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Between Classes: Leah Mehlenbacher
Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care
Leah Mehlenbacher
has a few irons in the fire
Education:
Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care, 2009
Currently:
On-call with the New Westminster School District - and a few other irons in the fire.
Hometown:
New Westminster, BC
High school:
Steveston Sr. Secondary (which was torn down a few years ago)
Career goals:
To work full-time either at an alternate school or with the Ministry of Child and Family Development
Personal goals:
To work for a few years and then start back part-time to do a Master’s in Counseling or Counseling Psychology.
My role model is:
My sister Tracey. We have endured this life together. She is not embarrassed or afraid to admit when she feels overwhelmed. She keeps life real; she is an excellent mother, and most of all she has the best laugh ever.
My must-visit website is:
New Westminster School district human resources
This Spring, I will be
Looking forward to employment opportunities.
But in another five years I will be
possibly starting my master’s degree.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your 17-year-old self?
Just keep going to school even if it is just one course a semester. Whatever you take will lead you somewhere and help with your independence.
Why did you choose the field you did?
It is simply who I am.
Why did you choose your program at Douglas?
It was close to home.
What was the best thing about college?
There was a very liberating feeling that came from making a decision to go back to school, researching the options, and finally taking the plunge to move forward with my education. College is a welcoming place to come when uncertainties surface about academic abilities.
What was the hardest thing about college?
It is never just college. Life can be the hardest thing about college.
What was the most important thing you learned at college?
During first year a man from the First Nations community came to speak to us in one of the smaller theatres. The room was filled to capacity from many sections of the CFCS family. He spoke of the residential schools with a flair for story telling that drew us into the world of the families who were torn apart. His story made me weep. I realized that although I knew about the struggles of the residential school survivors that I was truly ignorant of the reality. I came to understand that through education and curiosity about others we can learn to be truly helpful. To ignore is to be ignorant.
What was the craziest moment you had in class here?
In CYC there are many crazy moments because much of what we learn and discuss is difficult so we have to be a bit crazy to get though the day.
Who was the best instructor you had at Douglas?
Dr. Bruce Hardy keeps it real and challenges everyone to think beyond the textbooks and classroom.
What advice do you have for your fellow grads?
Keep in touch. Make dates to meet so that you make it happen. Your group is your network.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how excited are you to be leaving school?
10 for sure, but I am certainly looking forward to more academic learning in the future. This is a bitter-sweet ending as I already truly miss going to school but I am really happy to get to work.
