My name is Thalia Aspeslet. I am a Region 6 member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and was born in Peace River Alberta. When I was 14 we moved to High Level, the most northern town of Alberta. Attending high school in such a remote area posed many challenges for succeeding in my studies and, as a result, I barely achieved my high school diploma. Once my son was born I knew that I had to go back to school and continue my education so that I could provide the best life possible for both of us. It was during my year of upgrading that I found physics and math were the subjects that I loved and excelled at the most. I searched for a program that would require the study of both subjects and was accepted into a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics at the University of Calgary in the fall of 2006. It was the program that suited me the best since it combines math, physics and geology, the study of the Earth’s history.
As I progressed through my studies, it became apparent that the next logical step was to start looking for employment. This I knew was going to be a major challenge because I was raising my son as well as studying, coupled with not knowing where to begin looking and never mind preparing for multiple interviews with many different companies. Then I met a recruiter from Shell. She helped me tremendously by meeting with me and explaining what was involved in applying for such a large company. After completing the application process I was offered an internship position where I then went on to being successful in the assessment, resulting in Shell offering me a full-time position which I started this past May, 2011.
The thing I like most about working with Shell is the flexible work schedule. One of my fears with being a single mother was that I would never get to experience my son’s school activities or field-trips and he would miss having his mom there to volunteer. But with the flexible work schedule, I am still able to be there for him and experience those early childhood memories. Career development is another aspect that I like about working at Shell. In the geophysics field, there are many facets to the profession and at Shell there is the potential to gain experience in a lot of them. Having the option of changing what you want to gain experience in, while staying within the same company, makes it easier to focus on learning a new role.
Shell also has opportunities to participate in leadership and volunteering. The aboriginal network hosts a week of aboriginal awareness annually and this year, even as an intern, I was able to help with some of the activities. The network supported me greatly during my internship and now that I am a full-time employee I plan on giving back to the network in helping support existing and new members.
