For BCIT alumnus Matt Cox, the road to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) was far from smooth.
At 17, Matt moved out to pursue hockey. He first landed in Saskatchewan and then to a small town in Nova Scotia called Pictou — 6,000 km from home.
“I remember waking up the first morning and being overwhelmingly homesick,” said Matt. “It was a very isolating feeling.” A feeling, Matt credits, as one being critical to developing the resilience he now prides himself on. This formative experience enabled Matt to develop the skills he would later need to succeed at BCIT.
During this period, Matt was forced out of his comfort zone. He learned to persevere through challenging times without his support system in order to chase his dream of playing hockey. Looking back, he feels grateful for this experience: “I think it’s important to acknowledge how fortunate I was to pursue athletics to the level I did, and I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to remind myself how appreciative I should be.”
Big Info, big decisions
When he returned to B.C., Matt was ready for his next chapter. He applied to local universities and was accepted, but was encouraged by his parents, both BCIT alumni, to attend a Big Info session to learn what the Institute had to offer.
Matt recalls how tangible the information he received was at Big Info. “It was something to grab on to —this is what my future could potentially look like.”
When asked what the most valuable part of attending Big Info was, Matt explained “it gives you an image of what to expect, and that really helps someone like me who doesn’t like uncertainty.”
After Big Info, Matt enrolled at BCIT.
If at first you don’t succeed
In his first year, Matt was struggling to stay focused and after two semesters at BCIT he was approached by a mentor who offered Matt a sales job. He jumped at the opportunity. After all, he thought, “I’m in school to get this type of job anyway, why don’t I bypass the whole school thing?”
Things didn’t go as planned, and the learning curve was steep. But, ever the optimist, Matt doesn’t look back with regret. “The experience I got working for this individual put me ahead considerably,” he said. “For me, one of the most challenging things to come to terms with was that although mistakes happen, it’s your job to minimize them and limit them. Decisions have implications, and when those decisions affect the livelihood of others, you had better make sure you’re making the right ones.”
The resilience Matt had developed carried him through. After a few years, he returned to BCIT, enrolling in Marketing Management (Professional Sales Option) and finished what he started.
Change your mindset, change your outcome
As the semester began, Matt set a goal for himself to maintain an 85% Grade Point Average (GPA). Matt decided that in order to reach his goal he would try creating small wins. He would show up every day, he would go to every class, and he would help his peers be better students.
At the end of his program, Matt had exceeded his GPA goal. For his efforts, Matt received two graduating awards recognizing his academic achievement: the Absolute Award, established through the BCIT Foundation in 2006 by Absolute Software, and the BCIT Professional Sales Student Silent Auction Award established in 2010 by the BCIT Professional Sales department.
Donor funded awards can make an enormous impact for students like Matt. “Being acknowledged by BCIT, and the subsequent donors of each financial award,” Matt explained. “It has had a lasting impact on what I feel I’m able to achieve. Validation is a powerful tool and is the antidote for self-doubt. The awards and recognition I received during my time at BCIT was all the proof I needed to know that I am in fact capable of accomplishing the things I’ve set out to achieve.”
When asked if he had advice for students at BCIT, Matt shared his perspective: “To anyone who maybe feels like the challenge in front of them is so big they don’t know where to start, my advice is to break everything down into bite sized pieces and look one day ahead. Not 6 months, or a year.”
In the future, Matt’s goal is to attend Law School and dedicate part of his time to client advocacy.
“I’m excited to give back, and I’m very proud to call myself a BCIT alumni.”
Find the right BCIT program for you at Big Info, BCIT’s largest program expo and information session.