Gurpreet Kaur was living in her home district of Tarn Taran in India when she realized that she wanted to do something different from her current work as a nurse-midwife. A quick search on Google brought her information on Selkirk College in Castlegar and the college’s two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Gerontological Nursing.

Many of her friends were studying in Ontario but Gurpreet had heard how beautiful British Columbia was and decided the Selkirk program was her opportunity to explore the province, particularly the Kootenays, “Everybody says British Columbia is so beautiful so I wanted to explore.”

(flickr.com)

Gurpreet’s interest in the two-year nursing program at Selkirk College is grounded in her experiences in India, “Elder care in India is a responsibility and an obligation. Your parents have taken care of you your whole life, and taking care of them is something you want to do for them.”

Gurpreet believes her studies at Selkirk College are setting her up for career success outside of India as well, “Everybody has to be old one day. We need to be able to take care of our elders. Gerontology is an interesting field and it’s an emerging career with lots of opportunities.”

Gurpreet admits that being in Castlegar was initially a challenge with not as many people speaking her language but says she came to like the challenge of living in a smaller community that offered her many benefits, including great weather and nice people.

Another of the benefits of her move was the education and instructors she found at Selkirk College, “Everyone at Selkirk College is very nice and cooperative, and the instructors are so wonderful.” An unexpected surprise was the level of amicability between students and instructors at Selkirk College, which she hadn’t encountered in India, “There is a greater level of comfort between students and instructors. They help students in every context... even if we need to find a house or a grocery store; they have made it easier for students.”

Gurpreet knows that her future success as a nurse, whether she returns to India or stays in Canada depends on her, but she believes her Selkirk College studies are helping prepare her for the future, “I would like to be a nurse in this field but that’s up to me. Selkirk College has prepared me to go into the labour market and compete in the gerontology field.”