Thursday, January 09, 2014
Kelowna man cashes in chips to pursue his dreams at Okanagan College
Posted by: Public Affairs
Okanagan College Media Release
After working at the Lake City Casino for 10 years as a slot attendant, David Brodie was ready for a change and looked to Okanagan College to make it happen.
“I could have worked my way up at the casino, but with a young family at home, I wanted to find something that had more stability and opportunity for advancement,” says Brodie.
Based on the recommendation of friends, Brodie began researching business programs at Okanagan College and enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
“It was the best education option for me,” he says. “It made the most sense both financially and in terms of the class size. It turns out, I also benefited from the business program’s hands-on practical approach and the professional experience of the instructors.”
That was four years ago and on Saturday, Jan. 11, Brodie is joining 296 other students who are set to graduate from Okanagan College. More than 20 programs will be represented at the winter convocation including Business, Practical Nursing, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Computer Information Systems, and university studies in Arts and Science, to name a few.
Now that Brodie has finished his degree, he is working as a staff accountant at White Kennedy LLP Chartered Accountants, and plans to pursue his Chartered Professional Accounting designation in May.
“I was 30 years old when I went back to school full time and I continued to work full time during my studies,” says Brodie. “It was only possible with the support of Okanagan College, and that of my wife, of course,” he says.
Saturday’s program begins at 10:30 a.m. and is the first of several graduating ceremonies that will take place through out the year. In the 2012-13 academic year, Okanagan College conferred 2,748 credentials.
