Success Stories

Meet IBDE graduate, Monica Kriese of Salmon Arm, British Columbia

People today are consumed with being successful. They measure their success by how much money they make or how many prized possessions they own. Still, there are those who define success in a different way, and Monica Kriese is one of those.

Success for Monica is about abundance. However, abundance isn’t about money. It is about the quality of her life, how she is living her life, and other aspects of her life. It means enjoying a comfortable lifestyle, making time to spend with family and friends, as well as time with herself, all while maintaining a rewarding career. Monica feels fortunate she has found this balance. She sees far too many people who get so caught up in their work that they lose sight of what is really important, which Monica identifies as working to live and not living to work. 

Throughout the 1990s Monica had a demanding but highly rewarding career in marketing. However, as a single mother of an infant son living with a complex mental illness it became more difficult over time to meet the demands of her career. There never seemed to be enough time to complete her client projects and there was no time for self-care. The many interruptions to attend to her son’s challenges—appointments, meetings, and his growing inability to attend daycare due to the complexity of his disorder—repeatedly took her away from work. Still, Monica managed to get by under these circumstances, but just barely.

View the rest of Monica's story »

Meet IBDE graduate, Colin Keane of Surrey, British Columbia

Colin Keane understands computers.  His passion for technology is evident in his life’s work.  Colin began his career volunteering in the computer lab of a nonprofit disability organization and in no time was offered a supervisory role within the lab.
Along with technology and managing the computer lab, Colin also understands the challenges faced by people with disabilities.  As a quadriplegic using a manual wheelchair, Colin was faced not only with the pressures any supervisor must deal with on a regular basis, but has had to adapt to a life of constant challenge as a quadriplegic striving to succeed in a career that he is passionate about.

During Colin’s time as a supervisor within the lab, his disability began to wear on him physically.  Eventually, Colin was forced to give up the supervisory position that he loved dearly, a position where clients of his had become his best friends.  The day-to-day physical pain Colin was feeling in his back and a long commute to work had defeated his passion and interrupted his career.

Colin knew he wanted to continue on a career path that involved technology and helping others, but he also understood that his disability required that he work from his home in Surrey, BC.  When Colin heard about the IBDE Web Essentials program through a friend, he saw the opportunity to begin his journey of self-learning and self-realization and registered without delay.

View the rest of Colin's story »

Click the image below to view our complete success story booklet (published 2010).

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