For most, school is a daily ritual in the early years of our lives. Six hours in a classroom, five days a week, absorbing every little bit of information like a sponge—or, at least, that’s the idea.
The average person lives that routine year after year and, for those who pursue further education, the number of years only grows. Learning may be empowering, but the combination of a young mind and a fixed routine can be a recipe for resentment. And if you’ve been in school your whole life, well, that can be a difficult routine to shatter upon leaving the education stream.
The world after school may seem scary, with everyone around yelling to get a job and make a name for yourself. But when you crack open a magazine that highlights young people and the waves they are making in their respective industries—like this issue of Bodyworx Professional—the world of careers seems a little less daunting and a lot more exciting.
The reality is that, whatever students may choose to believe, educators really do prepare you for the big, bad world out there. But it’s up to the student to use the information bestowed upon them to get a leg up in their careers—and that’s exactly what the people featured in this issue are doing.
As someone who didn’t leave school too long ago, I find myself inspired by people like Pascal Doiron and Muhammad Afzal, who are fresh out of college and automotive apprenticeships and are already off to the collision repair races. Three years ago, neither of them had even heard of SkillsCanada competitions—but something told them to go for it. And three years of education and training later, Pascal and Muhammad have both proven their automotive talents on an international stage—and they are only in their early twenties.
Take Acerta Analytical Solutions, as well. CEO and co-founder Greta Cutulenco is just 28 years old and has already made waves with her company’s innovative approach to artificial intelligence and how it serves the collision repair industry. Her company started as a research project between her and her co-founders when they noticed the lack of AI use in quality control and product improvements. The team’s solution? Solve the lack of part-scanning AI by creating a platform for it.
So, yes, it may be a scary world out there but, as long as you know how to utilize your passion and your training, you’re not unprepared. The early years of your life and education have led up to a career—all you have to do is go out there and take it.
Allison Rogers is a staff writer at Media Matters and the associate editor of this issue of Bodyworx Professional.
She can be reached at 905-370-0101 or allison@mediamatters.ca.
