THUNDER BAY — Nine years after earning her high school diploma, Candida Agnes Sinoway decided to resume her education.
Sinoway is now enrolled in the College Access program at Confederation College, a program designed to help students make a seamless re-entry to postsecondary schooling.
A news release from the college states that it covers a wide array of subjects while helping students develop the necessary skills to succeed.
Sinoway had stepped off the education path after learning she was going to become a mother.
"I decided to wait a few years and then go to college, but here I am nine years later and finally the time was right," she said.
Sinoway said she enrolled in the program thinking it would give her an idea of what to expect during her college experience and learn what's expected in classes.
She already knows her next step following graduation from the access program this spring.
"I want to study social work and become an addictions counsellor to give back to the community."
Sinoway plans to enroll in the college's Social Service worker program.
"I think that if I'd gone straight into it, I probably would have quit in the second week because it would have been too much for me," she said.
Tyarra Goodman endorses the value of the access program.
After graduating from it, she enrolled in the college's Native Child and Family Services program.
The access program, Goodman said, helped her get organized, encouraged her to keep going forward, and solidified her career choice.
"I've really enjoyed working with young and helping them find a voice...I became involved with the Regional Multicultural Youth Centre and I've been helping Indigenous students learn to cope when they arrive in the city from their home reserves," she said.
A spokesperson for the college said the access program's small class sizes help to ensure student success in a learner-centred environment.
