Never too late to change careers

Gillian Coy wanted to be a teacher ever since she was a teenager.

But life happens and she chose a different career path, working as a dental hygienist instead.

Today, at age 45, Coy turned her long-held dream into a reality. She’s among 125 recent graduates from Vancouver Island University’s teacher education training program, and looks forward to a second career shaping the young minds of school-age children.

Coy has already been hired at Shawnigan Lake School as a rowing coach and tutor, and hopes to move into a full-time teaching position there next fall.

“It’s never too late to return to school and learn something new,” said Coy, valedictorian for VIU’s convocation ceremony Monday at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo. “I want to be a teacher because I can think of no other profession where you truly give of yourself for the betterment of tomorrow’s citizens.”

In her valedictorian address Coy said, “Our education has the power to liberate us, and to unite us, and to change who we are and how we see ourselves and others.

“Not one of you is the same person that first signed up to study at VIU.  Education is a transformative experience and we have all learned much along the way. You have learned about yourself and the power you have inside to accomplish your dreams.  Be proud. You are proof that anything is possible and that dreams really do come true.”

Coy knows first hand that switching careers takes courage, determination and hard work. She completed a Bachelor’s degree in 1989, then a dental hygiene diploma in 1995. “I’d been involved in dentistry since I was 18, first as a dental assistant and then as a dental hygienist. After 27 years, I wanted a career change because I was burning out,” she said. “The main factor in my decision to return to school was an unfulfilled desire to really give of myself to make others’ lives better, so I decided to finally pursue my dream of becoming a teacher.”

Returning to school as a mature student posed a few challenges, but they were quickly overcome thanks to the support of VIU faculty and classmates.

“The greatest challenge for me personally was the technology learning curve,” she said. “I’d been working with my hands for 15 years and rarely touched a computer.  Luckily I was befriended by a fellow student named, fittingly, Josh Patience, who very kindly gave me lots of extra help, and sat next to me in tech class. I now feel incredibly empowered to use technology in my teaching. I really believe it is the future of education.”

Coy was named to the Dean’s list for all three semesters and received a $500 scholarship for academic merit for achieving a grade point average above 9.0. (total $1,500).

“The best day of my studies was the first day of practicum in Youbou in a split grade 4/5 class,” Coy said. “After one day in the classroom, I had a strong feeling that this was where I belonged.”