
Online Learning Centre:
Madoc
Program Name:
Office Administration – Health Services Diploma
Institution Name:
Loyalist College
Status:
Graduated Summer 2015 and offered job on last day of exams at local medical clinic
Chantelle Zehr was living in Madoc and working as a server in a Belleville restaurant for over a decade. In 2014, she learned about Contact North | Contact Nord and, with their support, enrolled in Loyalist College’s online Office Administration – Health Services Diploma program.
“It was a big deal to go back to school,” says Chantelle. She wanted to work in the local medical clinic but did not have the qualifications. With the support of the Ontario Government Second Career program, she went back to school full-time.
“I worked at home sometimes but mostly at the online learning centre. I could stay focused at the centre,” she explains. The program was self-directed and other than contacting her professors with any questions, she worked on her own.
With young children at home, she appreciated the flexibility of working at her own pace. “The staff at the online learning centre was helpful, the professors were quick to respond to your questions and the online platform was easy to navigate,” she says.
She completed three semesters back-to-back and offered to work in the reception area of the clinic as a volunteer. The day she completed her final exam, the clinic offered her a full-time job.
Chantelle continues to work at the clinic and loves it.