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Nicole Boudreau
Tourism Development Officer
I was actually excited about learning for the first time in my life.
Nicole Boudreau
The Tourism Management grad has spent the last eight years working full-time in her home community. As a tourism development officer for the Municipality of Clare, she says the best part of her job is acting as a guide for the tour buses that glide through town. Partly, it's because she loves talking to people, but it also gives her the chance to share her vast knowledge about the local Acadian culture.
In fact, Nicole researched, wrote, and published her own book – in English and French – about Acadian history. "In a rural community where the population is under 10,000, a book becomes a bestseller if you sell 500," says Nicole. "This was a bestseller!" Two thousand copies later, Nicole's book has travelled to such distant locales as Louisiana as well as Alberta where it has become part of the local social studies curriculum.
Nicole credits her success to the solid foundation she received at NSCC. "My time at NSCC was eye opening and inspiring," says the 30-year-old. "I was actually excited about learning for the first time in my life."
Her classmates were from all walks of life, with a good cross-section of ages. Many have stayed in touch and gone on to successful careers in the industry. "Coming out of NSCC, we had 600 working hours under our belts," she says. "It was a huge advantage in a field where employers value hands-on experience. We definitely had a competitive edge."
Nicole was snatched up by her local municipality upon graduation in 2000 as the tourism marketing assistant. Six years later, she was promoted to her current position. As each year passes, Nicole grows more appreciative of the wonderful variety in her line of work. "I used to watch programs and projects happen and now I get a hand in creating them," she says.
"It's different every day. There's always something new happening." She's also learned the importance of dealing with the unpredictability of the economy, gas prices, and the weather! "You really need to figure out how to make the best out of any situation. It's a lot of fun."
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