Ask an Alumni
At CanScribe Career College, we know choosing the right college for your individual needs, wants, and schedule is important. We also understand that having someone to talk to, who has been there and done it all before you, is a valuable resource to have. That’s why we’ve gathered our graduates together in a place where you can Ask an Alumni and see their experience with CanScribe Career College firsthand. You can also head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages, where we showcase our featured CanScribe Alumni.
Featured Student
Jean
Virtual Assistant Program
Graduated May 2023
| Which program did you take? | |
| Virtual Assistant | |
| Tell Us About Yourself! | |
| Jim Rohn wisely said, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and success.” Like many folks, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself in a terrifying state of uncertainty, forced to re-evaluate my priorities: What did I want my life to look like “after COVID”? My big 4-0 was coming fast around the corner, but was I ready for this new chapter? Heck no. At the same time, my only child-a recent 2020 grad-was spending her lockdown days planning her own fresh future. The positive atmosphere we created in our home, during those long dark days, provided me with hope to explore my own previously side-tracked goals, including acquiring formal business training. |
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| Your CanScribe Experience | |
| Tell us about your experience with CanScribe Career College. | |
| My first contact with Lisa MacDonald was better than I could’ve imagined. She listened and understood all my concerns, hesitations, and roadblocks, all with the utmost compassion. I was thrilled when I could confirm March 10, 2023, as my start date and I couldn’t wait to begin!
As soon as I received the curriculum, I got to work planning out my schedule: I created an Excel spreadsheet with the estimated hours to complete each course, scheduled them into 12-hour Outlook Calendar days, and went to town checking them off my MS To-Do list. Committing to my self-imposed schedule, with the full support of my roommates (my Mum and daughter) I was able to complete my course in two months and graduated with Honors on May 15-just 10 days past my 40th birthday. I’ve honestly never had so much fun learning in my life! For each lovely new take on an old program/process and for each brand-new tidbit of knowledge I learned, I applied right away through simulations or personally. |
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| What originally made you look into one of our programs? | |
| Research, research, research. Once I made up my mind to press that proverbial reset button, I was committed to success. Anything worth doing, is worth doing right, right? So, I explored and documented all the particulars of each program-from free online options to universities. With my data compiled neatly in a spreadsheet, the choice for me was glaringly obvious: CanScribe Virtual Assistant Program, all-the-way!! | |
| What made CanScribe stand out from other options? | |
| An open, accredited program, offered online, containing all the subject matter that I’d been wanting to dive further into. | |
| How has the decision to go back to school changed your life? | |
| I’ve honestly never had so much fun learning in my life! For each lovely new take on an old program/process and for each brand-new tidbit of knowledge I learned, I applied it right away through simulations or personally. | |
| Was it important to you to work/study from home? Why? | |
| Time is a finite resource. Working and studying from home allows for so much more productivity and freedom, all the while being connected virtually to all the resources I need.
Protecting the environment is also a value of mine that I don’t take lightly. Working virtually means another vehicle not producing emissions and an office building would require less energy to operate. Win-win-win! |
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| How did your program set you up for a career in the industry? | |
| Thanks to CanScibe and the Virtual Assistant Program, I reached my goal to dive deeper into the business world. I’m thrilled to now be equipped with the skills and knowledge to help companies thrive more fully-from the comfort of home, or wherever I want to be. Freedom! | |
| Goals, Vision, and Future | |
| What is your biggest motivation to succeed? | |
| My biggest motivator was being able to own my own future, my time, and my success. | |
| Would you recommend this course to people you know? Why? | |
| The course content was wonderfully clear, concise, and up to date with modern technological references and resources; the instructors and educational assistants were wonderful with their feedback, offerings of support, and overall kindness and professionalism. Deb Palmer and Sara Berry are excellent to work with and are generous with sharing their knowledge and advice. Thank you! | |
| What advice would you give to new students? | |
| Keep your mind open to learning something new from an “old” program/process, utilize your resources (e.g. OneNote (notes), Excel (course-planner), Outlook Calendar (schedule), and To-Do (enjoy checking off each course section/task).
Also, if anyone has ADHD like myself, using the “read aloud” feature for rise files, the VA e-book and MindTap required readings REALLY helped me to stay focused on the content (especially listening at a pace of 1.5-2x). Also, using PowerPoint for my portfolio instead of MindTap allows me to update and share it easily to prospective employers/clients (without worrying about it expiring in August). My last piece of advice is to reach out to the instructors and education assistants if you feel stuck or if you need further clarification. They’re very receptive and will work with your individual learning preferences…you just have to be open 🙂 This is YOUR education that you’re paying good money for, after all. So own it! |
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| How do you believe your future looks now? | |
| I feel I’ve acquired the missing knowledge/skills pieces that I had been looking for for so many years. The aspects of the administration and customer service work, that I’ve loved so much, can now be done much more confidently and proficiently. NOW I’m ready to begin my next chapter ☺ | |
| Is there anything else you’d like to share? | |
| Thank you so much for the wonderful experience, CanScribe team! If you ever need an educational assistant, let me know as I would love to help support your students ☺ |
See what Sheryl Peart has to say in this video testimonial!
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A big thank you to all CanScribe Alumni and congratulations on your amazing achievements!
Want to speak with someone who has taken the program? We have graduates willing to answer your questions! Contact your admissions representative for more information. If you’d like to see more Ask an Alumni content, check back here for more updates. In the meantime, go check out our featured students on Instagram and Facebook!