14 - Friday, January 16, 1987 — North Shore News

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Old man Young

receives

ROBERT YOUNG has
some advice for high school
dropouts who want to return
to school for more educa-
tion.

“ft’s not as hard as you think,”
he said. ‘“‘Put your mind to it and
g0.”

Young should know. More than
20 years after dropping out of
Grade 9 he returned to Capilano
College at the age of 40 to com-
plete the school’s Adult Basic
Education (ABE) and two-year
business management programs.

“High school dropout is a title I
didn’t like to carry around,” said
Young. ‘I couldn't cut it at 16,
but things are different now.”

Young, 43, has been running a
construction contracting business
with his two. brothers for a number
of years.

In 1983 he was successfully sup-
porting his family, but felt that the
company was missing oppor-
tunities because of his lack of
formal business training. So, with
the aid of student loans and the
support of his wife, Young enroll-
ed and went back to school.

In ABE students can either
upgrade or refresh their skills, or
prepare for further career or aca-
demic training. The college offers
full or part-time day or evening
classes in math, English and
science.

For Young taking that final step

diploma

wasn't easy. Some of the students
in his class were the same age as
his children. He has two daugh-
ters, 22 and 19, and three grand-
children.

“I thought I was going to have a
communication problem,’ he said,
“but it didn’t work out that way. |
couldn’t believe how helpful the
people really were at the college.
The whole group was just
dynamite.”’

ABE classes are self-paced so .
that students work at whatever : ~ oa WS thee,
speed they find comfortable. ‘‘A : aa :
lot of people think that college is a Cap ile u . Cailess
going to be like high school, but it : :
isn't,’’ said Young. ‘‘It’s not set,
you pursue your own interests.”’

Young’s interests were in
business management, and through
the ABE program he was able to
upgrade his skills and enter the
two-year marketing program.

He graduated from it in the spr-

ing of 1985 and is now applying his
new knowledge to his company,
World Y’s Investments, a
Chilliwack-based construction
company. He commutes back to
North Vancouver on weekends.

Taking two years off from work
was financially tough, but Young
has no regrets. ‘‘My vision has
opened up considerably in the : fi
. 1 he ead’ e S i cytes aa : Macnee!
business world,’’ he said. ‘‘Sure, I NEWS photo Noll Luconte

could have spent the money on an
expensive car, but a car ROBERT YOUNG gives the thumbs up sign while proudly displaying his hard-earned diploma in Marketing

deteriorates. Education ap- Management from Capilano College. Young quit school in Grade 9, — 20 years ago — but returned to school
preciates.”” three years ago to take Adult Basic Education.

TR LOM RIE

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