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Surviving a serious illness can alter your life in a number of ways. For Ileana McKenna, a student in our Project Management Certificate program, beating cancer was more than a personal triumph. It also motivated her to finally go after a career she had long wanted to pursue.

“Anyone facing that sort of life-changing situation and illness will think about their next steps,” says Ileana. “I kept coming back to project management because I felt that’s really where my skill set lay. I felt I could excel in that area based on what I’d already done in my work and family life so far.”

Before her cancer diagnosis, Ileana had worked for many years as a fundraiser in the charitable sector. As a single parent, she says, she never had the time to consider professional development or other opportunities. But by 2018, her children were old enough that Ileana could take on a second job to bolster her income and expand her work experience—a part-time role with Modo Carsharing Co-op.

At that point, Ileana recalls, she’d become interested in project management as a new career path. Then the COVID pandemic struck, followed by her cancer battle, which upended any plans for the next few years. After undergoing treatment and fighting her way back to health, Ileana returned to both her jobs in 2023. As soon as a role in quality assurance at Modo opened up, she jumped at the chance to involve herself full time in Modo’s community and sustainability work.

“I love the idea of giving back,” explains Ileana. “I love being part of a community organization and supporting people where we live.”

Given Modo’s ambitious plans for growth, Ileana felt certain that gaining project management skills would benefit herself as well as her employer. When she discovered that the SFU program was eligible for the StrongerBC future skills grant, she didn’t hesitate to apply.

“The grant was just so helpful,” says Ileana. “I'd been wanting to do the program for so long, and I knew I needed it to advance my skills. The grant is allowing me to do it in a shorter time period, to launch me into working in that field much faster than I could have otherwise.”

For Ileana, even more financial help was soon on its way. She was selected for SFU’s inaugural $1,000 study grant from the Project Management Institute Canadian West Coast Chapter. Launched in 2025, the grant is awarded annually to one student in the SFU program.

“I am so thrilled and honoured,” says Ileana. “The grant from PMI has allowed me to cover even more courses. At the beginning of the year, I was wondering how I was going to pay for everything and not go into debt as well. I’m just over the moon.”

Ileana is now building up her experience through various projects at work where she can apply what she’s learning from SFU. With only a handful of courses remaining before she earns her certificate, she’s looking forward to exploring where her new skills will take her.

“Project management will help you no matter what field you are working in,” she notes. “The people I’ve met through the courses come from education, health, construction and so many other backgrounds. There are just so many things this program touches on, and it really helps formalize your knowledge and provides you tools that you may not have known about.”

At her age, says Ileana, she can see an “endline” to her career—although it won’t be anytime soon, she adds with a laugh. She’s hoping her experience as an older student will inspire other adults who might be nervous about going back to school.

“Fear can be good; it’s motivating,” says Ileana. “It gets you to that next step and to continue learning and growing, so you’re not stagnant. Keeping busy and your mind active—that’s only going to help us all as we get older.”

By Kim Mah