BCSS grad Kena Manson already has a summer job lined up – in fact she’s had a summer job for the past four years – looking after horses at some of the most prestigious heavy horse shows on the continent.
She’s competed in the Calgary Stampede four years now, placing 7th out of 25 in this world-class competition. At the PNE in Vancouver she placed first in all her classes.
But she hasn’t forgotten her roots – she’s returned home each fall to help with the horse events at the Rock Creek and Boundary Fair.
Horses are the family business – they breed Percherons at their Kettle Valley ranch.
All of this brings her to her summer job. Along with her twin sister Sean, Kena will be working at the Fort Steele Heritage Town near Cranbrook in the livestock department.
This fall she plans to attend the six-month culinary school course at the College of the Rockies. Culinary school came at the suggestion of her mother who recognized a natural talent in her daughter. “She saw I liked to cook and to experiment with foods,” recalls Kena.
She said she chose the College of the Rockies because she knows people in the area and there is more opportunity there for her.
Kena has earned her way over the past four years and, proving herself to be a hard worker, the job offer at Fort Steele came her way. The fellow who does the hiring for Fort Steele has seen her handle horses on the show circuit.
After she finishes her Culinary Arts course she’s not sure where her future will take her. But she explains that her long-term goal is, “to have a successful and fulfilling career by experiencing different opportunities that will guide me in finding the right career for me.”
While no one can be certain what his or her future will bring – perhaps Kena might be best suited for a job on the chuck wagon.