How Douglas College impacted Crystal Thompson’s passion to pursue a 30-year career in helping people
Eager to gain hands-on learning in a supportive environment, Crystal Thompson applied to Douglas College’s Bachelor of Arts in Child and Youth Care program after hearing positive reviews. Immediately, her own experiences proved this.
One standout memory for Crystal was in a Behavioural Management course, in which she participated regularly. After a few classes, the instructor approached her and invited her to provide input on the syllabus. This proved to her how much Douglas College valued the ideas and opinions of its students, and also gave her the confidence to pursue what would turn into a career spanning over three decades.
After graduating, Crystal worked as a behaviour interventionist with children, youth and adults on the autism spectrum before transitioning to a behaviour consultant. Now, Crystal is the director of operations in charge of a massive team that has served over 500 individuals with diverse abilities and needs together.
Every day, Crystal wakes up grateful and passionate about helping individuals overcome adversity. She hopes that she can influence others to shift their mindsets from what they can gain through their work to how they can give back to others.