Prior to enrolling at PACE, Thomas Estante was working in an inclusion support program in a child care centre, but he knew that he wanted to widen his skill set, and find work in a school setting.

The part-time Educational Assistant Diploma gave him the opportunity to do so, while still allowing him to work.

“PACE helped me by giving me the tools of the trade—how to become a better educator in the school system,” says Estante. “They not only have real life situations given as examples but it was also a very visual and hands-on type of learning.”

Estante says the program came recommended by a friend, and he when he learned more, he discovered the flexible nature of the part-time program made it manageable with his schedule.

In his current job as an educational assistant with the Winnipeg School Division, Estante spends his mornings working one-on-one with a child who needs support and guidance with school work, and his afternoons with a group of students who are learning English as an additional language. “I thoroughly enjoy teaching them,” he says. “And helping them become more confident in their English skills, and their reading comprehension.”

Thomas Estante
Speech and Language Educator
Winnipeg School Division