January 12, 2022 | British Columbia

How often do you come across a college instructor who also dabbles in businesses ranging from martial arts to interior design?

Meet Michelle Carpenter is one such person. She started her journey at CDI College a little over a year ago as a course designer and later, transitioned to instructing in the Social Media & Web Marketing program.

Michelle describes her journey so far as exciting and credits her success to her diversified background and entrepreneurial nature. An entrepreneur since her early teenage years, she currently owns and operates a martial arts and fitness company among other businesses in Victoria, BC.

For Michelle, CDI College has been a tremendous place to work. In her role, she has been involved in mentoring new instructors and helping with their onboarding, both of which she describes as fantastic experiences.

Navigating Through Challenges

Michelle has seen her share of challenges as a teacher over her long career as an educator. Her versatility and the ability to face challenges head-on helped her move to teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In her role at CDI College, Michelle transitioned to teaching a more mature audience. For her, this has been a transformative experience and something that she thoroughly enjoys.

Michelle would love to reach out and help each one of her students. She finds this challenging to do when teaching online, but is proud of her whole class nonetheless!

Student Success Stories

Although Michelle has been in her current role for only a year, she already has a long list of student success stories that she is proud of, and takes inspiration from.

Michelle talks about her students, one of them being a woman who was a single mother with three children and still managed to get hired, even before her practicum started.

Instructors are a great resource to start your networking journey. Michelle proved this when she helped one of her students land his dream role on the social media team for the Western Hockey League.

Plans for the Future

Michelle loves her work environment at CDI College and is excited to be more involved in the growth process for online programs. Additionally, she is looking forward to the opportunities that the college presents for her, and is ready to expand her horizons and educate the masses.

Life Outside of CDI College

Outside of work, Michelle is a life-learner and is taking on extracurricular certifications. She regularly attends conferences and sits on the educational advisory council for another institution to network with other professionals in the industry.

As a former martial artist who has represented Canada on the international stage, Michelle has had a long and eventful career on the sporting stage. She now owns her own martial arts company that teaches Taekwondo.

Would you like to study Social Media and Web Marketing with Michelle as your instructor? You can learn about the Program here.