My dreams are finally coming true!! Last August my life was full of confusion as I was not certain in which road I should take towards my education and a future career. Previously I had spent a large sum of money on general courses while not being sure of my career path. I am very grateful that I became friends with one of my colleagues who saw my strengths and my potential to enter this challenging yet rewarding field of the Special Education Assistant.
I had the opportunity to spend my time gaining experience while completing my program, this is why I am glad I took the program online. All my life I never took credit for what I have accomplished. I have always been critical of my abilities and strengths. That all changed after I completed this program. I have become the new me, strong and confident. Of course, without the support of family, friends and Stenberg staff/teachers I would not be as successful as I am now. I have never regretted my decision to enter this program. Even though the cost is higher than that of public colleges, my money and time spent towards Stenberg College was well worth it.
The major asset of going to Sternberg was that I didn’t have to wait a year to become accepted into the program like that of Kwantlen or Langara College. Stenberg College is a great private college. I remember going to Surrey Community College because it was costing me less, but the service was not what I expected, and the receptionist staff were very cold. Furthermore, to get accustomed to the school I was given a huge binder to take home and read. As Kimberley likes to say, ” Ain’t nobody got time for that! “. Therefore, I decided to go to Stenberg College where I received phenomenal service . The program counselor Nina had explained the program in details and answered all my questions and concerns.
I would like to now draw attention to the future students of Stenberg College and give a few tips to those of you who are considering to enter the Special Education Assistant program. There are many factors to be considered in making the decision to get the SEA Diploma.
First you have to decide if you want to study online or in class. I personally recommend online, as there are many benefits to it. One huge, huge benefit you will have is the extra time saved from studying at home which you can and should use towards continuing volunteer work within the field. You can read more of the benefits from my previous blogs in which I covered the topic in depth. When considering the SEA program, you have to have the passion, patience and determination to help children and youth with exceptionalities.
There are SEAs that are phenomenal at their job and they go above and beyond to meet their students needs, but there are the few that only do it because it pays the bills. When you like your job so much, you will enjoy being at work everyday, and this is the type of field that you need to enjoy doing because the many challenges you will face will either make you or break you. I am workaholic! because I love what I do! I already miss my summer job at which I had the opportunity to work with youth at the camp. Furthermore as I have already mentioned but can’t stress enough is to expand your experiences, meaning volunteer at different none profit organizations as much as possible.
You will be surprised how much you will learn and get confidence in your approach. Overall, follow your dreams, be ready to work hard and above all remember that nothing comes easy. My journey to helping others has just begun and I am going to keep raising the bar to achieve my goals. This program was truly life changing for me! I cannot wait to expand my knowledge by continuing to gain experience in my field and advancing my education. It still feels a little surreal to be done with the SEA-D program. And I am very pleased to say that I have already received two job offers!! Thank you to everyone who gave their love and support, I couldn’t have done this without you!
