement training. She also advocated manyyears for the Alberta Association of RegisteredNurses, served as an instructor of the neonatalresuscitation program, sat on the SouthernAlberta Perinatal Committee and is still aninstructor for the MORE obstetrical program.

Career Virtuoso Award • Maggie Olson (Nursing 1973)

Community Leader Award • Kirk Hofman (Business Administration, 1978)

For his extensive contributions to his homecommunity of Nobleford in politics, recreationand economic diversity, Kirk Hofman is chosenby Lethbridge College as recipient of itsCommunity Leader Award for 2010.

“I’m not usually speechless, but I am havingtrouble finding words to describe this honour,” says Hofman.

He earned a Business Administration(Management) diploma in 1978. While astudent, he made his mark on the LethbridgeCollege Kodiaks volleyball team, and fell in lovewith wife Barbara. Their daughter Amanda is aCommunication Arts ’09 grad.

Since moving to Nobleford in 1983, Hofman hasbeen a tireless community activist. Elected to thevillage council a year later at 24, he served until1995, passionately promoting initiatives gearedto improving the quality of life for residents. Hesupported smoke-free public areas, chaired theOldman River Regional Recreation Board, servedas a Palliser School Board trustee, sat on theprovincial Energize Board and was involved withthe Southern Alberta Summer Games, coachedhigh school volleyball and basketball, all toencourage healthy lifestyles, sportsmanship andrespect for others.

In 2004, Hofman was recruited to again servehis community as Nobleford’s chiefadministrative officer.

Rising Star Award • Matthew Berrigan (General Studies, 2003)

the University of Lethbridge.

In his first year at Cayley, he won an Excellencein Teaching Award and was chosen by theFoothills School District as its Edwin ParrAward nominee. He now serves as a lead teacherin Turner Valley.

Now completing his master’s of science ineducation, he continues to teach and stayinvolved in creating recreational opportunitiesfor students in Turner Valley, Black Diamond,Okotoks, High River and Cayley in a variety ofsports.

Matthew Berrigan discusses teaching in ourQ&A section, page 14.

OB


25

The week before Lethbridge College dispatched GarryAndrews to the Northwest Territories for five days of businesstraining near Inuvik last February, the windchill was pushingthe “high” to -31C and the sun wasn’t rising until 11:13 a.m.Somebody’s retirement plan needs an adjustment.

When you sign up as an instructor for Lethbridge College’sTerry Royer Institute (Business Training and Development)you can find yourself stepping outside your comfort zone.Andrews, a former Palliser School Division superintendent,might once have envisioned sunny beaches when he retired;life had other ideas.

The college sent Andrews, who holds a doctorate ineducation, to deliver its Foundations of Leadership program tothe Gwichya Gwich’in Band in the charter community ofTsiigehtchic, an hour southwest of Inuvik. As with manybusiness opportunities these days, the band did an Internetsearch for “leadership training;” Lethbridge College toppedthe hit list.

Sean Miles, BTD program director, says he’s not surprised inthe band’s desire for a leadership program. In his twice-weekly visits to southern Alberta businesses, he finds thedemand for leadership is a consistent theme.

“Leadership seems to be a universal demand,” says Miles. “It’sthe largest challenge facing businesses today, from the shopfloor to upper-level management. It’s about how you alignyour vision and goals.”

While businesses in Lethbridge College’s service area caneasily arrange for training on campus or at their premises,communities in Canada’s far-flung locales have the challengeof isolation. But, as the Gwichya Gwich’in now know, thecollege delivers. Miles is hopeful the BTD leadership programwill catch on, through Indian and Northern Affairs Canada,

to other isolated northern communities.

“There’s a big demand, and we deliver it as they want it,”says Miles. “We plan to customize it even further to fitAboriginal communities by making it a real-world experiencefor them.”

Flexibility is a byword for the BTD team, a feature thatcontinues to delight its customers.

“Whatever you want, when you want it and how you want it,”says Miles. “It’s what gives us our competitive advantage.People are often surprised by that because it’s not what youexpect from a post-secondary institution. We also have thecredibility of a post-secondary institution.”

Deploying instructors with Andrews’ credentials is anothercompetitive strength for BTD, an aspect Miles hopes to build.

“We’re lucky to have seasoned experts around us withconsiderable experience and credibility,” he says. “We areincreasing our repertoire of instructors like Garry.”

