Lakeland College was a refreshing change for Bridget Loe.

The Class of 2008 alumna already had a university degree in natural resource management: fisheries and wildlife when she decided to apply for the environmental sciences diploma program.

Frustrated with the lack of job opportunities that were mainly seasonal, she was looking for a career that would support her financially and offer more stability. An online search for environmental programs associated with the oil and gas sector led her to Lakeland. At the advice of her instructors, she made the decision to switch to the bachelor of applied science: environmental management program. She completed a year of upgrading to qualify for it and hasn't regretted a thing.

“Lakeland is basically like a large family,” Loe explains. “Coming from a small town, I felt very comfortable. It wasn't this large university with hundreds of thousands of students. There were smaller class sizes and you get a lot of one-on-one interaction with the instructors. The instructors always had an open-door policy so you could stop in, ask questions. It was a breath of fresh air coming from university.”

After graduating, Loe found a position with SLR Consulting in Fort St. John, B.C. where she completed her practicum, part of the bachelor of applied science: environmental management program. Loe currently is a senior environmental program manager with ClearStream Environmental Consulting Services in Fort St. John, B.C., where she works with a fellow Lakeland alumnus. Loe manages environmental projects focusing on reclamation and remediation of upstream oil and gas facilities.

She credits Lakeland's hands-on approach to learning with helping her successfully forge her career path after graduation.

“Lakeland really set me up with applicable skills for completing field work,” she says. “There were so many field trips and outside labs. I had the opportunity to be around a drill rig, collect and assess soil and water samples and complete plant identification. Every lab had a field component and that really helped set me apart from other graduates coming into the industry. Lakeland exposed me to so much practical hands-on experience that it was an easy transition from school to work.”