Catherine Dyer: Sharing Her Success

Returning to the classroom as a mature student isn’t always easy. For Catherine Dyer, though, a Business Administration diploma from Northwestern Polytechnic has led to a rewarding career and the opportunity to guide others into meaningful employment. 

After ten years of less than satisfying jobs, Catherine felt she had the potential for more but wasn’t sure how to move forward. When she finally took the plunge into further education, she landed on NWP’s Business Administration program, completing first the certificate and then the two-year diploma. 

“The people were the highlights of my time at NWP,” says Catherine, recalling strong friendships and inspiring instructors. The classroom was also the first place Catherine began to think of herself as a leader. She was tapped by her classmates to coordinate NWP’s student-run business conference and saw that her peers looked to her for guidance.

“For mature students, have confidence that your life experience is valuable,” Catherine advises. “You have as much to teach other students as you have to learn from them.”

While working on the conference, Catherine also helped create documents to guide future versions of the annual event – and then used those documents in interviews post-graduation. “They were directly transferable,” says Catherine, as was her experience in time management, leadership, organization and more.

Catherine joined the team at The Work Place immediately after graduation in 2019, and is now an Employment Director. “We’re partners in the job search journey,” she says, explaining that they primarily assist people on employment insurance. “It’s fulfilling. We get to make a difference in the lives of Grande Prairians .” Catherine speaks with pride about the recent Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Awards of Distinction that The Work Place received from the Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce, and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce. “It speaks volumes about our inclusivity,” Catherine notes.

The advice that Catherine shares with job seekers at work can also be applied to new NWP graduates. “Think about your short and long-term goals,” she advises. “Networking is important. It can be scary to put yourself out there, but people want to connect.”

“In Grande Prairie, we help each other.”

Catherine feels strongly about staying connected to NWP and giving back as an alumni. She’s been a part of the school’s Business Advisory Committee for the past two years, and has returned as both a breakout speaker at the business conference, and to speak in classrooms. On those occasions, Catherine opens up about her own years of not knowing what she wanted to do, connecting through her own vulnerability.

“Students are the future of the workforce. If I can help them out in any way, I will,” says Catherine. She also observes that NWP is always evolving to meet the changing needs of students and employers. “NWP is good at work-integrated training,” she notes. “Their work aligns with the real world.” 

Another part of Catherine’s identity is as a member of the Mountain Métis people. She’s hopeful that sharing her success as an Indigenous woman might bring some inspiration to others.

While work takes up a lot of Catherine’s energy, she says family is number one with her. She’s currently helping out a brother who is attending NWP, just as she was assisted by a friend when Catherine went back to school.

“The impact of post-secondary education is amazing,” says Catherine. Whatever NWP students choose to study, she’s confident that there’s success ahead of them.

“In Grande Prairie, there’s enough work and opportunity for everyone.”