BTD’s involvement with First Nations and Inuit communities isone of its priorities, and delivering Foundations of Leadership,well-known in southern Alberta, so far from 3000 CollegeDrive is helping it develop connections in other regions ofCanada.

Those who took Andrews’ week-long seminar developedopportunities for employment within their band, equippedwith the leadership skills they’ll need in their community andthroughout the Northwest Territories.

Now, if only Miles could find him a comfy week somewherewith a beach. . .


Annica Pictin follows the careerfootsteps of her dad Pat.


When she was a little girl, Annica Pictin would climb into the cab of her dad’s truck and accompanyhim on bush cruises through the Kootenays.

From Cranbrook they’d travel, with her black Lab, Mocha, through some of the most awe-inspiringscenery in Western Canada, often reaching altitudes that spread out the world, eating their luncheswith the Rockies in the background while lakes gleamed in sunshine far below.

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27

Ministry of Environment in its watermanagement branch, thanks to a friendand Lethbridge College classmate. Afterpromotion to water resource specialist,he joined the B.C. Forest Service in1997, responsible for a wide range ofduties, including prescribed burning,ecosystem restoration, and, whennecessary, enforcement ofenvironmental laws.

“I’m very proud Annica has chosen theRRM program, knowing first-hand thededication required to be successful,”he says.

After Grade 12 and before settling intostudies at Lethbridge College, Annicatook a year off, much of it spentoutdoors.

“I think you spend a lot of high schooltrying to find out who you are,” shesays. “I’m a big fan of music festivals,so we’d camp out for five days listeningto music, or just driving to lakes in thearea. This summer, I hope to climbFisher Peak, the highest peak in theCranbrook area. I’ve never done it, butI hear the feeling of standing at the topis indescribable.”

Two years in a classroom, even onewithin sight of the mountains, wouldhave been torture for this outdoors gal,but field trips and hands-on learninghave given her enough fresh air tomake the book learning liveable.

And her passion is not lost on heryounger brother Bobby and sisterChelsea, whom she occasionally takeswith her on snowboarding and cyclingexpeditions.

“They look up to me a lot, so I’m tryingto be a positive role model,” says Annica.

Her father gets the last word here,directed to his daughter and herclassmates:

“Don’t be disheartened by the currenteconomic situation. The well-roundedLethbridge College training will allowyou to roll with the punches until yourdream job materializes.”

The truck was like her father’s secondoffice, one from which he ensuredlumber companies adhered to theirleases and treated the land with respect.As Pat Pictin’s only child, the bondbetween dad and daughter grew tighteron those forest forays, and youngAnnica began to realize she wanted herfuture office to be on four wheels, too.

Now halfway to her Renewable ResourceManagement (RRM) diploma, Pictin is ayear away from that reality. And whenshe returns to her beloved EastKootenay, she’ll take with her a love ofall things living.

“I get that from my Dad,” says thebubbly, personable 20-year-old. “I hatecutting down even one tree or watchingworms dry up on the sidewalk.”

About a year ago, Annica knew shewanted to take Environmental Science atLethbridge College. Although she had achoice of several programs, Pat Pictingraduated from the equivalent of the RRMprogram in 1984 (he added a watershedmanagement option two years later, nowcalled Environmental Assessment andRestoration) and Annica only had to lookat his diploma to know that was thebranch she wanted to pursue.

“Dad warned me it was a difficultprogram, and he was right,” says Pictin.“But deep down, even though he won’tsay it, I know he’s pleased I’m followingin his footsteps.”

So, through her time on campus, Annicahas been living the curriculum, “blendingtheory and hands-on learning to gain acomprehensive grounding in fieldsranging from zoology and planttaxonomy to statistics, aerialphotography interpretation and geographic information systems.”

She’ll also “complete field exercises toassess fish populations, use radiotelemetry to measure wildlifemovements, use GIS to interpret grazingpatterns and learn how to apply forestrypractices.”

All of which will lead her to “a

successful career in the sustainablemanagement of natural resources.”

The day of this interview, she wasstudying for a plant taxonomy exam,committing to memory names such asthermopsis rhombifloria and oxytropsissericea.

“I had always heard the common namesfor plants and animals discussed andshown to me when I was out fishing ormushroom picking with my Dad.”

