A work experience program has provided a win-win situation for a PCI student and two local organizations.

Zach Pashe has been splitting his time between working at the Portage Curling Club and Recreational Opportunities for Kids as a part of a 12-week work experience program through the Portage Learning and Literacy Centre. He shares some of the things he has been doing with ROK include anything from taking care of the tickets from the 50/50 draw to working with the kids in the hockey skills program. He explains one of the challenges he faced was cleaning the hockey equipment, noting it was tough without the sanitizing machine as each piece would have to be done one by one.

ROK Recreation Supervisor Lynne Parker explains ROK is not an ordinary job with all the tasks which need to be done, adding it's been great to have another set of hands to help out with everything. She says having Pashe around has been a positive experience, noting she feels more like a mentor than an actual boss.

Portage Curling Club Manager Sheri Blaylock calls Pashe's help a godsend, explaining they have a lot of work which needs to be done. She shares some of the tasks Pashe has done include cleaning the storage room and working on volunteer lists. Blaylock adds anything she gives him to do will get done.

She comments on the work experience program.

"It gives the participants an opportunity to try new things and learn new skills and, also, it gives people who would like to be mentors that opportunity as well. Because I always like to teach, for me, it's been a great experience. To have that younger energy; it keeps you motivated and it keeps you younger."

Pashe explains one of the biggest things he has learned from this experience is that Parker and Blaylock are both people who change lives.

"First time I saw that from Lynne [was] my first week when we went to deliver the [Christmas] hampers. We delivered to a family and I remember the smile on the guy's face. They're both changing lives, same with Sheri; she's changing a lot of things at the Curling Club, things that need to be changed."

He adds both women have inspired him to believe anything is possible and he can do anything.