CORNER BROOK, NL – Jenna Pledger is a long way from home – 12,147 kilometres to be exact.
The Forest Resources Technician student is enjoying the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) even though it is a lot colder than the sunny skies of South Africa where she was born and raised.
“I really enjoy living here, the surroundings are perfect for the program I am doing with a lot of the time being spent outdoors,” she said. “I am, however, not used to the cold and the snow because back home we have very warm summers and mild winters, but the beauty of winter is growing on me.”
Jenna Pledger wears her snowshoes while taking notes during her winter outdoor field work for her Forest Surveying Course in the woods near Corner Brook, NL. Pledger is a second-year Forest Resources Technician student at College of the North Atlantic, Corner Brook campus.
Pledger is in her final year of the Forest Resources Program at College of the North Atlantic (CNA) and says she is happy with her decision.
“I really enjoy my classes; I find them very engaging with a good balance of outdoor field work and lectures,” she said. “The outdoor component allows us to get first-hand experience with possible career paths we might end up in one day, as well as getting to know the conditions of the climate here in Newfoundland. Lectures provide a little breather from being on our feet all day and allows us to gain knowledge and understanding of new concepts that we need to apply in the field.”
Pledger says she has always enjoyed the great outdoors ever since she was a young girl growing up in Botswana surrounded by wildlife. Following that, she moved to the province of Western Cape on the coast of South Africa, where she lived on a dairy farm for a few years.
“My favourite part about being outdoors is being able to disconnect from the business of everyday life; I find it really relaxes me,” she said. “My fondest memories of my childhood are to do with the outdoors it has always been my happy place.”
Pledger says it was this love for the outdoors that led her to training for a career in the natural resources industry. She says it was a chance encounter with someone who had previously attended CNA and recommended it to her. Now she is the one doing the recommending.
Jenna Pledger during her outdoor field work on a trail near Corner Brook. Pledger, originally from South Africa, is a second-year Forest Resources Technician program student at College of the North Atlantic, Corner Brook campus.
“I always knew I wanted to go the environmental protection or care route,” she recalled. “A few years ago, I imagined becoming a wildlife vet. When I moved to Canada two years ago, I heard about this program that could take me in the direction of a conservation enforcement officer and I knew it was what I wanted to do. I would encourage people to choose College of the North Atlantic. It is a great learning environment where you gain practical and theory experience unlike any other.”
When she is not focusing on her studies, she says she spends a lot of her time outside, hiking around Corner Brook and snowboarding at the nearby Marble Mountain ski resort.
“I also enjoy watching wildlife – in Canada it's all new to me, which is exciting,” said the soon-to-be graduate. “I used to really enjoy photography (a little less now with school being busy). I enjoy being able to bring that hobby together with my love for the outdoors.”
Pledger is also an avid traveller. She was living in Angola when she decided to move to NL to be near her father (originally from South Africa), younger sister and her stepmother (originally from NL).
Jenna Pledger, a second-year Forest Resources Technician program student, attended a farming announcement by the provincial government and CNA in Reidville last fall. She spoke about her program to Liz Kidd, CNA President & CEO, and Premier Andrew Furey.
“I really enjoy travelling and seeing new places so I'm so appreciative of any new place I get to see,” she said. “Two of my favourite places I’ve visited would probably have to be Angola and Bali. I love trying different cuisines so that's a big part of my enjoyment in travelling, as well as experiencing different cultures and getting to meet new people.”
For more information about CNA’s Forest Resources Technician program and others, visit:
www.cna.nl.ca.
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Media contact:
Ryanne McIsaac
Content Specialist
College of the North Atlantic
709-643-7870
Ryanne.mcisaac@cna.nl.ca