Annica is now considering forest planttaxonomy as her specialization. Sheenvisions a career in range management,ensuring Kootenay ranchers follow properenvironmental practices on Crown land.She could work with animals, which sheloves, or work in the Bull River TroutHatchery half an hour southeast ofCranbrook, a spot at which she alwaysdemanded a stop when out with her dad.

Amazing just how wide the reach of anRRM diploma is. And, it comes with aview.

“The scenery in the mornings abovePyramid Creek in the St. Mary’s Valleyis awesome; you go up there andyou’re overlooking the entire EastKootenay. In the city, I just ball up withstress. Out there, I unwind.”

She is her father’s daughter. Pat Pictinwas also born and raised in theKootenays. During high school inCreston, he worked as a water samplerfor Environment Canada, and aftergraduation spent time in the lumberand construction industries beforeheading to Lethbridge.

“I attended Lethbridge College becauseof the practical nature of the program,the proven quality of the curriculumand the high likelihood of a jobplacement,” says Pat. “I enjoyed thecollege and found it to be a significantmaturation point in my life.”

Following a series of jobs that took himfrom the Lethbridge Research Stationto Alberta Environment and CP Rail, Patgained full-time work with the B.C.

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When Lethbridge College stresses team-building these days, itreinforces the message with paddles.

Employees are quickly getting on board with the program.

When it launches its own dragonboat this spring, the collegewill embark on a mission to spread the sport’s ideals andconcepts beyond the campus: dragonboating as a metaphorfor corporate and community success.

“Dragonboating involves several analogies of teamwork, co-operation and leadership,” says Sharie Cousins, co-coach, withChris Hansen, of the college’s two teams involved in the ATBFinancial Lethbridge Rotary Dragonboat Festival, set for thelast weekend in June this year. “Those analogies are playedout in the boat.”

With that in mind, Lethbridge College hopes to use itsdragonboat and new-found expertise as a corporate andcommunity training tool. Imagine: your company learningteamwork not in a boardroom, but on the waters ofHenderson Lake. Tracy Edwards, Lethbridge Collegepresident, immediately saw the possibilities.

“When I realized the elements of a successful dragonboat teamwere synonymous with the culture we are trying to build atLethbridge College, I knew we had to have our own,” saysEdwards. “It is truly a team sport. There are no superstars;winning occurs only when all members work in harmony.”

The college has received requests from off-campusorganizations wishing to use the boat for teamwork training,including the Lethbridge Hurricanes. After a less-than-stellarsession on the water, the junior hockey team personified thetenet that strength and testosterone is not enough fordragonboat success.

Newcomers to the worldwide activity – it’s now second inparticipation to soccer – soon learn no single person can carrya dragon boat team.

“It’s not like hockey where a Gretzky can be such a dominantforce,” says Cousins. “The team really is as good as its weakestlink. There can’t be any showboaters or laggers, and it’s a realtask to keep everyone together. If you have a keener, you haveto manage them as part of the team. If you don’t, and they

Sharie Cousins and Chris Hansen arepumped for the dragonboat season.


29

interfere with other paddlers, it causes a chain reaction thatcan destroy the teamwork.”

A dragonboat team consists of 18 paddlers, a drummer and asteersperson, all crowded into a watercraft that planes like ablock of cement. When finely tuned, all 18 paddles rise andplunge in unison to the drummer’s beat, while thesteersperson keeps the boat on course. When not finely tuned,picture synchronized swimmers without the noseplugs, or awind turbine just after a vane falls off.

Unlike Canada’s Olympic rowing eights, teams populated by buffathletes who work together for years to achieve world-classresults, dragon-boat squads are often comprised of enthusiasticamateurs at all levels of fitness and skill who must come togetherin some semblance of teamwork in a few weeks.

“It’s a combination of finesse, technique and timing,” saysCousins. “You can’t succeed with strength alone.”

The college’s philosophy is that all are welcome under its banner,including members of the community with no formal ties to thecampus. Husbands paddle with wives, kayakers show up next togolfers, and gym rats share seats with couch potatoes.

The college teams – one is competitive; one involves beer –have, under Cousins’ tutelage, developed a technique forworking with such diverse groups. Cousins isn’t willing todivulge her trade secret to competitors (read: The Universityof Lethbridge, the college’s rival for post-secondarydragonboat supremacy), but the college will share it as part ofits community outreach. Let’s just say it creates cohesivenessamong the chaos, without diminishing the diversity thatmakes each team unique.

