 Word perfect
Full-time student indulges passion and expands horizons with the help of Continuing Education
To suggest Shelene Chambers likes going to school would be an understatement. The 22-year-old is enrolled in the full-time Financial Services program at George Brown College and enjoys her classes, classmates and instructors. But she is also supplementing that education with the help of Continuing Education at George Brown.
“I have a love of languages and have always been interested in Japanese culture, so I decided to start with Japanese I,” Shelene says. “To me, it’s not just about learning the language. I enjoy studying aspects of culture and tradition as well.”
And Shelene was hooked from the start when she started Japanese I; the class felt like nothing she had experienced before.
“As soon as I walked in the room I noticed the difference. People in the class were already fully established in their respective careers, so they were taking the class for themselves,” Shelene says. “We all came from different backgrounds but shared the passion for language – that made the class feel more like a gathering than an actual class.”
Not only does Shelene plan to continue her Japanese education (by taking Japanese II in the spring of 2010) but she’s also confident that her new language skills will help in her financial services career.
“It’ll be great to be able to speak another language,” she says. “It’ll open up some additional employment opportunities when I graduate – but that’s just an added benefit.”
Shelene also considers her classmates an added benefit of her Continuing Education experience at George Brown.
“When you’re studying a language, you definitely need a different network and outlook to help you tap into it and nurture your new language. The class is a built-in network and that’s why I stay in touch with my classmates to this day” she says. “In fact, one of the guys in the class works at Toyota, and we’ve been talking about a trip to Japan, which would be a perfect way to further my learning.”
In the meantime, Shelene is indulging her passion for language by pursuing the French Proficiency Certificate. And she’s making time to recruit more students for George Brown’s award-winning Continuing Education language classes.
“I recommend the courses to everybody. I’m always telling people to come with me,” Shelene says. “When I’m in class, it really does feel like I’m in a different world – and it’s fantastic! I want to share that experience with everybody.”
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