When Lynn Goodwin, 28, decided to go to CNC in Prince George to pursue her bachelor's degree in Biology, she was a little scared.
To even begin her Associate Degree in Science at CNC, she needed to complete several years of upgrading.
“It took a couple years for me to upgrade just my math,” she said.
But Lynn had decided it was time for a career, and nothing was going to stop her.
She joked that when she was younger, her plan was to “wing it.”
“I didn’t really have a goal,” she said. “I just did random jobs here and there.”
Then something significant happened. She bartended nights for some time when one day a she heard news that one of her regulars died.
"I realized I didn’t want to be there anymore,” Lynn said. “It was time for me to move on. I was done with minimum wage jobs that I kind of hated.”
That’s when Lynn decided to build on her lifelong interest in the human body and study biology.
“It sounds a little weird,” she said, “But I’m fascinated by how something very small can change in the human body and then you’re sick, or hurt, or dead. I really enjoy learning in my classes about the cause and effects.”
At first, CNC was intimidating for her because she was older than most students when they start.
“After a while, I was totally comfortable,” Lynn said. “There are people from all walks of life here. The college is very friendly and very accepting.”
The support she’s received has also had a huge impact.
“I’ve got a lot of support from my family,” Lynn said. “And the teachers here are amazing. They are always available to help. The biology and chemistry lab technicians are also willing to help you out and teach you more about the lab side of things.”
Lynn is now set to complete her associate degree in Science at CNC in September 2019. Then she’ll transfer to UNBC to complete her bachelor's degree in Biology. After that, she plans to keep going, get her bachelor's in education, and become a high school teacher.
“I volunteer in biology labs and help lots of my friends. I help my niece and nephew with school, and I really enjoy it,” she said.
In the meantime, Lynn plans to stay focused and study hard.