The leadership analogies become richer. The steerspersoncan’t keep the craft on track unless the paddlers build therequired speed; without it, the boat will wallow in the wavesand drift into opposing lanes. The drummer – sitting withback to the finish line, notes Cousins – must coax just theright paddle rate throughout the 500-metre race to allow foran optimum speed versus stamina.

The heavy dragonboats start from a dead stop, requiringpaddlers to go hard at the start to get the craft to plane. If theyflag, the boat will drop back down and the race will be lost. Butpush hard too long, and there’ll be nothing left for the finish.

Goals, too, can differ. Some teams seek gold medals, somecompete against the clock and others are happy just to finish. “My goal is to have people say ‘I want to be on that team’,” saysCousins, who started her paddling career with A Breast of‘bridge, the well-known Lethbridge team comprised of breast-cancer survivors. “Just the word, dragonboat, brings up imagesof energy, communication, excitement, teamwork and elation.”


When Alf Hubbard began collecting specimens of Alberta’swildlife years ago, it’s doubtful he could have envisioned their transition into a global teaching tool.

Hubbard’s goal ofsharing his vastcollection with southernAlberta was realized in2007 when his familydonated it to Lethbridge College.Today, Lethbridge College is sharingit with the world.

The Hubbard Virtualization project(lcvirtualwildlife.ca) puts 60 of the speciesonline with information on habitat, migration,diet, reproduction and conservation status. Sitevisitors can then call up a 3-D image of the speciesand rotate the image 360 degrees. The project has thepotential to offer a 3-D skull image, video and audioinformation, tracks and range, and learning activities,making it one of the most comprehensive digital wildlifeinformation sites in Canada.

Funded in part with a $90,000 grant from Inukshuk Wireless,a subsidiary of Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, the$168,000 project was headed by Shane Roersma, aninstructor in Lethbridge College’s School of EnvironmentalSciences. Introduced to program students in December, it hasalready proven a hit.

“The real utility of this project is its use as a learning tool,”says Roersma. “With the large number of species our studentshave to identify, visual recognition is not always enough. Thisputs a huge amount of information at their fingertips. Weanticipate it will lead to information retention and highergrades.”

Roersma says the Hubbard digitization can also beimplemented in southern Alberta school districts, whichexpressed an interest when the project was first initiated morethan a year ago.

The full collection, the most comprehensive of Alberta wildlife,is housed on campus and is available to public viewing, butthe digitization now offers it to the world at a mouse click.

The collection is much larger than the initial 60 species; nextto be digitized are 35 waterfowl species. Each animal must be

Our animal act photographed multiple times, information on each researchedand written, and the website presentation developed.

The site is partnered with the Alberta Birds of PreyCentre in Coaldale. Some 150 Lethbridge College

students already use the site, includingstudents in zoology, wildlife and

comparative animalbiology.

Karen Harker, head ofLethbridgeCollege’sEducationalEnhancement Teamthat developed the site,says elementary and secondaryschools have indicated they willuse the Hubbard digitization inoutdoor education classes and forspecial projects as a research tool.

“It’s changing the way students study,” says Harker. “This is apublic website, allowing students at all levels to study fromhome. Others may include similar information, but the 3-Daspect makes ours unique.”

goes global with lcwildlife.ca

30 • WIDER Horizons/Spring 2010/Cover Story


goes global with lcwildlife.ca Matt Smith lines up a northern goshawk forits portrait sitting. Smith photographed eachspecimen multiple times, rotating them on a turntable.

31


33

Lethbridge College’s EngineeringDesign and Drafting Technology(EDDT) program after taking the fulltwo-year diploma. Come September,he’ll be back in class, adding a CivilEngineering Technology diploma to hisresume. After that, it’s off to LakeheadUniversity in Thunder Bay, Ont. toobtain his degree.

“I’ll have two diplomas and moreopportunities,” he says.

Suarez’s English was good enough toallow him to start the EDDT programdirectly. Much of the program involvesmathematics and, after all, “3.74” inSpanish is “3.74” in English; it’s also hisGPA for the last semester, earning hima letter of congratulations fromPresident Tracy Edwards, the third onehe’s received for his academic prowess.

He says his program instructors tookthe time to guide him through theshoals of language.

“The extra help they gave me was a keypoint in my success,” he says.

When Katerina Shortt entered Russia’sSaint-Petersburg State Architecturaland Construction University in 1986,the economy was doing well and findingwork wasn’t a problem.

