Education sparks new beginning for injured worker

Sometimes a serious tragedy or accident can lead to an exciting new beginning.

Just ask 54-year-old Brent Winterbottom.

He was injured on the job while working as a contractor for the BC Forestry Service in 1991. After exhausting his Workers Compensation benefits, he tried to survive on disability benefits. As a single father raising his young son, his future looked bleak.

Then he had the opportunity to return to school.

Winterbottom completed the two-year theatre program at Vancouver Island University, and courses in mask making and molding through VIU’s Fine Arts department. His love of learning led him to VIU’s Liberal Studies department.

Guided by program faculty Lisa MacLean and John Black, Winterbottom signed up for a fourth year Senior Project course where he combined his interests in visual art and ancient civilization. “I created bronze replicas of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and brought the artwork into the post-modern era,” he explained.

An environmentalist at heart, Winterbottom melted old boat propellers from Nanaimo Recycling Exchange. He designed and created  a series of bronze sculptures including a mask of his own face and animal figures using an ancient technique called “lost wax” casting.

“The amount of the work he put into this project was astonishing,” said Black. “I don’t think he slept. He encountered numerous technical glitches along the way that he had to work around. You could see his artistry develop.”

The intensive year-long Senior Project course is an option available to all Liberal Studies major students, and is also available in several other disciplines.  “It gives the student the opportunity for independent exploration,” said Black. “The agenda is set by the student, subject to the approval of the faculty.

“In Brent’s case, it was agreed by the Visual Arts and Liberal Studies departments that he could engage in a Senior Project that met the educational outcomes of both curriculums,” said Black. “It allowed Brent to follow his intellectual and artistic interests. His desire to use lost wax casting and build a bronze factory involved an immense amount of research.”

Now, after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts, major in Liberal Studies last January, Winterbottom is considering a Masters degree. For the time being, he’s thinking about creating a livelihood with his bronze casting talents. “It’s given him an artistic direction he didn’t have before, and maybe a new career,” said Black.

“I loved studying at VIU,” said Winterbottom. “There’s a dynamic interaction between students and faculty. VIU is a smaller undergraduate institution meaning there’s room for students to work on special projects that are outside of the box.  It was a great learning experience. I recommend returning to school to anyone.”

“Never did I think I would graduate from university, but my dream came true,” he said. “When I was injured on the job, I wondered what I’d do the rest of my life. I discovered that it’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks. Studying is hard, especially as you get older but it gets easier with practice. It took me 12 years to finish my degree, but I did it. What a great feeling.”

The Liberal Studies BA at VIU is in its twentieth year of operation. For further information, please visit www.viu.ca/liberalstudies or call Co-Chair John Black: (250) 740-6495.