Staff
Award-Winning IT Assistant Brings Life Experience To The Job
Ryan has always loved computers, so it’s a little odd that it took him a couple of decades to pursue a formal education in the IT field.
By the time he went back to university, he had already completed a year of studies in auto-mechanics at BCIT, worked in a cabinet shop doing shop drawings, and started a business with his father-in-law. When his father-in-law passed away, he ran the company for another five years but came to the decision to sell the business.
“It just wasn’t the same without him,” Ryan reflects.
He decided that it was time to go back to school and pursue his passion for computers. Most of his friends wondered what had taken him so long.
Two years after making that decision, Ryan has now graduated from the Computer Information Systems diploma program at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV.) He has also been awarded UFV’s 2026 Governor General’s Bronze Medal, earning the highest academic standing in his diploma program and among all 2026 UFV diploma graduates. He was surprised by the award.
“I didn’t really have a frame of reference to know how good my grades were (compared to other students,)” Ryan says. “It was nice to get the recognition and see just how well I had been doing.”
Ryan credits some of his success to the opportunity he has had to work while he’s been studying. Ryan is the IT assistant at Communitas Supportive Care Society, working alongside IT manager Ray Klassen.
Ray is not at all surprised by Ryan’s award, given that Ryan is such a diligent worker. He says that Ryan came to Communitas ‘ready-made,’ already having IT experience.
“It was almost disappointing, since I love teaching,” Ray says. “But I found that, in general, Ryan already knew how to do this, he just needed to know what to do.”
Ryan agrees, adding that Ray has been a big help in his studies.
“Ray is great at getting me into real life experience and showing me how things work,” Ryan says. “There are a lot of days where I think I learn more at work than I do at school.”
Having worked in small companies for most of his career, it was an adjustment to work for an organization with more than 450 employees. Still, Ryan’s experience with running his own business has given him enough experience in a variety of areas, which helps when troubleshooting in different departments. He’s also gained a lot of soft skills that cross over into any job.
“I learned to deal with people, solve problems, manage time, and handle stress,” Ryan says. “I had to learn to be comfortable, even outside my comfort zone, because not dealing with it is usually an even worse option.”
Working at Communitas has also given Ryan a different perspective on what it means to be the ‘IT guy.’ The IT department at Communitas enables staff doing the front-facing work of supporting people who live with disabilities, to do their job better. Knowing this makes his job meaningful in a way he had not appreciated before. Ryan truly enjoys his work at Communitas.
“Between how welcoming everyone was and how much community building there is, it really didn’t take long to feel at home,” Ryan says. “It’s just a great environment to work in,” Ryan says.
In the immediate future, Ryan is planning on completing his bachelor’s degree, so there is more studying ahead. After that, he’s not entirely sure but for now, he will continue bring his skills to the role at Communitas.
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