Then perestroika hit.

“It was good for freedom, but not sogood for the economy,” says Shortt,now upgrading her credentials atLethbridge College. “Nothing was being built.”

After eight years of training, Shortt wasqualified as a civil engineer and spent ayear working in her native Ukraine as aproject estimator, but work was scarce.

So, after meeting her husband Bradonline and moving to Lethbridge,Shortt assumed she’d fall comfortablyinto the hot provincial economy. Buther qualifications weren’t fully acceptedby ASET, the Association of Science andEngineering Technology Professionalsof Alberta. So, after taking ESL coursesat Lethbridge College, she met with aninstructor in Engineering Technologieswho advised she send her credentials to

ASET to determine what she wouldrequire for certification.

This flexibility is allowing her to takethe courses she needs to meet heraccreditation, rather than the full two-year diploma load. When she finishesthis month, she will be able to work asan engineering technologist.

“There’s fewer courses and lesspressure,” says Shortt. “The instructorswere so helpful in determining what Ineeded to be certified. In the classroom,I’m a mom with the kids, but you dowhat you have to do.”

Coming from Colombia two years ago,Gelver Suarez also expected to beimmediately employed as a skilledworker. He knew the seven years hespent studying law back home wouldn’ttranslate to a career in Canada, but hefigured there were other good jobs to behad. He was wrong.

“The recession has changed thatsituation,” he says. “So I am studying.”

Suarez graduates this month from

Gelver Suarez and Katarina Shorttretool for the Canadian workplace.



Susie Kennedy torques up student serviceREGISTER HERE

“Because of her technology background, she absolutelyunderstands effective systems and processes,” says Edwards.“And, because she has been a faculty member, she appreciatesthe relationship between academia and the service side.Finally, and most importantly, she understands what studentsneed and want.”

The sudden change was the jolt Kennedy needs every so oftento keep her fresh and invigorated in her job. She came to thecollege after a successful career at the former Time Air, whereshe developed a training database and charted on-timeperformance. When CIT opened up at Lethbridge College,Kennedy was ready for a change.

“The program already had a techie, so I took on the softer sideof it,” she says.

The “softer side,” however, still required mental toughness.Each year, she led groups of four to five second-year studentsthrough a dozen live practicum projects, all successfully. Thatdrive and attention to detail has come in useful now that she’scrossed the bridge into administration.

Since February, Lethbridge College has been part ofApplyAlberta, the new province-wide online post-secondaryapplication system. The college also wants to improve themanner in which it communicates with prospective students.Much of these processes will utilize Kennedy’s IT background,in particular, her expertise with data.

Meanwhile, Kennedy, a believer in lifelong learning, will beworking on her doctorate through Aston University inEngland in work and organizational psychology.

Susie Kennedy wants you to register at Lethbridge College.

As the institution’s registrar, she will bring to bear all her skills in customer relations to ensure your trip through the portals ofpost-secondary education is a pleasant and efficient one.

And, as a former program leader for the college’s ComputerInformation Technology program, she understands what hasto happen on the frontlines and behind the scenes to create a seamless registration process.

“Customer service is what it’s about,” says Kennedy (BusinessAdministration ’87 Honours), now well into her second year inthe position. “We know students today are well-informed andthey have choices; they can go anywhere they like to get theireducation, so we have to compete for them.”

That means ramping up service to meet customer expectationswith a happy, well-trained staff providing convenience and easefor prospective students. If melding customer service andcomputer technology to create a user-friendly process soundsrevolutionary, Kennedy herself is a “non-traditionalist” in thesense that she has broken a few moulds throughout her career.

“Moving from faculty to administration was a leap of faith forme,” says Kennedy, who took over her position in early 2009after an innovative turn in the CIT program. “I loved my joband I hadn’t thought of applying; very few registrars comefrom the faculty side. But then I read the job descriptionduring a weekend and had my application in Monday.”

College leadership, including President Tracy Edwards, ispleased she did.


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Fontaine was elected as Manitobaregional chief for the AFN, then, in1991, as grand chief of the Assembly ofManitoba Chiefs for three consecutiveterms. He was instrumental in the defeatof the Meech Lake Accord, which wouldhave given special status to Quebec butnot to the First Peoples of Canada.

In 2009, Fontaine met with PopeBenedict XVI and won a formalacknowledgement of, and apology for,abuses at church-run governmentresidential schools, one of which heattended as a child, in an effort to aidhealing and reconciliation for survivors.

