REGINA — Saskatchewan Polytechnic instructor Jesse White is the first to tell his students that you get out of life what you put in. He has seen the classroom from a few different angles in his years coming and going from Sask Polytech — first as a student, then a student leader and representative on the board of directors, now an instructor — giving him a unique perspective that qualifies him to advise those starting their educational journey. “I’ve learned that being open to experiences can make a huge difference in determining how far you’ll go,” he says. “I didn’t know that in my early 20s.”
White, who served as Saskatchewan Polytechnic Student Association (SPSA) president from 2020-22, began post-secondary education after a few years of work, having settled into a sales position at a local second-hand store.
“Life at that time was like living the same day over and over,” he describes. “I don’t remember much from those years because it was all much the same—go to work, go home, play some video games, repeat.” Although he wasn’t spinning his wheels, White wasn’t on what he considered a career path either. “Life was comfortable,” he concedes.
“I progressed to store manager, opened a new store for the company, but it wasn’t what I’d planned to do with my life. It just happened without me steering myself in any particular direction.”
A moment of clarity while watching television one night got White thinking:
“If I were making this show, I could determine where it was going. I could be more than a consumer.”
He began looking at media-related program options, then took the leap and applied to Sask Polytech’s Media Production program at Prince Albert campus.
“I hadn’t been a great student in high school,” he admits, “so I don’t think there were high expectations for me. I realized this was a fresh start and I had the opportunity to redefine how people viewed me and how I viewed myself.”
White threw himself into the two-year program, learning everything he could about media production while getting involved in student government. For the first time in his life, he said yes to every opportunity. “I kind of flipped my script,” he explains. “I started saying yes, accepting opportunities, trying new things. ‘Do you want to run for SPSA vice president?’ Yes. ‘Would you volunteer as part of your program in the community?’ Sure, why not.”
In 2018, White graduated at the top of his class. Family circumstances prompted him to move back to Regina rather than pursuing the film industry in British Columbia as he’d imagined. He took a job as a school photographer and in a role that was very routine, tried stretching his wings—winning a judges choice award for creativity for a grad photo he took of a student wearing a Spiderman costume.
This first job after finishing his program felt like a stepping stone rather than a landing.
“I figured out fairly quickly that where I landed wasn’t for me. Sask Polytech provided opportunities to supplement and enhance the credentials I already had, so it was a no-brainer,” he says. White enrolled in the Interactive Design and Technology program, where he met instructor Tanis Wilder, and says that everything started to click. “Tanis and I developed a good relationship,” White explains. “I was a mature student and had lots of experience already, so I was able to help in the classroom and be a leader.”
Though he hadn’t intended to get back into student government, there was a unique opportunity to run for a vacant SPSA role as vice president finance and internal affairs. He was elected, and by the spring of 2020, he was elected again—this time as the association president in what would be an unprecedented time of change. “I didn’t get to do all the fun things student leaders usually do such as travelling and attending events during that time” says White. “Instead, I was very focussed on policy and advocacy related to the pandemic, leading a large body of students as we navigated a very different reality. Though those were difficult times, they provided me with an opportunity to develop good working relationships with senior leadership.”
Sask Polytech launched the Bachelor of Applied Management program partway through his second diploma and White made the strategic decision to switch programs. Wilder, who coincidentally moved to the Bachelor of Applied Management program in the program head role, told White he’d make a good instructor, encouraging him to consider it as a career path.
“Jesse was more than just a good student,” Wilder explains.
“He was a natural in the classroom, starting clubs, organizing social events and fundraisers for important causes, bringing people together to solve problems. When he graduated, he was awarded the Student Outstanding Citizenship award, an honour given to those who inspire and encourage others to make positive changes, and whose work benefits the campus community. He showed all the signs of someone who really cares about students and the student experience—and those are important qualities we look for in future faculty members.”
White crossed the convocation stage for a second time having earned both a degree in applied management and a certificate in web development and design, but it took a few years after graduation for him to make the move Wilder had suggested.
“I worked in several positions after finishing my degree but hadn’t yet settled on anything that felt like my career,” says White. “Then Tanis got in touch and asked if I’d consider teaching an Excel class as a casual instructor.”
One position led to another, and White was soon filling in for an instructor on leave. When a full-time position as a marketing instructor in the School of Business and Entrepreneurship became available, White was ready. “If my journey with Sask Polytech has taught me anything, it's that when opportunity knocks you need to recognize it as something you can participate in and have the confidence to answer the door,” he says. “I’ve been in the right place at the right time, but I’ve also had a ‘yes please’ attitude.”
In addition to his willingness to try new things, White credits having great instructors who wanted to help him succeed. “I had real mentors during my time as a student,” says White. “They reached out to guide me towards a career that I can now see being my path for the rest of my life. A few of my previous instructors, such as Tanis, are great examples of the career growth I can strive for here at Sask Polytech, whether as faculty, a program head or working in academic leadership.”
A month into full-time teaching, White says, “My previous jobs all had an expiration date. This is it, now. This is what I’m meant to do.”
Thinking about his new day-to-day life teaching business diploma students at the head of a classroom, he chuckles. “I remember saying to people a few years ago, ‘I’m really good at PowerPoint. If I could just get a job doing PowerPoints …’”
Learn more about Sask Polytech's Bachelor of Applied Management program.
