Print
Add to Quick List
Dustin Hickey
Recreation Leadership, Class of 2003
The classes are small so there's room for one-on-one attention.
Dustin Hickey
Dustin Hickey has always been active. Basketball, mountain biking, running, and coaching children are some of his favourite pastimes. It's why his job teaching physical education at Creative Kids Education Centre is such a perfect fit.
There are up to eighty children who participate in the before and after-school programs at Creative Kids. They play games, participate in a running club, and generally stay active. "We are known for our physical activity," says Dustin. "The kids are outside all the time, unless it's pouring down rain." The sprawling Education Centre in Hammonds Plains has the benefit of an acre and a half of woods, a basketball court and track, outdoor pools, and a gigantic sandbox.
In a province full of glum reports about childhood obesity, Dustin's goal is to get kids up and moving. "I try to instill in them some fit-for-life practices, whether it's warming up before they exercise or the importance of their eating habits," says Dustin. "I like to give them a lesson they can take away, something to carry with them through life."
It was the NSCC Recreation Leadership program at the Truro campus that got Dustin started on the path he's on. He benefitted from NSCC's small class sizes and attentive instructors. "Our teachers were always willing to help us." And now the 23-year old wants to return the favour. He makes a point of going back to the Truro campus every fall to talk to new students about what they can look forward to with a Recreation diploma.
His classmates have gone onto diverse positions within the field - working at hospitals, with the elderly, and at community and wellness centres. For Dustin, it was his NSCC work placement in second year that landed him in his dream job at Creative Kids. "I like how much of an impression I can make on kids. It's a good feeling when they realize they've learned something new."
« back to Success Stories index
Was this page helpful?
