Shannon created a thematic map that won both the National Geographic Student Award and then the international British Cartographic Award. No small feat for someone who had been diagnosed dyslexic when she was 12 years old.
It was a cartography course while studying geography at the University of Saskatchewan that changed Shannon Brassard's life. She so enjoyed it that she began researching the best place to enter a cartography program. NSCC's Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) was the name that kept popping up. She hunted down a past graduate who raved about the program and two weeks later Brassard dropped out of University and was on a plane bound for Nova Scotia.
The Cartography and Digital Mapping program was everything she hoped it would be, in addition to being incredibly hard work, and she excelled.
In fact, during her time at NSCC, Shannon created a thematic map that won both the National Geographic Student Award and then the international British Cartographic Award. No small feat for someone who had been diagnosed dyslexic when she was 12 years old.
Dyslexia is an especially challenging disability for a map maker. "It's such a precise science," says Shannon. "If there is one spelling error in your map, the whole map is compromised." She credits NSCC, who assigned her an editor and allowed her extra time for exams, with helping to make life easier. "Without the label, people think you're either stupid or lazy. By being diagnosed, I got the help that brought me this far. Without it, I never would have made it through high school."
Shannon landed a job right after graduation in 2005 and now has a permanent GIS position with the Municipal District of Bonnyville, Alberta. The municipality is booming and Shannon is doing a bit of everything. "It's a complete range of jobs from A-Z. Everything that has to do with maps - I'm doing it. It's very exciting."
The creativity inherent in map making, as well as the variety of work available in the field are especially appealing. And then there's that distinct feeling of accomplishment. "When I finish a map, I can look at it and say: I made that."