Take your books and go to the front of the class.
Hearing such an order normally isn’t a good thing, but for 2013 NorQuest College Pharmacy Technician program grad Jennifer Walters it’s been a wonderful experience – perhaps a little conflicting, however.
On the one hand, she is loving life as a recent graduate working at Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute, while on the other hand her new part-time job as an Pharm Tech Instructor’s Assistant at NorQuest College is an experience like no other.
“From student to teacher, it’s crazy,” she says. “But it is a lot of fun.”
Walters is giving back to the school and the program that has given her so much. In her short time as an accredited pharm tech, her personal growth and empowerment has increased exponentially. But it is not enough for this high achieving 22-year-old.
“It is one thing to know the information, but it is completely different to take that information and present it to someone else,” she says, pointing out that she suffers from shyness. “I felt that NorQuest College really prepared me to be a professional pharm tech. But I really wanted to challenge myself, to step outside the box and stand in front of a group of people and teach them.”
NorQuest College aims to encourage growth, development and lifelong learning. In Walters’ case, teaching is providing that opportunity on a daily basis.
“Sometimes a student will come up with a way of doing things that I never thought of and I just have to say, ‘oh my goodness, I never thought of that.’ It’s great.”
I felt that NorQuest College really prepared me to be a professional pharm tech. But I really wanted to challenge myself, to step outside the box and stand in front of a group of people and teach them.