Why did you choose Langara to study?
I chose Langara because the campus was close to my home and it was convenient to get to via public transport. Additionally, the tuition was reasonable, and the school had university transferable courses to further my career at UBC. Langara had an exceptional athletic program that was highly respected in addition to the College’s academics. The faculty and staff I met on campus were extremely welcoming, friendly, helpful, encouraging and accommodating.
How your time at the College contributed to your career?
My time at Langara as a student brings back incredible memories of meeting an array of interesting people. My experience with education contributed to my degrees and allowed me to become a nurse and educator. Without initially being a Langara student, I would have missed the opportunity to enjoy my rewarding 33-year career as a Langara Nursing educator and Employee of the Development Coordinator (LEDC).
I would not be the person I am today without having initially been a Langara student. I obtained a diploma in physical education, sports medicine, and earned coaching credentials thanks to Langara. I also coached various varsity sports team and was an apprentice trainer. As the apprentice coach and trainer, our team was invited as guests of the Chinese Sports Federation for three weeks. We had a memorable trip to China when the country was not “open” to foreigners.
I am eternally grateful for the many awesome people (both students and employees) that I met along the way. I am forever in debt to all the special friends and students I have had the privileged to meet and work with. There, were my inspirational mentors such as Norm Olenick and Audrey Tolhurst, my super dedicated LEDC committee and my always-encouraging boss, Ken Jillings. I am proud to have a small hand in educating an incredibly talented, well-educated, dedicated and caring group of nurses. The future of the profession is safe with all Langara Nursing graduates.
What’s your favourite memory of Langara?
There are so many, I never dreamt that I was smart enough or had enough experience to be a Langara Nurse Educator. When I received the phone call to be an instructor, it was one of the happiest, scariest and life-changing time of my life.
My nursing colleagues trusted me enough to be selected as one of the Nursing Administrator team. I was also on the Nursing leadership team for 5 years and when the selection committee chose me as the Langara Employee Development Coordinator, that was the greatest job in the world. There, we broke down the silo barriers of administrators, faculty and staff and cultivated a culture for personal and professional learning.
Lastly, I have fond memories of the Nursing Administration and College Leadership group that successfully achieved degree-granting status for the Nursing department. This was the first-degree BScN and something the leadership teams are extremely proud of. Having a College receiving degree and granting status was ground breaking.
I was overwhelmed, humbled and honored when I received Langara College Leadership Excellence award in 2010. We accomplished and increased the annual learning opportunities from below 200 to over 1300. Additionally, we offered the Instructional Skills workshops for new instructors. For the first time ever, we held professional development days for Administrators and those in CS.
In 2011, I was awarded the 2010-2011 Andre Tee Outstanding Service Award. I enjoyed my time being the hospitality and/or medical coordinator for the numerous sporting events held at Langara. I was also recognized as one of the 49 greatest Langarans in 2019. The other members of this group were people that I aspire to be like. I could never dream to be in the same category as these incredibly, awesome, accomplished individuals.
What is a fun fact that you would like to share with us?
To quote a very special friend of mine, I would like to be known as a professional, retired (even though I keep getting rehired back at Langara), volunteer and world traveller. Each year, I have the joy of giving back by organizing and delivering approximately 70-80 boxes of toys and bags of stuffies to charitable organizations.
Thanks for sitting down with us, Gail!