Well, you would think when mentioning "back to school," that I was talking about the kids, but this time I am talking about ME!
After being off for eight years as a stay-at-home mom, raising four children, I have decided to FINALLY take an online certificate course through Algonquin College in Ottawa. The name of the course is Fundraising Management.
Over the years, I have done a variety of volunteer work in the areas of fundraising, special event planning, and public relations. I have sat on the Board of Directors for the Red Cross Society in Barrie as a Fundraising Chair, Special Events Chair, and a Public Relations Chair. I also helped at the Heart and Stroke Foundation in Barrie, planning special events and in the office, but specifically with the Big Bike Fundraiser. There have been other volunteer opportunities, but those have been the major two.
Throughout high school, I had always planned on taking Journalism in college, and had written articles over the years in the Orillia Packet and Times Newspaper, in a column called Teen Talk, which was geared towards the teens in town. They were usually about events happening in and around the Orillia area. I am actually going to call the Orillia Public Library to see if they still have the micro fiche files, so that I can make a date and get all of the articles I wrote printed off.
After high school, I worked at Bayview Wildwood Resort, and thought that maybe Journalism was not what I had really wanted. So, I second-guessed myself and decided to take Hotel and Resort Management at Georgian College, in Barrie, instead. Well, that was a bust. I did not like the course—let alone finish it—and the one regret I have had my entire life was not taking Journalism.
Every job I have had in the past had some element of marketing and sales support—where I really love to work and excel. I have helped at my children's school councils as a Co-Chair, Secretary, with special events fundraising, and planning a winter carnival on my own, from scratch, which turned out to be pretty successful. This is what I love to do, so finally after all of these years, I am going to get the education to go with the job I have always wanted!
My online course begins on September 7 and ends on December 14. The first course I have signed up for is Intro to Fundraising. This is a 45-hour course that will be followed up by an exam on December 15 or 16, 2012. Because I am over 100km from Ottawa, I will be trying to arrange the exam to take place in the Newmarket Public Library, in the city in which I live. (Reminds me, I better call about setting that up!)
The beautiful thing about an online course is that even though my twin girls are still on alternate days for school, I can continue to stay home with them when needed, and get this program done all at the same time. I will start course number two in January, and have three years to finish six courses.
After all of these years, I am a bit nervous and excited—all at the same time—to start school again.
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