Now holding a bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate in psychology, Kirsteen Moore says that it was actually her two-year diploma from Camosun College that helped prepare her for the academic journey ahead.
Moore, who specializes in child and youth therapy with high-risk children between the ages of 5 and 19, started out at Camosun getting her Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) diploma before obtaining honours in her educational pursuits at the University of Victoria.
“I wasn’t a fish out of water,” explains Moore. “There was a lot of theory and it was an intense two and a half years at Camosun. It was a lot of work and, quite frankly, it was more work than my degree.”
Moore has had to work diligently to ensure that her goals could be accomplished. At a time when the ECCE certificate was usually followed by a career instead of more education, she was pushing to go farther.
“Back then people just stopped, they didn’t go on to get a degree,” she says. “Now it’s pretty commonplace, but I had to make a big case for that, I had to get letters of support. So, it was a big deal to take the entire program at Camosun and say, ’I’ve done half a degree, count it.’”
Moore’s decision to further her education can be traced to a passion for her work with children, as well as a belief that as someone who works so closely with them, she should have a say in decisions that were being made.
“I had a really good pulse on what was happening because of my training from Camosun and I felt equipped to write care plans or program plans, but I was always overruled by someone with a degree,” says Moore. “So, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll get a degree and I’ll be fine,’ and as things evolved it would be someone with a master’s degree who made all the decisions, so I wanted to get one of those. So I just kept adding. I was on the frontline and I felt like I knew the kids best and I had a really good relationship with them.”
It’s obvious that helping children and youth is Moore’s passion and it’s also obvious that she loves her career. And just as she gives to the children she helps, she feels that she gets back just as much from them.
“It keeps me young and vibrant,” she says. “Every day is a new day, every child is differentŃthey’re unique, diverse, dynamic, and incredibly creative. I love that energy. I get the one job in the world where I can say for sure that I get as much as I give. I don’t know how many people can say that.”
The best advice Moore says can give students when focusing on education and career choice is to follow their hearts when choosing a career path.
“Make sure you are where you’re supposed to be, make sure it’s a fit, not your parents idea of a fit,” she says. “It’s really hard to plug in if you don’t feel connected or excited about what you’re doing.”