Also last year, Fontaine establishedIshkonigan, a consulting and mediationfirm that “provides professionalmanagement and advisory services toindigenous communities, governmentsand the private sector.”

Among his many awards are fivehonorary doctor of laws degrees fromCanadian universities.

Lethbridge College isset to welcome Phil Fontaine, formerNational Chief of the Assembly of FirstNations, to its campus for its aboriginalgraduation dinner.

Tracy Edwards, president of LethbridgeCollege, says Fontaine’s visit is anhonour for the college that willunderscore the institution’s dedicationto its students of aboriginal descent.

“We are very aware Lethbridge Collegeis located in traditional Blackfootterritory and we have long recognizedthe significance of that location,” saysEdwards. “Our mandate is to serve allof southern Alberta, and we are proudof our First Nations learners, many ofwhom will be receiving their diplomasat convocation.”

Fontaine was an advocate forAboriginal rights long before hiselection as chief of the Assembly ofFirst Nations, a position he held forthree terms (1997-2000 and 2003-09).He was appointed special advisor to

RBC last September to provide adviceand counsel to RBC's Canadianbusinesses to help the company deepenits relationships with Aboriginalgovernments, communities andbusinesses in Canada.

Fontaine was born on the SagkeengFirst Nation in Manitoba in 1944. Hewas elected its chief at 28 and still playsan active role in the community. Theyoungest son in an Ojibway family of 12children, Fontaine lost his father whenhe was six. His mother, Agnes,persevered, and although the homelacked electricity and running water,Fontaine remembers it as a place ofhappiness and love.

That was before he was sent by thegovernment of Canada to the FortAlexander Indian Residential School,where he experienced racism, sexualand physical abuse. Following his timein the residential school system, hedeveloped an interest in politics,following his mother, the first womanelected to a band council in Canada.

HAIL TO THE CHIEF - phil fontaine



players is 5’2”. They know that our teamhas a certain style, so we look for peoplethat can fit into the program, and notnecessarily just the best players.”

Although the Alberta Colleges AthleticAssociation has chosen Karren its Coachof the Year five times in the last decade,he explains he gets more satisfaction outof the results the team produces.

“There’s no greater reward than seeingwhat you’ve worked for all year comeout to an end and see the goals you’veaccomplished,” says Karren. “I like towin, but it’s the progression of seeingthe players evolve from where theystarted to what they are now. Theymature and they get more confident,and that’s what you like to see.”

Although it doesn’t lose often, Karrensays the team tries to take each loss as alearning experience.

“Those things are going to happen andyou’re never going to be perfect; you’regoing to lose games no matter what,” hesays. “You try to keep it to a bareminimum.

“We were ranked first in the nation allyear last year, and that’s a tough place,”he says. “I’d rather be third, fourth orfifth where you can not be the big targetfor everyone to beat you. We still havesome work to do, but in all reality we’reright on track.”

Karren notes he’s unsure of the future,but knows the team and his years at thecollege will always be a part of his life.

“I really don’t know what the future’sgoing to bring, but I’ve been here a longtime and I’ll always have the Kodiakstattooed on my heart.”

The echo of bouncing basketballsresounds through the Val MatteottiGymnasium, a chorus punctuated bythe squeal of rubber on hardwood and,occasionally, brought to heel by themaestro’s whistle.

Brad Karren, coach of the Kodiakswomen’s basketball team, is runninganother practice, this time with playoffintensity. His team is in the post-season– again, as it has been year after yearsince Karren took the coaching helm –and although the ladies haven’t beenunbeatable, they’ve nonetheless beenformidable opponents for anyonethey’ve faced.

Kodiaks basketball has been part ofKarren’s life for as long as he canremember. Attending games as a youngboy with his father, who was then coachof a sprouting women’s team, had aprofound effect on him. Now, as coachof that same team for more than adecade, Karren is carrying on hisfather’s legacy.

Karren, originally from Magrath, hasbeen head coach of the KodiaksWomen’s basketball team since 1999.He says he has always had an interestin sports because of his upbringing, andknew he wanted to pursue basketballearly on.

“I grew up in that kind of family,” saysKarren. “My dad pretty much started upthe basketball team here at the collegeway back in the 60s. That’s how I grewup: coming to games. So, I’ve alwaysbeen involved.”

