By the BC Scholarship Society

Leona DeOliveira feels that she has finally found her calling.

Originally from Vancouver Island, Leona moved to Alberta in her 20s to work as a welder. It was there that she met her husband. After moving back to the Island together, Leona realized that welding wasn’t the life for her. She became interested in health and active living, working as an administrator, and later a teacher, at a yoga studio. Once they had kids, Leona and her husband “were fortunate that I could stay home and care for them.” She felt fulfilled, “spending my time caring for my family and making a life raising my kids.”

During the Pandemic, Leona briefly considered a career in healthcare, seeing the strain on nurses and wishing she could help. But she decided it wasn’t the time: “I told myself I was too old to go back to school and I let that dream fade away.”

That all changed three years ago, when her husband had a massive heart attack, resulting in an induced coma and time spent in the CCU. Thankfully, her husband has made an incredible recovery. “He is stronger everyday and his heart is doing really well,” she says. Going through such a traumatic medical experience reaffirmed Leona’s drive to pursue a career in healthcare: “I realized I had missed my calling.”

Leona planned to pursue nursing but first required some upgrading to her math and science pre-requisites through Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses. Taking the ABE courses was like a test run for Leona and her family to see how a full-time class schedule would fit into their busy lives. With a little maneuvering, they found they could do it.

Leona started in the Practical Nursing (PN) program at Vancouver Island University in January. The workload is intense, but she is loving it so far. Leona is particularly excited about upcoming practicum terms, in which students gain experience through working in different fields of nursing as well as a chance to explore career options. Leona isn’t yet set on a particular field but finds herself drawn to long-term care and cardiovascular nursing.

Leona is a recipient of the BC Scholarship Society’s 2024 Transition Award, an award that helps adult learners like her transition from Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses to enrolling in full-time post-secondary programs. For Leona, receiving the award has been “incredibly helpful.” She notes that “it’s a big thing to take on a career change” at this point in her life, and the award has validated this is as an important and worthwhile pursuit for her and her family.

Working towards her diploma and caring for her family has required careful planning and time management, such as meal prepping for the week on Sundays. With her two kids (now six years old and eight years old) both in school, scheduling drop-offs and pick-ups around classes can be tough. Leona is thankful for the help of her husband and mother, who fill in when she’s busy with classes. Ever positive, Leona is quick to point out how lucky she is and highlight the fortuitus events that led her to this point. Her story exemplifies her belief that “it’s never too late to follow your dreams.”