“Lifelong learning can mean bursts of short-term commitment, but it brings amazing long-term benefits.” - Naomi Jehlicka, SCS learner
When Naomi Jehlicka decided to up her project management game, she knew she wanted to take a foundational course, and eventually become a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®). As an Albertan who works for Alberta Transportation, coming to the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies (SCS) may not have been the obvious choice. But Naomi found that studying online at SCS provided many unexpected benefits.
“I’m a U of T alumni, with a background in Political Science and Criminology. I also hold a Master of Public Administration from University of Victoria in British Columbia. I’ve worked with both the federal and provincial governments, focusing on regulatory work. In 2012, I moved to Alberta, and today I’m a Policy and Program Manager with Alberta Transportation. My role involves a lot of project-based work,” explains Naomi. “A big part of my role is developing projects while dealing with the shifting nature of laws and regulations. I really wanted to formalize my project management skills, and earn my PMP, which is a standard for best practices in the Alberta Government. I was eager to earn this credential so I could take on more complicated projects, and have a more competitive resume as I grow my career.”
After doing some research, Naomi decided to stick with her alma mater for a few reasons. “I really liked that SCS provided a Foundations of Project Management course that would cover all the bases of project management. I felt this would help prepare me for the PMP exam. And interestingly, the time difference really worked in my favour! I have a young daughter, so I had concerns about my time management. But the time difference between Ontario and Alberta meant that I just stayed at work a bit later to attend my class online, then headed home for dinner. It worked out perfectly,” reflects Naomi. “I then discovered that SCS has a PMI® Authorized PMP® Exam Prep course. I was having such a positive online learning experience that I decided to go for it. I started the prep course in March 2021. The biggest advantage for me was access to the practice exam questions. There was a bank of hundreds of questions that we had access to for six months, and they all reflected the most up-to-date content, with a focus on agile, iterative, and hybrid questions.”
In August 2021, Naomi passed her exam and is now PMI certified. “I use my enhanced project management skills in my daily workflow. I have more tools in my toolkit, and I’m more organized. I’ve even encouraged my staff to explore learning opportunities at SCS, and two are now taking courses!” says Naomi. “The methodologies I learned at SCS are truly helping me thrive. I originally had hesitations about going back to school as a working parent, but I was lucky to have the support of my family, and I’ve learned that when you don’t have a ton of free time, you just have to be intentional about how you spend it. For me, that meant growing my skills and earning a certification I’d wanted for a long time. Lifelong learning can mean bursts of short-term commitment, but it brings amazing long-term benefits.”