“I think what I truly took away from being a student at Bow Valley College is that it’s so multicultural - different backgrounds, different life experiences really opened my eyes to how different, but yet the same we are,” he says. “We were all coming to college because we wanted to better our future and I think that’s similar with everyone.”
Ask Bow Valley College graduate and Premier’s Scholarship winner Keith Winters, and he’ll tell you a cup of coffee, hard work and the support her received during his time as a student in Business Administration program are the keys to his success.
Having previously worked in the hotel industry for 12 years, the former Human Resources major initially took a Microsoft Office upgrading course offered at the College but found his calling after a recruiter suggested Business Administration would open up pathways to different opportunities. It was an Organizational Behaviour course that helped Keith understand his passion for helping people and inspired him to move into the HR specialization.
During his first semester, Keith was invited to participate in the Alberta Deans of Business Case Competition, an annual challenge that brings together the province’s best business students to compete in a case study. The opportunity to strategize solutions for real-world business problems helped Keith recognize his talent to think outside the box.
His exceptional leadership abilities led to his being nominated and awarded the Premier’s Scholarship for the Chiu School of Business in 2020, an award that allowed him some financial breathing room so he could focus on his studies and hone his skills in the case study competition, which he participated in both years during his program.
Now the Talent and Culture Coordinator for Haventree Bank, Keith finds fulfillment in being part of the employee life cycle, guiding new hires through their probationary period and is grateful his time at the College prepared him for the future.
"I think our instructors really prepared us for the real world,” says Keith. “Because I already have the skills in my toolbox from Bow Valley College, I can take that with me through each career path that I take which ultimately led me to my dream job, which is what I’m doing now.”