Candace Hallatt (Paralegal 2006 Graduate): "I have never had so much fun going to school in my life. The people are great. Everyone is willing to help you when you need it. The instructors are amazing. They really know how to teach in a way that you learn so much but you have fun at the same time. If I could do it all over, I would in a heartbeat. I definitely recommend this program to anyone interesting in the legal field."

Courtney Bennet (Paralegal 2004 Graduate): "I graduated from Success College in 2004 and have been employed as a full time Paralegal ever since. I have moved around to three different law firms over the past four years, and have gained a lot of experience. As there is a lot of demand for this kind of work and employers expect a certain amount of experience, I know that going into the work force with just a college diploma was one of the scariest things I've ever done. I believe that my education from the instructors at Success College made my transition from full-time student to a full-time career a lot easier.

I feel very lucky that as a single mother, I was able to better myself and have a career to support my family in a short amount of time, and with all the tools I needed to succeed.

Sylvia Thomson (Paralegal 2006 Graduate): "Success College changed my life, if not for the Paralegal program, I would not be where I am today! Success gave me the knowledge, experience and expertise to go out into the workforce and be confident as a member of society. Now I have a wonderful job at prestigious reputable law firm and could not be happier. I would recommend this school to anyone and if I ever decide to take another course, I would definitely go back to Success College."

Stephan Jeddry, Border Services Officer (Correctional and Policing 2007 Graduate):  "Prior to completing my program, I had been overlooked for many positions, due to my lack to training and education in law enforcement. I have since been invited to several Federal and Provincial Government interviews. This program has offered me an education and certifications that are current and highly sought after. Success College has had a very positive impact on my life and career aspirations. On January 9, 2007, I was asked to attend officer training for the Canada Border Services Agency, 4 weeks before my graduation."

Tracy MacKillop, Parole Assistant, St. Leonard’s Society of Nova Scotia (Correctional/Policing 2007 Graduate):  "The skills and knowledge presented while at Success College has presented me with ample opportunity for employment. I truly believe that what you put into this program you will receive from it. The instructors provide you with professional as well as personal information relating to policing and corrections."

Jessica Ingram (Correctional / Policing 2007 Graduate):  "Hello, my name is Jessica Ingram and I recently completed the Corrections and Policing Foundations course at Success College. I initially came into this course with an interest in the RCMP and I am leaving with that same interest. I did not enroll in this program with the mindset that it will make it easier to get into the RCMP, but rather, I joined in order to receive a basic knowledge and the skills required to be a law enforcement officer. This program was successful in giving me that. All of the instructors taught based on experience and were therefore very knowledgeable in the topic they were teaching, which proved to be a tremendous benefit to myself as well as my classmates. Upon completion of the twelve months of classroom education, we are required to complete a pre-determined number of hours of on-the-job training and I am fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to carry out my on-the-job training at the Lower Sackville RCMP detachment. I am very excited to begin that.

I began the RCMP application process in May of 2006 when I attended an information session and, as of right now, February 2007; I have completed the process and have been told that I will most likely be leaving for Depot in March, as long as everything continues to go well. The process challenges you in every way possible and I personally thought it was the end of the road for me after each step of the process; however, I am pleased that this was not the case. Being only nineteen years of age, making it this far into the process is quite an accomplishment for me. I have been faced with opposition and discouragement, but I have received more support from my classmates and Success College staff than I could have ever imagined and the people I have met over the past year have made a lasting impression on my life. I am anxious to begin my career as a police officer and contribute in any way that I can to help and make a difference in the future communities that I will serve."

Debbie Gillis (Child and Youth Care Worker Program Graduate 2001):  "As a result of The Child and Youth Care Program at Success College I am able to continue in this field of work with confidence in my ability to be successful. I have realized that age and finances has no boundaries, when achieving a goal at stake. The Instructors at Success College teach a wide variety of courses, in a professional manner, with a personal touch. I would strongly recommend this facility for any of their programs; the success attained by each student will depend on their desired goals. The instructors and office staff will ensure the personal support and educational needs, to promote success."

James Ingram, Addictions Counsellor with the Salvation Army in Halifax (Social/Human Skills Program Graduate 2006):  "Counselling . . . merely talking to people? Giving advice? Can anybody do it, even without the training? These are the questions that I asked myself before I enrolled in the Counselling/Human Services Course. These questions were answered in full, ten months later when I graduated, as were other questions that I assumed I already had the answers for. Not only did this course teach me how to understand various individuals, but it taught me how to understand myself.

Anybody can give advice right? Anybody can engage someone in a conversation right? Both of these questions are relatively true among all individuals; however, can any individual help someone help themselves or better yet, show someone that they are not alone in this world? These are skills that are obtained when an individual graduates from this particular course. One must remember that while in a counselling session, words are everything. One wrong word or sentence can cause an individual to loose trust in you or cause the re-victimization of the particular client. These clients for the most part, are putting their lives in our hands and trusting us to act, metaphorically, as a crutch. The leg on this crutch is much weaker if one does not have this course, and since some individuals require more uphold then others; one needs all the structure they can obtain.

Do counsellors give advice? That seems to be the age old question that every counsellor has to deal with on a regular basis. One without the training in counselling would say, "Yes, of course counsellors do. It’s their job." In fact, this is not the case. Counsellors do not give advice; yet, they teach people to answer their own questions. This is far from an easy task, especially when some clients are so far in denial it takes more then just one session, to make them realize the truth. In essence, the end goal of a counsellor should be to have no clients at all, but instead to be able to show clients how to deal with their problems without resulting to counselling or drugs/alcohol.

