When Erica Lindquist made the decision to change her career, it wasn’t because she had become bored with her profession. Instead, she wanted to make a much greater impact.
So, she left her full-time job as a math and science teacher to take out a student loan for medical school at the University of Calgary.
“I thought, I am going to get older regardless so I might as well do something that I love.”
Between studies, Lindquist serves as the VP Academic for the Calgary Medical Student Association while managing her son’s U13 hockey team.
She’s mother to two boys and two stepchildren who find it just a little funny they are also going to school at the same time as their mom.
“Hearing the things they say, like ‘Mom I am so proud of you’ and that sort of thing, totally makes it worth it,” says Lindquist.
Nominator Santanna Hernandez says it takes incredible determination to take a leap of faith.
“Changing your career at any time in life requires courage but doing it while continuing to serve others shows a level of determination and grace only few can achieve,” says Hernandez.