Human services grads take first post-secondary step at Lakeland

In the world of academia, there are many paths to any destination. For two human services graduates, Lakeland provided the first step towards their dream careers of making a difference in the lives of children. Along the way, they learned many lessons, both inside and out of the classroom.

Advocate for education

Sometimes the most important lessons learned aren’t learned in the textbooks or the lessons. Sometimes it’s the confidence and personal growth experienced along the way that makes all the difference.

Lakeland alumna Myah Gross took her first steps towards her goal of being a teacher at Lakeland, deliberately seeking out a smaller, less intimidating post-secondary experience.

“Part of me always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I felt really intimidated about the idea of going to a big university,” Gross, from Pierceland, Sask., says. “My sister had gone to Lakeland and said she’d had a good experience with the smaller classes, and that inspired me to do the same. When I learned about the early childhood education (ECE) program, I knew that would be my first step.”

Gross says she had a great experience in the classroom, learning a lot and building her skills through hands-on experiences and practicums. While studying for her ECE diploma, she learned more about Lakeland’s university transfer program and after graduating, decided to continue her education through it.

Now, she is working towards her bachelor of education with Lakeland through the University of Calgary’s community-based program. The classes are online and she is able to work as an educational assistant while living in Cold Lake as she completes them. She spends two weeks in the summer on campus in Calgary as well.

And while she appreciates everything she learned at Lakeland, including all the practical skills Gross developed along the way, it was the connections she formed with her instructors that were most transformative.

“Creating those connections with my instructors really taught me to be an advocate for my own learning and helped me not to be scared,” she explains. “It helped me open up and ask questions if I was unsure about something. It set me up to have confidence inside a classroom and know I can ask questions because this is my learning experience, and I am in charge of it.”

Gross is in her final year of the bachelor of education program and plans to graduate in June.

Hands-on accessibility

Ann Hewko’s post-secondary journey also started with Lakeland.

Hewko, from Neilburg, Sask., came to Lakeland because it was close to home and the small classes appealed to her. With a background in teaching swimming lessons and working with children, she was drawn to the child and youth care counsellor program (CYCC).

“I wanted to learn more tools and ways to help children in different situations,” Hewko explains. “I want to help those with special needs or in trauma settings or with victims’ services.”

With a graduating class of only 11 students, Hewko felt Lakeland’s smaller size would be the perfect place to start. After she graduated with her CYCC certificate, she began working towards her bachelor of child and youth care through Lakeland’s transfer agreement with the University of Victoria. It’s an online program that allows students to complete their studies while working in the field.

“That makes it so much more accessible,” Hewko, now living in Calgary, says. “I’m working as an educational assistant while studying at the same time. Lakeland gave me so much good experience that I’ve been using with my job now. The hands-on work gave me a lot of skills that I can draw on now and it made the transition to the University of Victoria very easy.”

Hewko plans to graduate with her degree in the spring of 2026.

 

Photos: Top - Myah Gross (centre) with her instructors Amanda Sargeant (left) and Joanne McDonald (right). Bottom - Ann Hewko (right) with Dr. Jody Carrington (centre) and another classmate (left) at the Wellness Symposium.