Meet Â黨´«Ã½alumni Janine Olsen
Hometown: West Kelowna, BC
Program: Associate of Science, Kelowna - 2014
I had an amazing experience studying at OC. Not only did I form lasting relationships in those years, but I really feel that studying sciences there for my first 2 years gave me an advantage when I transferred to UBCO to complete my degree. I highly recommend starting your post-secondary journey at Â黨´«Ã½no matter what career goals you have because it helps you build a strong educational foundation in a non-intimidating environment.
Can you tell us how your experience at Â黨´«Ã½helped shaped the career that you are in?
The small class sizes and hands-on labs at Â黨´«Ã½ gave me opportunities to get to know my professors and fellow students well. I felt comfortable asking questions in class and approaching my professors for help, which was important for me to build the confidence I needed to pursue a career in medicine. There were two passionate female professors in particular who made me feel like I could be successful as a woman in sciences. I am now a family physician in the inner city and in a remote community in the North.
Why did you choose Okanagan College for your post-secondary education?
I chose Okanagan College because I wanted to have a more approachable learning environment for my first two years of post-secondary. I was drawn to the small class sizes because I knew that I would benefit from not just being a face in a class of hundreds, but getting to know my professors and classmates personally through spending time face to face in classes and labs.
Tell us about a memorable experience or project that made a lasting impact on your learning journey at OC
One memorable project was in a microbiology lab where we spent the whole semester on a longitudinal experiment. We had to swab a surface of our choice, culture and isolate a bacterium, and then go on to sequence the DNA to determine its identity. It was an excellent learning experience, and when I transferred to UBCO I realized that it was a unique opportunity that many other students don’t get in the early years.
Associate of Science Degree
Uncover the physical and material world through observation, calculation and experimentation. Take courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics and astronomy that transfer to university.