Tanya McPherson

Volunteer work gives new appreciation for the world of business

Compassion and business: The two aren’t always spoken in the same breath, but for NorQuest College second year business administration student Tanya McPherson you can’t have one without the other.

McPherson learned this while volunteering at the Edmonton Food Bank in late 2014 as part of a NorQuest curriculum-related work experience program.

“It opened my eyes to people who don’t have what I have, and things that I have taken for granted,” she says. “When you see it you learn a lot of compassion.”

Over a four-week period, the 26-year-old helped with accounting, marketing strategies, and overall operations, which included being on the distribution and collection floors. She was able to see how things were run, and the good this type of business can provide.

“It taught me a lot about non-profit organizations and what they do for the community. The food bank, for example, supports The Mustard Seed, it supports the Hope Mission, and a lot of smaller organizations.”

Call it an example of trickle-down economics that truly benefits everyone—a lesson McPherson says will influence her own business outlook when she graduates this spring. As for the experience of being able to work in an actual business while still studying, she says the added value NorQuest offers with programs like this is invaluable.

“You are getting hands-on experience and have the opportunity to work with other people outside the classroom setting. It’s about being creative. Once you are involved in a work experience program you are making reports and putting things into your own words as opposed from working straight from the textbook.”