Meet Harmony Sabourin – A current student of our Professional Office Essentials Program!
As she was ready to embark into her newest venture, Harmony stumbled across Facebook advertisements for OSTTC’s Professional Office Essentials program. After looking more into the topics this program covers, Harmony knew that this would help her reach her end goal; finding a rewarding and successful career!
Professional Office Essentials is a 16-week certificate program partnered with Fanshawe College where students will be provided with the skills and abilities required to perform effectively in an office environment. This program focuses on customer service, office procedures, accounting basics, marketing and social media, customer relations and more! Harmony’s favourite thing she has learned during her studies thus far is navigating through Excel and Sage50, Accounting Basics. Harmony notes that both softwares are beneficial in everyday life and that “both Excel and Sage 50, Accounting Basics, have been the most challenging to learn, but I think that’s why I enjoyed them the most.”
Harmony’s day at OSTTC starts at 9am where she attends her class but is also able to stop at Sade:konih to get breakfast such as a smoothie or sandwich! As a student at OSTTC, daily lunch options are also provided by Sade:konih, Harmony mentions how
“it is a well added perk. OSTTC definitely does all they can to ensure students are successful!”
Her day in class is often filled with tons of discussion and collaboration amongst her instructor and classmates, “my peers and I all get along well, we help each other and build ideas off one another, with the encouragement of our teachers.” As a learner, Harmony appreciates being able to self-express, which thankfully a lot of her assignments allow her to do so! “It makes it easier to work when we can do that.”
In reflection to her time spent so far at OSTTC, Harmony mentions how proud and grateful she is to be continuing her education on the reserve. She notes that,
“all the staff are very welcoming and friendly, the teachers are helpful, the small class sizes are nice so it’s easier to get a one on one with the teachers when needed, and for the most part our education can be tailored to our learning styles because of the small classes.”
The new Student Success Team has been working diligently to add in extra perks to the student life at OSTTC. Harmony extends her gratitude as she says “they make the holidays fun with different activities like the movies in the theatre during lunch and the pumpkin carving contest. Overall it’s just a great place to be and my experience has been a positive one!”
Once Harmony completes the program and graduates in December, she is looking forward to finding a job on the reserve. Harmony would love to apply for a job at Health Services as well as starting her own business on the side! “I just want to find something that will be rewarding and long-term. I would like a more professional career than previous jobs I have been in. I’d love to feel like I’m contributing to something good!”
Harmony’s advice to those interested in a program at OSTTC is that
“I would say, go for it! It’s an easy process to enter a program, and OSTTC will help you to succeed. You won’t feel alone or struggle in these programs because the staff and teachers are more than helpful. OSTTC provides such value to Six Nations and its people, take advantage of what it has to offer and appreciate what they do, because we are very lucky to have accredited learning available to us right in our community.”
OSTTC is incredibly proud of Harmony and how well she is exceeding in her current program! Keep up the great work, Harmony! To learn more about OSTTC, visit www.osttc.com.
