1. Tell us about yourself: Angela Busenius, Masters of Educational Leadership and Administration. I graduated in 2017.
  2. What are you doing now?: Clinical nurse educator for the hemodialysis units in the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap area.
  3. Why did you choose a program in the School of Education at Gonzaga? My husband completed the same program just before me. He had an amazing experience with it and I found out they accepted students outside of the education stream. It seemed like a great fit.
  4. What influenced you the most during your time at Gonzaga? My fellow classmates as well as 2 of my instructors, Dan and Joan. All of these individuals have shown me unwavering support and love throughout the program.
  5. What was your greatest lesson learned at Gonzaga? The greatest lesson I have learned is courage. Courage to take chances. Courage to grow and put myself in uncomfortable situations. Courage to express my feelings and support others in their journey.
  6. What is the most rewarding aspect of working in your field? Most challenging? The most rewarding part of my job is my patients. I have the privilege to care for people every day and hear rich stories about their past. I have the opportunity to help people  even when they are in the last moments of their life.The most challenging part of my career is the structure and politics of being in an overstretched public service environment. We want to do so much for our patients and are bound by limited resources and too much demand placed on the system.
  7. What critical issues do you see that need to be addressed in your field? Seniors need to be cared for and given the opportunity to live the last portion of their lives in comfort. Too often our seniors live in poverty, unable to obtain basic necessities such as proper food, medication and secure housing. They often live at risk as the resources aren’t available to keep them safe.
  8. What advice do you have for future education professionals? We do what we do because it is our calling in life. We are privileged to care for our citizens. Stay true to your heart and remember why you entered this amazing field.