Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Paralegal grad goes from high school drop-out to class valedictorian
Vancouver, BC – May 15, 2012 – Most college graduates will agree that their educational experiences are milestones in their lives. But how many would describe them as drastically life changing? For Agnes Suttie, enrolling in the
Paralegal program at Vancouver Career College’s
downtown campus put the high school drop-out on a path to a brighter future, including being valedictorian at the graduation ceremonies.
Prior to college, Agnes worked in a series of jobs for minimum wage. Tired of scraping by from cheque to cheque, Agnes decided to train for a career that she could grow in and that she could be proud of.
“I wanted something that I could progressively throw myself into, for the long term,” she says. “I just wanted something more, something that I could build on for the future, and be proud of myself for.”
In a new Vancouver Career College
video, Agnes credits the college’s modular learning system for helping her successfully complete the program. In the modular system, students study one subject at a time, allowing them to master a subject before moving on to the next. For Agnes, it was easier to devote all of her attention to one subject without bouncing back and forth between different topics.
Today, Agnes works as a paralegal in a law office that focuses on criminal and prison defense law. In her day to day role, she carries out a range of duties with new tasks and challenges arising quite often. Confident in her choice of career fields, Agnes admits that her Paralegal diploma could just be a stepping stone to something bigger.
“I would love to become a lawyer and work in criminal law, perhaps human rights law or employment law,” she says with a smile, “and help the little guy.”