As one can see just from the previous examples, proper counselling cannot be preformed by just any individual. From ethics: which are "rules" to doing the right thing to boundaries which allow people to separate themselves from their work, counselling is not a field that should be taken lightly.

Well I have given a brief description on what the course can do for an individual educationally wise; however, what can this course do for one personally? This question can be answered simply by saying, “You cannot help someone else until you help yourself.” This course allowed me to identify my strengths and taught be the ability to use these strengths in most efficient way possible. It also showed me that I do have weaknesses; however a weakness is not an area that should be shunned, but an area that should be embraced and improved upon. This course allows an individual to become more in touch with their core and allow them to understand why people do what they do and why we do what we do.

I can personally say that due to the training I received from this course I have been able to better myself, obtain a full time addiction counsellor position, and most importantly, help individuals who are less fortunate then myself. However, a course is only text books and notes unless it is taught properly. When it is taught properly the students learn the material, but more importantly the students learn to apply it in their everyday lives. Shellie Robinson, completed this task with more than what was required of her. She not only was my teacher, and friend, but a role model and someone I can look up to when the roads of life become a little bumpier.

As I have always said to my clients, "a rehab program is only as good as you make it". Until the clients decide to work a program to the best of their ability a counsellor’s role is neutral, when the clients make the decision it is up to the counsellor to help their clients the rest of the way. In comparison to my experience with the Counselling/Human Services Course and one Shelley Robinson, I may have decided to work the course to the best of my ability; however, she made the course work for me."

James Kenney, RCMP Officer (Correctional and Policing Graduate 2005):  My name is James Kenney and I recently completed the Corrections and Policing (CPF) program offered at Success College. The program was twelve months long - ten months classroom training and two months of on the job training with an agency of my choice.

I found this course to be one of the best experiences of my life. Everyday I looked forward to attending classes. All of the instructors were well trained and excellent at teaching the material. They would go out of their way to get to know each student and offer us extra knowledge wherever they could. The members of the administration at the school were all very supportive and helpful to the students. If they could not answer a student’s question, they would find an answer and get back to the student very quickly.

I found the course especially beneficial because it covered two aspects of the Justice System - Corrections and Policing. This factor opened many more doors to beginning a career than many other law enforcement programs. Personally, I had attended the school to fulfill my goal of becoming a Police Officer, and having learned about the corrections side of the system offered me knowledge that most Police Officers may not have, such as alternative ways of dealing with offenders, their motives for crime, and what type of person the prison-system turns an offender into.

The parts of the course that I found most interesting were the PDT (Police Defensive Tactics), Policing Procedures, and Correctional Operations. The PDT instructors took their job very seriously. They proved to me that they truly cared about training us well, because they knew the training they supplied to us might someday be the deciding factor of whether or not we will live to see another day. As for the Policing procedures and Correctional operations, the hands on, physical aspects of these two components of the course directly complemented all theory we covered in Class, cementing in our brains that what we learned is real, and not every situation will end as you may have hoped.

When I did my OJT, I chose to work with the RCMP. This offered me the opportunity to put all of my newly learned skills to work. The RCMP members were all very impressed with my performance, and this is because of what I gained at Success College. I then went on to the RCMP applicant Interview, and many of the experiences at the college were of assistance in this interview, which resulted in me passing the interview and coming one step closer to living my dream of becoming a Police Officer.

If anyone was ever to ask me what Success College is like, I would definitely speak very highly of the school. If they were to ask if I would recommend the CPF program, I would without a doubt do so, advising them that it would be a wise choice to attend this course. I worked my hardest during this course, and I am already seeing the payoff. And I believe this course will aid other prospective Correctional and Police Officers in beginning their careers in the Justice System.

Tyeshia Snelleman (Addictions Counselling 2009 Graduate): I was a student at Success College during the period of March 2008 to March 2009. As a result, I was successfully hired for two positions within my chosen field. The first was a Helpline Worker. When I was hired for this position, I was still in school. For the Helpline Worker, I was prepared to guide people through their everyday trials as well as extreme situations and traumas. The Success College program taught me how to use my natural skills, such as compassion, empathy and active listening, and how to apply them. The second position I obtained due to my training, was Client Support Worker within a men's half-way house at Sir Sanford Fleming House, where I am presently working.

Due to the program at Success College, I was prepared for what I currently face at Fleming House. I was prepared for simple, but important tasks such as reading body language, being aware of the effects of intoxication and appropriate referrals. More importantly, however, I was prepared for the important things. I have been successful in completing room searches, defusing hostile situations, identifying addictions and giving support when and where it is need the most.

The program in its entirety was enjoyable for me. The instructors whom gave me the abilities to succeed, were very knowledgeable and experienced. James Ingram, my final instructor, worked very hard to get the resources to get me the on the job training in the agency where I truly wished to be. As a result of Mr. Ingram's continuous effort, I obtained my desired on the job training and, after completing two days of this training, I was offered a permanent position within the agency.

The program not only made me successful professionally but also has had a big impact on my personal life. I have stronger boundaries, I am more aware of myself as well as the effect I have on others. I have the ability to be more understanding and open-minded as well as be unbiased and show compassion to those who, under normal circumstances, would be labelled as a predator or otherwise.

The Addictions Counselling program at Success College has taught me what I need to know in order to be successful in my professional and personal life, and for that I am grateful.