When Taylor Filgate first came to BCSS, her mom was working at the hospital in Grand Forks and that exposure to the health care profession drew her in. So when it came time for her Grade 12 exit interview with BCSS Councillor Pamela Storie, Taylor had narrowed her career choices to two, both in the health field: either medical lab assistant or health care assistant.
Both programs are available through Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops as distance education courses; the medical lab assistant course is also available at Okanagan College as a six-month classroom setting. The distance education option would offer Taylor the opportunity to work while she completes her studies.
Taylor said she is thinking of working for half a year and then spending some time traveling before heading back to school in the fall of 2014.
Storie suggested that if she’s at all uncertain about whether she’d like to enter post-secondary training this year or next then she’d be wise spending $30 on an application because it would keep options open for this fall that wouldn’t otherwise be there.
Taylor says she’s matured a lot both physically and mentally while at BCSS. “I remember when I first came here I was a shy and quiet person. Now I am more of a loud and outgoing person.”
Physical education classes have always been her favourite and she credits Ms. Slaney for always pushing her to achieve. “Because she knew I could push myself harder than I used to think I could,” says Taylor.
While she lives on what she describes as “not a big farm”, she’s worked on other farms. “That’s where I did most of my training. My mom’s best friend owns a ranch and she would ask me to help out. That’s where I learned most of my equestrian training skills.”
She has finished training one horse and is now working on her second. “I am not sure if I want to finish this particular one because he likes to kick a lot,” she laughs. This may be what is known as ‘continuing education’ or ‘the school of hard knocks’.
Taylor is an animal lover, training her own puppies as well as her horses. In fact the number-three career choice she’d listed on her grad transitions paperwork was animal health tech. Taylor said it’s in third spot only because an animal health tech makes less money.
Sports have been a big part of Taylor’s time at school. She played volleyball through her first three years at BCSS, soball (including a spot last year on a women’s fastball league baseball team), and soccer since Grade 5; and she was a teacher’s assistant for the Physical Education 8 class.
Last summer she worked at the Rock Creek Hotel and Lounge doing food prep in the kitchen, bussing tables and waitressing.
She is currently working at Big White cleaning chalets and will be looking for summer work again when that job goes away in May.