After high school, Karren played collegebasketball for four years, and as timewent on, eventually settled into

coaching. Soon, a coaching position atthe college became available, and hehas been here ever since.

For years, the Kodiaks have producedwinning results. In the 2008-09 season,they spent most of the year ranked firstin Canada and came home from theCanadian Colleges Athletic Associationnational championships with a bronzemedal. The team made it to the nationalchampionship again this year, and whileit didn’t come home with a medal, itkept Kodiaks basketball in the limelight.

“I just know that I like to win and I don’tlike losing,” he says. “I try to put goodplayers on the floor all the time, and I’verecruited really hard over the years to tryto get the best players I could. But, mostimportantly, I had good assistant coacheswho were willing to be part of the teamand put in an effort. So, if you surroundyourself with good people, you’ll do goodthings.”

Janene Hooper played for Karren from2005 to 2007, and lauds his ability towork with each player.

“He was an extremely dedicated coach,”says Hooper, now a teacher in MedicineHat. “He always pushed us to do ourbest and was always there for us. Hehas had a successful program for a lotof years and I’m proud to have been apart of that. I had the opportunity to goto nationals twice, and I’ll never forgetthat experience.”

When hunting for players, Karren looksfor the proper drive and the ability to fitinto the team dynamic.

“They have to have a desire to play,” hesays. “It’s not so much based on justtalent or size, because one of my best

Brad Karren guides Kodiaks to glory

‘Bear Trainer’Christina BoeseCommunication Arts ‘08


37

Brad Karren works with Kodiaks guard Molly Harpole.



You’ve likely been busy with life since yougraduated from Lethbridge College, and we seem tohave lost your current contact information.Since our first class graduated in 1958, more than 20,000Lethbridge College alumni have found rewarding careersacross North America and around the world.We know you’re out there, and we’d love to know how you’vebeen doing since your graduation day.

College KudosKeith Dys, retiring board ofgovernors chair: After morethan two years at the helm,Keith Dys is stepping downas chair of the LethbridgeCollege Board of Governors.Dys, founder and owner ofEnercon Water TreatmentLtd. along with his wife Ellie,has long been a strongsupporter of LethbridgeCollege initiatives. He wasappointed to the board inlate 2002. He will be missedby his board colleagues andby all at Lethbridge Collegewho have benefited from hisexpertise and guidance.

Lethbridge College Kodiaksmen's cross-country teamsfrom 2005 and 2006: Thesetwo national championshipteams will be inducted intothe Lethbridge Sports Hall ofFame May 1. Coached byBertil Johansson, already amember of the hall of fame,the teams raced todominance throughout theAlberta Colleges Athletic

Association before endingeach season with thenational title. The Kodiaksmen's team won the nationalchampionship again in 2009;the women's team wassecond. Both won the ACACteam and individual titles.Bryan Jeannotte, veteranLethbridge sports

broadcaster and long-timemember of the Kodiaksfamily, will be inducted in theSpecial Awards category.

Living Home project:Lethbridge College’s LivingHome won the 2010 Awardof Recognition for Innovationin late January, part ofSouthGrow’s annual CreatingOpportunities Awards. Thecollege shared the awardwith its partners, CedarRidge Quality Homes and theCity of Lethbridge. Theproject combined facultyexpertise and student

enthusiasm to create aresidential home designed tominimize the environmental

impact of construction,maintenance and operationof a single-family residentialhome using provensustainable, economic andaccessible constructionpractices and technologies.Congratulations to theproject’s two lead faculty,Braum Barber and MarkBohnert, EngineeringTechnologies.

Tracy Edwards: LethbridgeCollege’s president wasnamed by the LethbridgeYWCA in February as its2010 YWCA Woman ofDistinction for CommunityCommitment. The awardsrecognize outstandingwomen who live and work insouthern Alberta; womenwho have been trailblazers,entrepreneurs, innovators,social advocates and

volunteers. Said DougHorner, deputy premier andminister of AdvancedEducation: “I have knownTracy in her capacity as

president of LethbridgeCollege and as chair of theAlberta Association ofCommunity Colleges andTechnical Institutes. I havepersonally witnessed Tracy'scommitment and dedicationto students, local

communities and economicdevelopment.”

