I met Corey back in season one when he was working as a multi-media producer, responsible for audio and video production as well as web design. He’s enrolled in the eLearning certificate program at the University of Calgary and is also taking Project Management courses with MacEwan University. Now, I’m putting him in front of the microphone to share his story. We talk about... Early career choices and moving from the hospitality industry to post-secondary education Changes in the multi-media pro...
Jan 19, 2021•36 min•Season 4Ep. 10
She needed an online program that provided her with the flexibility to study while balancing a demanding job and raising four kids. Athabasca University was the perfect fit, allowing Jackie to turn pretty much every setting (including ringside at her kid’s hockey games) into a classroom. We talk about.... Loving your work, but knowing you need to upgrade your skills to take on more responsibilities Why online learning was the perfect option for Jackie's busy life and independent personality How ...
Jan 05, 2021•28 min•Season 4Ep. 9
It first meant believing that attending university was even possible. Then, once that hurdle had been overcome, Germaine started down the PhD path in her 30s, but life got in the way. Two decades later, fueled by a personal crisis and a well-placed online ad, she connected with Athabasca University. Now, Dr. Chan has completed her degree and landed one of a small handful of tenure track academic jobs in Canada. We talk about.... How early family life can shape our expectations around education T...
Dec 15, 2020•36 min•Season 4Ep. 8
It was a long road, filled with twists and turns, but she did it. Find how this mom of two managed her long-distance, online education with Athabasca University to achieve her RN. We talk about... The beauty and benefits of life in Northern Canada Finding the time to go back to school and making sure school plans align with family plans The unique challenges of doing a long distance degree and how Bobbi managed to make it work How community support (specifically a guy named Andrew) and the amazi...
Dec 01, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Mom, Lola, shares how a rocky start led her to overcoming the challenges of being a single mom and working many different jobs to make ends meet. Now remarried and with her kids grown, she’s recently completed training as a Class One Driver with Women Building Futures. That, in turn, inspired daughter Katelyn, now a first-year electrician, to also take the Women Building Futures journeywomen program. We’ll hear how these dynamic women are forging a path in the trades. We talk about... Overcoming...
Nov 17, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 6
He’s now in year two of his degree and is applying his newly honed legal knowledge to his work as a technology evangelist. Tim explains why he’s so enthusiastic about education and how he fits his studies into his busy life. We also talk about our shared passion for technology ethics. We talk about... Why Tim went back to school to study law when he doesn't want to be a lawyer The differences in being a student in your 20's and 30's vs in your 50's Making time for school while also managing a de...
Nov 03, 2020•57 min•Season 4Ep. 5
She enrolled at the University of Alberta to finish a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology, which also led her to buy a skeleton! We’ll explain more as we explore her back to school story. We talk about... The joys and challenges of being your own boss How being a wedding photographer was like getting a PhD in psychology Biological anthropology, it's dark historical roots and why this field speaks to Kristin How it felt stepping into the classroom the first day of school Kristin's plans ...
Oct 20, 2020•40 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Armed with a suitcase full of books, Allan (amazingly!) found the discipline to study onboard cruise ships while sailing around the world. Many years, courses, and ports of call later, he now holds a bachelor’s degree in English and is a writer with Monday Magazine. We talk about... Why Allan decided it was time to return to the classroom The importance of making a back to school journey work for the whole family How Allan connected to Athabasca University and how online learning made his academ...
Oct 06, 2020•43 min•Season 4Ep. 3
He applied his skills to help companies find the perfect candidates with the tenacity of a bounty hunter! However, like many people, Gabriel saw his own role downsized with the onset of COVID-19. Now, he’s making the most of this time to add to his education with an MBA. We talk about... Choosing open studies before landing on a direction for his degree The importance of flexible class schedules when working and going to school and how online learning was a great fit The many practical benefits ...
