By Sheldon Spackman

Mt. Everest climber inspires students

RDC hosts annual ‘Backpacks to Briefcases’ student conference

Sep 26, 2019 | 1:11 PM

Approximately 400 students from Red Deer College had the chance on Thursday to learn more about making the transition from the classroom to the workplace.

The annual ‘Backpacks to Briefcases’ professional development conference was held at the Welikoklad Event Centre. It offered students a day of engaging and inspiring breakout sessions, along with an opportunity to connect with and learn from community leaders, business experts and RDC Alumni.

Trevor Thomas, Associate Dean with the RDC Donald School of Business says the program began nine years ago as a way to bolster portfolio and interpersonal skills that employers were looking for from RDC students.

Keynote speaker for Thursday’s conference was Phil Bota, a Red Deer climber who conquered Mount Everest in 2011.

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Bota shared with students his motivating stories and lessons about his phenomenal adventure, and talked about the power of the human spirit and the ability to overcome obstacles.

At the age of 22, Bota climbed the world’s largest mountain after two years of training. Adversity struck when two of Bota’s Canadian climbing companions had to abandon the ascent, but he persisted to the top with two Sherpa guides, despite many challenges. His incredible story of goal setting and undeniable perseverance will motivate RDC students to remain vigilant in attaining their personal and professional dreams.