Camosun's academic upgrading courses and programs will set you on the right path for your future studies or work. Whatever your goal, we can help you start your journey in a friendly and supportive environment. Hear from past students about their experiences and where upgrading through Camosun has taken them.
Students take many different paths to reach their goals
Eric
The flexibility of self-paced upgrading allowed me to continue working full time to pay for later studies.
Eric's pathway:
Heidi
Camosun helped me so I could help others. Upgrading opened the door to Community Support & Education and a job I love.
Heidi's pathway:
Education Assistant
Education Assistant and Community Support
English upgrading
Brena
I felt so welcomed that the Help Centre became my home away from home. The instructors were helpful, and flexible scheduling allowed me to balance life and learning.
Sheldon
An Indigenous Advisor helped me realize that my best path to the Indigenous Studies diploma was to take upgrading at Camosun. Great decision!
Sheldon's pathway:
Bachelor of Social Work - University of Victoria
Indigenous Studies
English upgrading
Finding her footing and a new love/new life
Christine La Vallee
After being out of school for nearly 30 years, Christine La Vallee (Kahkewistahaw First Nation) decided she wanted to be on an equal footing with mainstream society. "I thought it would be better if I at least had Grade 12," she says. Little did she know that upgrading would give her far more than just a high school certificate. Christine started her return to school upgrading at the Victoria Native Friendship Centre in 2008, then moved on campus and into an English literature class in 2009. "It was a life-changing event," she says. "I felt successful and I felt that I understood the works and that I wanted to do more. I found I loved literature and I'm still loving it."
“I was drawn to complete Indigenous Studies to gain the time and space to explore my own identity and presence as an Indigenous person in Canada. Then, having been accepted into the Associate of Arts Degree in English in 2012, I began to grasp the significance and the challenges of our common language. These two distinct programs have each informed every manner of my being and have made me constantly aware of not only the differences between the two but, more importantly, of their commonalities.”
Christine finished her Associate Degree of Arts in English in 2016, and is now looking to transfer to the University of Victoria to continue studies in literary theory and eventually to teach. In the meantime, we are pleased to have Christine employed as a secretary at IECC with Camosun.