Sep 22, 2020•19 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Research can be a lonely part of the grad school experience. This Spring, COVID-19 made that journey a little lonelier and a little more chaotic. We talk about... Deciding on a research project and conducting literature reviews Our diverse research projects which include digital signage and patient experience in healthcare (Cedric), assessing the post-secondary instructor review process (Jane) and applied ethics for AI projects in healthcare (Katrina) How COVID-19 impacted us personally and how ...
Sep 07, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Find out more about Athabasca University .
Sep 07, 2020•54 sec
The final assignment walks through how a fictitious property management firm could use machine learning to improve their business. If you haven't listened to Episode 3: Machine learning for everyone, we suggest you do that first. Learn more about Athabasca University and their PowerEd offerings and don't forget to use offer code INGRAM20 if you sign up. We're proudly affiliated with the Alberta Podcast Network - home to fantastic local podcasts....
May 05, 2020•13 min
I've recently completed Athabasca University's PowerED course, Using Machine Learning for Competitive Advantage. Marcin Mizianty, VP Datascience at AltaML and one of the course subject matter experts, joins me to explain how machine learning can be applied to a variety of industries to solve real-world business problems. We talk about... How Marcin chose to focus his PhD on AI and became a data scientist before it became such a hot area. Hollywood depictions of artificial intelligence and why th...
Apr 28, 2020•37 min•Season 3Ep. 3
PowerED Director, Jessica Scott joins me to share the story of PowerED and how it’s reshaping the way individuals and companies access professional development. We talk about... How Jessica's background in media leading digital transformation initiatives was the perfect fit for her current role leading PowerED. How PowerED expands AU's offerings into new areas by providing on demand micro-learning courses and certificates for individuals, delivering custom training for corporations and helping o...
Apr 21, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 2
They pioneered the world's first online MBA 25 years ago and now, they are boldy creating a fully integrated, immersive "digital campus" to bring online learning to the next level. We talk about... AU's place in the academic landscape within Alberta and its unique focus on "democratizing" access to education by taking learning to the learners Moving from delivering "books in a box" in the 70s and 80s to online learning Launching the world's first online MBA in 1994 (on dial up!) and pioneering t...
Apr 14, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 1
This special mini-series created in partnership with Athabasca University explores online learning, micro-credentialing and machine learning. Launches April 14th.
Apr 06, 2020•44 sec
That led to employment in a new industry – cannabis! Dan shares how he manages his study schedule as a busy dad of two young kids, the importance of having a supportive spouse and his impressions of working in the cannabis industry during its early days. We talk about... Starting a degree in his twenties but then finding that life had other plans that led to a career, a series of promotions and a family How a major jolt in the form of a corporate restructuring became the catalyst for Dan to eval...
Dec 10, 2019•22 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Many people might need a break from studying after all that - not Shari-Anne! She then went on to become a Qualified Arbitrator and recently finished coursework towards becoming a Qualified Mediator. We talk about the joys of grad school, running a business, competing with your kids for the best grades and creative ways to fund your education as an adult. We talk about... choosing the right time to go back to school, while never losing sight of the goal choosing the masters of public administrat...
Nov 26, 2019•33 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Her research centres around how leisure, particularly being in nature, can help with resettlement for new immigrants. Jane shares her own immigration story that took her from the UK to South Africa to Canada, why she decided to pursue her PhD and how we are redefining what it means to be retired. We talk about... Leaving apartheid South Africa to raise a family and build a life in Canada Jane’s storied career in TV, feature films and then communications strategy Returning to university at the ag...
Nov 12, 2019•48 min•Season 2Ep. 5
His deep curiosity and a colleague’s off the cuff comment led him back to the classroom in 2012 and he has recently completed his PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. We talk about managing the psychological journey of a PhD, the importance of a great supervisor and embracing the questions as much as the answers. We talk about.... the adventures of being an archaeologist including encounters with Federales, lightning strikes and bear attacks how the love of junk, d...
