Alanna Vittery Class of 2006
Alumni Spotlight After graduating from Mulgrave School in 2006, Alanna Vittery studied psychology at the University of British Columbia. While at UBC, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Honours Psychology. In 2010, Alanna travelled to Spain to work for six-months as an au pair. Her passion for working with children was confirmed by her au pair experience, so she applied to the competitive nursing programme at BCIT. We caught up with Alanna as she nears the completion of her Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a specialisation in paediatric nursing.
WE ASKED Did you know that you wanted to work with children when you graduated from Mulgrave?
Different experiences confirmed her passion I definitely knew I wanted to work closely with children in some area; however, I wasn’t sure what career that would lead me to. I had considered nursing when applying to universities, but thought specialising right out of high school wasn’t a good idea, especially when I didn’t know for sure that nursing was for me. I worked as a nanny during the summers and volunteered with children in many areas of the community.
These experiences led me to realize that I love the close interactions and hands-on work that nurses have with their patients/clients. This led me to where I am now – just entering my final term in nursing school with a specialisation in paediatrics!
WE ASKED What advice would you give to students interested in taking a gap year and working abroad?
The Gap Year
“The travel bug hit me, and I wanted to experience Go for it! The half year that something really I spent living with a Spanish different than my life family after graduating from back home.” UBC and before starting nursing school at BCIT was an amazing experience. You are only young once, and my travels gifted me with an immense respect and greater understanding for people from different cultures, and I believe this is an asset to my work today.
I explored the field of research after graduating from UBC by working on a project at B.C. Children’s Hospital as well as working for the UBC School of Nursing on two different projects about infant sleep and another one that aimed to The travel bug hit me after graduating from university increase accessibility of primary health care to children in with my Honours Psychology degree, and I wanted to Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. experience something really different than my life back
home, so I became an au pair. Living with the same family for the entire six months in Spain proved to be a great way to become immersed in the culture and language. Working as an au pair was more of a cultural exchange than working abroad, but I learned a lot about children.
WE ASKED What is the biggest challenge of working in paediatic nursing?
A mental, physical and EMotional Challenge Simply getting through nursing school has been the biggest challenge so far. It has challenged me mentally, physically and emotionally more than I ever could have imagined! Even the early morning basketball practices that I used to wake up for in my Mulgrave years couldn’t prepare me for waking up at 4:45 am for clinical two mornings a week! Soon, I’ll be entering my final preceptorship, which
means that I’ll be working both 12-hour day shifts and night shifts in the hospital, and I expect this to be an adjustment. The learning curve has been steep since my first day in the hospital, and I know it won’t stop once I graduate this December. Lifelong learning is a key part of nursing, and I’ve learned that patience, compassion, humour and creativity are essential qualities for paediatric nursing.
We asked Do you have any favourite Mulgrave memories that you would like to share?
Alanna’s mulgrave memories I recently heard that Mulgrave is building a new senior school and this news reminded me of my first day in the new school on Cypress Bowl Lane back in 2001. Everything looked and even smelled brand new, and I just remember thinking how lucky I was to be in such a state-of-the-art school, equipped with the latest technologies. I also will never forget singing the Mulgrave anthem and hearing every boy in our classes try to hit the incredibly high notes scattered throughout the song.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE? Join us on May 22, 2014 for the University Admissions Information Evening featuring Mulgrave School’s Alumni Meet and Greet This event is a new twist on the Senior School students’ University Admissions Information Evening hosted by Luke Lawson. After learning about the general application and admittance process, students and their families are invited to a reception with Mulgrave Alumni. Alumni will have an opportunity to connect with current Senior School students and share the “pathway” that they took to their present career or field of study. We invite you to join us to learn more about our graduates! Come meet Alanna and hear first-hand about her passion for Nursing and how she discovered this challenging and rewarding career path! Please contact Chloe Scott at cscott@mulgrave.com for more information.