Cheryll Oakes, JacalynneGlover: Oakes, an EarlyChildhood Educationinstructor, and Glover, aNursing Education inSouthwestern Albertainstructor, were chosenrecipients of the NationalInstitute for Staff andOrganizational Development’sExcellence in LearningLeadership Awards for 2009.They were nominated bytheir peers for theiroutstanding accomplishmentsin improving studentlearning, and demonstratingmeritorious learningleadership that supports thecollege’s values.


39

Krista AlbersBusiness Administration,2006Krista completed her BusinessAdministration diploma with amajor in marketing and enteredthe 2+2 program at theUniversity of Lethbridge. Shetook a semester off to studySpanish in Spain. In 2008, shewent on an exchange program toEcuador to complete heruniversity studies and graduatedin 2009 with a bachelor ofmanagement, with aninternational management majorand a Spanish minor. In Marchshe enrolled in a Europeanmaster’s of managementprogram with a focus oninternational business andstarted her first semester inAustralia. She will finish hermaster’s in 2011.

Trish (Kadash) BezborotkoCommunication Arts, 1991Trish spent the first few yearsafter graduation on the air inLethbridge, Medicine Hat andRegina at Z99. After severalyears on air, she moved intopublic relations in the non-profitworld and later into publicaffairs with municipalgovernment. In early 2004 she

returned to radio as anadvertising consultant withRawlco Radio and its newventure at that time, JACK FM.

Kary (Beacome) EhnesReceptionist-Secretarial,1980Getting her certificate enabledKary to gain employment in twovital sectors. She spent 10 yearsas a secretary in the publicschool system, and now works inthe gas-and-oil indsutry asmaintenance administrationsupport at Cenovus Energy Inc.in Calgary.

Mark ElliottCriminal Justice - Policing,1984After graduating, Mark workedas a special constable in FortMacleod. In 1989, he joined theYork Regional Police, went to theOntario Police College and theOntario Fire College, and is nowa detective in the criminalinvestigation unit.

Graham FawcettComputer InformationTechnology, 2007Graham is close to completing abachelor of science at theUniversity of Lethbridge,

majoring in computer science.He completed an internship withDavid Naylor, Canadian co-investigator for the SPIREinstrument recently launchedinto space on Herschel. He alsocompleted eight months ofinternship in Calgary atAutonomy Systems Ltd.

William (Bill) GordonB.Ed. transfer program,1966Bill was in the first group ofsecond-year university transferstudents at Lethbridge College inthe 1965-66 academic year. Hewent on to the University ofAlberta and graduated with abachelor of education in 1968.He later did graduate work at theU of A in counseling. From 1968to 1984, he taught for EdmontonPublic Schools, then worked as acounselor for Elk Island PublicSchools until 2005. Retired since2006, he continues to work forElk Island as a part-time

counselor in its outreach highschools.

Kenda (Cunningham)OwensInterior Design, 2001Kenda is vice-president of publicrelations for the Interior

Designers Association ofSaskatchewan. She lives inMoose Jaw and teaches at SIASTin the Architectural Technologyprogram.

Crystal Dawn ReidFish & Wildlife Technology2003Since graduation, Crystal, a fishand wildlife technologist, hasworked with animals in theUnited States and Canada,including cougars, wolves,caribou, various fish species andtwo species of marmots: Olympicmarmots and the endangeredVancouver Island marmots.Since she started working as partof a small team to reintroducethe endangered marmots toVancouver Island, their numbershave risen from about 30 in2003 to some 250 today.

Tracy TurkCommunication Arts, 1994Since graduation, Tracy has livedin Yellowknife. She spent eightyears with The Yellowknifernewspaper in ad sales andeditorial design. She is nowmarried with a son.

Where are they now?

Lost: College AlumniYou’ve likely been busy with life since yougraduated from Lethbridge College, and we seem tohave lost your current contact information.Since our first class graduated in 1958, more than 20,000Lethbridge College alumni have found rewarding careersacross North America and around the world.We know you’re out there, and we’d love to know how you’vebeen doing since your graduation day.

Help us find you, celebrate your successes and fill you in on alumni benefits.Update your contact information at lostalumni.ca by June30, 2010, and be entered into a draw for $500.Become a fan of our Lethbridge College AlumniRelations Facebook page and follow us onTwitter.com/LC_Alumni


wider horizons - spring 2010

Documents

lethbridge college grads

nursing star

wider horizons spring

distinguished alums

grads innumerous fields

obvious caring careers

spirit of annefranks

chosen fields