Oct 29, 2019•44 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Determined to move beyond “survival jobs”, Nimaya has retrained as a Health Care Aide with aspirations to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. He shares his inspiring story of making a major career transition while building a life for himself and his young family in a new country. We talk about... living in constant danger in South Sudan getting educational credentials assessed in Canada and realizing that his degree would not be recognized here taking survival jobs as a means to an end but contin...
Oct 15, 2019•42 min•Season 2Ep. 3
We talk about... the role of community engagement in bringing the voices of vulnerable or marginalized to the table why Elliott chose to study community engagement to complement his undergrad in Native studies and his background in policy development exploring what it means to be Indigenous and post-colonial approaches to engagement. Nothing about us without us. the meaning of Wahkotowin – we are all related – not just as people, but to everything and how it leads to a wholistic approach of look...
Oct 01, 2019•50 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Katrina is joined by her MACT colleagues, documentary filmmaker Aretha Greatrix and branding expert, Carina Ludgate to talk about how they balanced running a business with the demands of a master’s program. We talk about… what compelled Aretha and Carina to launch their businesses getting over the “illusion of a stable job” and why a 9-5 job isn’t for them the joys and challenges of doing creative work how to manage your life with inconsistent income streams how they balanced client and school d...
Sep 17, 2019•44 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Season two features conversations with entrepreneurs who balanced school with running their business, a new immigrant rebuilding his life in Canada, a NorQuest College staff member enhancing his professional credentials and folks who chose to take on a PhD a little later in life.
Aug 19, 2019•1 min
When she retired, she decided it was time to step things up and in her early sixties, she became a student at the University of Alberta where she is pursuing a Master’s in Ethnomusicology. Donna is a multi-instrumentalist, playing violin, drums, flute and a mean ukulele. We talk about.... Knowing exactly what you want to be when you grow up (or not!) The Edmonton Medical Professional Orchestra (TEMPO) The amazing CKUA Ukelele Choir What exactly is ethnomusicology? Having a love hate relationship...
Dec 12, 2018•26 min•Season 1Ep. 10
He left the arts and returned to school in his forties to pursue an MBA at the University of Alberta as well as certifications in accounting and auditing. Darrell shares his thought on moving from the arts to business, his strategies for managing expectations and why being stubborn can be a key to success. We talk about.... The thrills and challenges of a career in the arts Having a mid-life epiphany and shifting gears Types of career burnout - boiling the frog vs cyclical projects in the arts T...
Nov 28, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 9
She quit school and boldly moved across Canada after making a random connection in a Walmart. She got a job in Alberta, paid off her student loans and then the Fort McMurray fires hit. That led Vanessia back to the classroom at NorQuest College, to finish the education she had started. We talk about.... How family influences your career choices The pressure we put on young people to choose a career The struggles of paying for an education and dropping out of school Wanting to escape your life Mo...
Nov 14, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Learn how this father of four balances overseas coursework and an extensive research-based thesis while still carving out time for family, volunteering, maintaining an impressive social media following and writing the occasional piece of poetry. We talk about.... Real-life police work vs what we see on TV How an undergrad in English and Criminology is being put to work @edmontonpolice Balancing family life with work and school (it involves giving up sleep!) Studying at the historic University of...
Oct 31, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Find out how this former “partying waitress” became an A student, an award-winning business communicator and a new mom, all at the same time. We talk about.... Thinking post-secondary is not for you (and realizing that's not true) The pressure we put on young people to figure out their career path The PR Program at MacEwan University and find your calling Balancing being a student and a new mom The importance of a supportive spouse Producing award winning projects What to do when you find yourse...
Oct 17, 2018•26 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Rdina went on to earn an Engineering degree from the University of Alberta where she graduated with honours. Yet, after all that, it was the world of business and financial education that really spoke to her entrepreneurial spirit. We talk about.... NorQuest College academic upgrading The differences between small and large post-secondary institutions The unique challenges of being a student while raising two kids, one with special needs Love/hate relationships with student loans Visualizing out...
Oct 03, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 5
