Today we have an interview with past Cappie, Rory McKerchar!
What year were you a CAP Team Member?
- I was a CAP Team member over the Summer of 2013
Tell us about your career path since leaving the CAP Team
- I worked on the CAP team the summer before starting my Bachelor of Science at Thompson Rivers University. Since leaving the CAP team I completed my B.Sc. in Chemical Biology and worked for a couple of years in Kamloops. During that time, I worked teaching chemistry labs at TRU, as a youth worker for the Boys and Girls Club, and as a lab technician at ALS Metallurgy. This year I started my first year of medical school at the University of British Columbia.
What were your career goals when you started with the CAP Team?
- When I started with the CAP team, I was not 100% sure of what I wanted to do. I had not started university yet, but I was planning on doing a year of sciences at TRU before switching into the nursing program.
How do you feel your experience on the CAP Team helped you achieve your goals?
- The CAP team was a great summer job for me. I think it looked good for my job and school applications, while also providing me with some great talking points for job interviews etc. Besides this, working on the CAP team was a lot of fun. It was great working outside for the summer and it was an excellent opportunity to get outside, meet visitors to Kamloops’ Downtown
What was the most valuable skill learned on the job?
- While working as part of the CAP team I believe I developed great customer service and communication skills. Prior to my role on the CAP team, I had never worked in an environment where those skills were requirements. In retrospect, I am very thankful for the experience, as those skills have been very helpful in other workplaces, I have been apart of as well as in the university environment.
What was your favourite part of the program?
- My favourite part of the program was the opportunity to work outside during the summer. There is always a lot going on downtown in Kamloops during the summer and it was fun being a part of a lot of it. I also really enjoyed the biking and walking patrols, helping organize events, and talking to visitors to Kamloops.
What kind of unique experiences do you have?
- A unique experience I had while working for the CAP team was meeting Justin Trudeau at Riverside Park a few years before he became Prime Minister in 2015.
What was your favorite event that Downtown Kamloops organized?
- My favourite event organized by Downtown Kamloops was the Taste of Downtown event.
What is your favorite store in downtown?
- My favourite place downtown is Motivo! Great coffee and great pie!
Did you use to work for the CAP Team? Interested in having a feature for our alumni series? Send us an email at capteam@downtownkamloops.com to be involved! For more of the Where Are They Now Series, go to www.downtownkamloops.com/news-and-blog-downtown-kamloops/where-are-they-now/.