Finding a post-secondary institution that offered hands-on learning and real-life opportunities from instructors in industry was a crucial step in their educational journey, says the Walper family.
Gaining experience wasn’t the only benefit however, according to Jason Walper (Criminal Justice – Policing 1995), Sabrina Walper (Nursing 2000) and their son, Reese Walper (Primary Care Paramedic 2024), it was also the personal and professional relationships they made along the way.
Jason says he had an interest in policing from a young age, so when he read about the policing program in a then-Lethbridge Community College calendar and heard how well respected it was in Western Canada, he enrolled. “The program I attended had a lot of facilitators and instructors that were, I would say, recently involved in the industry so that brought a lot of knowledge to the classes that I took at the time,” he says.
After completing his practicum with the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS), Jason returned home to B.C. and met Sabrina. Two years later, he received an offer to join the LPS. He accepted and has been a police officer in Lethbridge for the past 27 years, rising to the rank of inspector.
Starting a new life in Lethbridge and not 100 per cent sure of what she wanted to do, Sabrina took a year of upgrading before going on to pursue nursing. Hired right out of her preceptorship, and later serving a term as a casual faculty instructor at the polytechnic, Sabrina says she has enjoyed working in different areas.
One constant throughout Sabrina’s professional journey, however, has been her best friend, Jen MacKenzie (Nursing 2001). The two met as students in the institution’s nursing program and are still best friends today. They even live on the same street. “It’s kind of cool that we’ve been able to grow together in our profession as well, and can support each other through that, too,” she says.
The third Walper family member to attend Lethbridge Polytechnic, Reese, recently completed his Primary Care Paramedic certificate. Reese says he and his classmates were driven by their instructors to work hard, knowing their practicum could lead straight into a career. “I think, because of the relationships that the [polytechnic] has with all the different services in the city and around Lethbridge, it was very evident right away that our schooling and our practicums were job interviews, and that was something our instructors told us often,” he says. “And so, I think knowing that, it pushed us all to do a lot better in class and work a lot harder as well as come better prepared for class and practicum every day.”
While everyone’s post-secondary journey is different, Jason and Sabrina have enjoyed watching their son share similar experiences to their own and frequently asked him about classes, campus and instructors. Sabrina and Reese realized they even took classes in the same wing and possibly even shared the same classrooms on campus.
Beyond their alma mater, the Walpers say they also share an even more important family legacy in serving their community. “It was neat when [Reese] started to do his practicum, I was able to hand over my stethoscope that I used for my education,” Sabrina recalls fondly. “Now it’s his and he’s using it for his training, and now he will carry it.”
