Wondering what a college diploma can do for your career? Take it from a university graduate. Natasha Dragoun Estrada had a university degree when she decided to enrol in the Protection, Security and Investigation program at Loyalist College. She hasn’t looked back. In the six months since graduation, her career has taken off. Key to her success was the diverse experiences of an industry-connected faculty, and her own hands-on experience, earned during work placements in the program.
During her studies at Loyalist, Natasha completed two four-week placements. Her first assignment was with the City of Toronto on the project management team of their corporate security division. Next she spent four weeks with Interac, working with their fraud operations team. Before the placement was finished, they offered her a job.
Natasha graduated with the excitement of knowing she had already earned a position in her field. After six months as a Fraud Analyst with Interac, Natasha made the move to Millennium1Solutions, where she is now employed as a Senior Recovery Specialist.
“I can honestly say that I would not be where I am today had it not been for my work placement opportunities,” says Natasha. “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to start my career with Interac. The experience I gained during this time helped me to determine my long-term goals and how I want to advance professionally.”
She adds, “When it came to making a decision about college, I looked at the quality of the program, not the size of the city. When I first toured the campus at Loyalist, each of the professors spent almost an hour with me discussing the program and the types of positions graduates were employed in. I realized that if they were willing to invest that much time with a student on a tour, they would go above and beyond for their students. I was right!
“The Loyalist faculty is second to none,” Natasha concludes. “They helped us choose placements that matched our strengths and interests. Their experience in our field is so diverse—we had access to a wealth of learning opportunities that could never come from the pages of a textbook.”
Loyalist College offers January starts in a wide range of programs in business, health and human studies, the skilled trades, and media, arts and design. The following justice studies programs are offered beginning in January and September:
- Community and Justice Services
- Customs Border Services
- Police Foundations
- Protection, Security and Investigation
To learn more about the Protection, Security and Investigation program at Loyalist, please email psin@loyalistc.on.ca or call (613) 969-1913.