Dana Cherski credits Professional, Applied and Continuing Education (PACE) at The University of Winnipeg with helping her make the move from front-of-house to the head office at one of Winnipeg’s most popular restaurant enterprises.

Before pursuing the Human Resource Management Diploma program at PACE, Dana — who also has a BA (Hons) in psychology from The University of Winnipeg — was working full-time as a server at Stella’s Café & Bakery. A chance conversation about PACE with a guest inspired her to enrol.

“I felt that human resource management was a perfect link between psychology and business, and an area in which I could apply what I learned in the restaurant industry and at school into my future career,” she says.

After graduating from PACE in 2016, Dana was promoted to Director of Human Resources within Stella’s — a position that sees her recruiting, training, onboarding, and developing policies for the company’s seven Winnipeg locations. She says the skills she learned at PACE, such as the theory behind human resources in business and the qualities of a good manager, have been extremely relevant in her day-to-day responsibilities.

For Dana, one of the biggest benefits of the Human Resource Management program was the ability to study part-time. “I was able to work almost full-time serving at Stella’s on the main floor of the Buhler Centre, while going to school in the evenings upstairs at PACE. I don’t think I would’ve been able to further my career goals if the program wasn’t offered part-time.”