NLC Stories
Building Blocks to Success
Posted on Oct 27, 2022When Marilyn Orr moved to Peace River to provide a better educational experience for her teenaged children, she certainly didn’t plan on resuming student life herself. A graduate of the Northern Lakes College Office Administration Certificate program, Marilyn had been working as a payroll clerk for…
Read MorePowering Through
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Kolby Backs first learned of the Northern Lakes College, Dual Credit program when it was promoted by his high school. The program offered a theory component, which Kolby took online. “(I wasn’t really prepared for) online school, for sure, but we had a really good instructor. He knew what he was…
Read MoreIt Took as Long as it Needed to
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Kenneth Halcrow’s interest in the skilled trades started at the age of 12 when he attended a trades camp for children hosted by Northern Lakes College. “We got to weld plates together, and weld hot dog sticks. It was a lot of fun. The camp offered carpentry, electrical, welding, crane, and more…
Read MoreShowing by Example
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Janet Maik hadn’t so much as thought of going back to school until the day her high school-aged daughter refused her own post-secondary education. “My husband and I had been saving for our daughter’s education for years, so when she told us she didn’t plan on going to school, we were really…
Read MoreAn Education as Unique as My Needs
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Elizabeth Gedcke grew up knowing the meaning of hard work. Working at the family business, she knew how to balance the books, treat customers, and successfully schedule her time, all before she was 18. What she yearned for was to finish high school and pursue post-secondary education, but this seemed…
Read MoreTurning Hobby into Career
Posted on Oct 27, 2022“Happy is the man who can make a living by his hobby.” – George Bernard Shaw A graduate of the first offering of the Northern Lake College Computer Network Specialist program, Brett Gladue had been interested in technology since early childhood. “It started with computer games,” Brett reports,…
Read MoreGetting a Head Start
Posted on Oct 27, 2022If there was a record for the world’s youngest welder, Waylon Lauck would be a strong contender for titleholder. At only 17 years of age, Waylon had welded for over five years before gaining employment at Cam-Tac Welding in Slave Lake. “I kind of grew up on a drilling rig,” Waylon reports, recalling…
Read MoreYou Belong There as Much as Anybody
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Northern Lakes College welding instructor, Tricia McNab, has come a long way since starting her welding journey. Full circle, in fact. Tricia is not only an employee of Northern Lakes College, but she is also an alumni. Remembering that first day, Tricia was nervous when she started the Welder Apprenticeship…
Read MoreOvercoming Adversity
Posted on Oct 27, 2022Until attending Northern Lakes College, Amanda Gach’s school experiences had largely been negative. She’d left high school due to bullying, turning to online classes as an alternative. Years later, when her employer encouraged her to register for college classes, Amanda initially felt reluctant.…
Read MoreAshley’s Story: Thriving in a Supported Distance Learning Environment
Posted on Mar 2, 2020Ashley Sturgeon has accessed her Academic Upgrading courses while travelling. She has accessed them from home. However, her favorite place from which to access her courses is from the Northern Lakes College campus in Peace River. The flexibility of the NLC LIVE Online™ delivery model that allows her…
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