When I came to Camosun College, I had three goals: get a Digital Production, Writing and Design (DPWD) certificate, get an Arts and Science diploma, and write as much as possible for Nexus newspaper. After that, I’d get a degree in Political Science with a minor in Journalism. I completed my goals at Camosun, and then some; I also got a certificate in Digital Communication.
Coming back to college at 45, I think I had a different perspective on college life; at least I had a different perspective than I did when I was in my 20s. When I was younger I was more social, connected with people more, and made lasting friendships. This time, I was in a different place in life (I’m a mother to a Gen Z kid), I’ve had a career, and I was just here to learn.
Camosun was my opportunity to switch careers. I had been a paralegal before my health took a turn and I ended up on disability. While on disability, I was able to homeschool my son. This was my time to reinvent myself and chase a dream.
After high school, I wanted to be a journalist and political shit-disturber. My mother discouraged it because journalists don’t make a lot of money, and I would’ve had to sell my soul to make ends meet as a lobbyist. I became a paralegal for the simple fact that legal assistants made more money than secretaries in the ’90s and paralegals had more interesting work than legal assistants. I’m a nerd—I enjoyed the research paralegals did. But the reality is, I still can’t work full time.
Camosun has given me options. DPWD and Digital Communication have given me the skills for employment with more flexible work options. Journalists can work full time, part time, or freelance. I could also run a side hustle of graphic design or photography, possibly even film. I could quit school and go get a job now or continue on with my educational pursuits.
Instructors challenged me with course materials and on what my endgame was. I had an instructor who said that just because we were taking his class and thought we were going to get degrees in that field, it didn’t mean we would. Students had changed their minds before, and we could too. He was partly correct in my case. After taking a Creative Writing course, my anticipated minor in Journalism changed into plans for a double major: one in Fine Arts in writing, and the other in Political Science.
As my time at Camosun ends, so does my time at Nexus. Collecting bylines, of course, helps meet the goal of being a journalist, but Nexus was more than that; I felt it was where I belonged. It’s where I honed my writing skills and experienced life at a newspaper (and learned the proper use of a semicolon).
What I enjoyed most about writing were the interviews; I learned a lot about random topics. I’ve talked to students, instructors, musicians, and performers. I love to learn, and each article was a new adventure into a new topic.
Attending events such as the Victoria Film Festival, Fringe Fest, concerts, and art exhibits were also experiences that I had while at Nexus.
Looking back, my time at Camosun was a season of setting goals and knocking them down. I did everything I set out to do.
I leave Camosun feeling empowered; I have the skills and knowledge to do a variety of jobs, including being a journalist, and the first two years of my degree completed. One door closes, but many more have opened.