Do you ever have something that keeps presenting itself to you and finally you decide to look at it closer? I have had that experience many times and now I’m going to open it up.

I have met a lot of people over the years, it has been an honor and a blessing to share in their lives. Some come with extensive experience and education, others moderate to little. Some from financial privilege, others from poverty. Interesting and profound stories told, lives so full sometimes I could barely take in anymore.

In the circle of business I have worked along side people with pretty impressive backgrounds, some wear that like a crown around their head, others don’t feel the need to advertise. There have been so many conversations that have inspired me and some that bore me to tears. I find that particularly so of people who have spent most of their time educating themselves and not enough time living beyond the books. When I have to listen to one more “academic” blow hard speak (those individuals that weave in their credentials no matter what the topic) I am reminded of a woman whose intelligence and inspiration impressed me more than any MA or PhD ever could.

She sat in my classroom, enrolled in a course for people who were going through a career transition, she had worked for most of her life as a caregiver. I will call her “Joy”. Now in her fifties Joy found herself no longer employed because the agency that she worked for had implemented a new standard of education and certification, a standard she did not meet. She loved her occupation and could not fathom what was happening so late in her life.

The manager that took over the agency/facility, came from a high academic background and made that quite clear to everyone. He felt that all staff should be at a higher level of education and all those that are not must be let go immediately.  Maybe this was necessary, but the way in which this manager handled this woman was not. Joy felt belittled, she was belittled through comments made by her superior, and her self worth plummeted. All of this transpired because despite Joy’s years of experience and a related certification, she had a grade four level education and what was being proposed for her upgrade was way beyond her abilities.

So, how did she get her certification in the first place? Well, she had a sister who helped her with the reading and study, her memory was excellent and most tests were completed verbally, some written. She knew her stuff, she just couldn’t read or write it fast enough.

You see this woman came from a rural community in Alberta, Canada. A large family meant that only the boys were educated, though her sister later went on to further education. Joy was relegated to helping at the home and caring for family members. This provided the back drop for her eventual career as an in home and care home support worker.

Over the three days I had Joy in my classroom her wonderful personality emerged. I also watched her struggle to complete exercises, but she carried on. Through breaks (I would have to make her take five minutes for herself), and after class, Joy would work on completing assignments and I would help her as much as I could. She didn’t give up, except one day when it was all too much. She cried for a moment and then we began to talk. The class had gone home for the day and it was her and I.

She told me about her job, caring for paraplegics and quadriplegics, seniors and so many other people with physical challenges. Her knowledge was incredible, the terminology she used impressive, she spoke with such deep connection to the profession and most notably her clients. I had been around others from this profession but none could tell me as eloquently as she could about the physical, medical, emotional needs associated with caring for individuals. There were plenty of profound statements about life and people to which I sat afterward and pondered. Joy was unique and wise.

Joy had heard all of her life that she was dumb, a phrase many have heard too. She came to know early on in life that her thirst for knowledge was not going to come through the traditional education system. A girl who someone decided did not need to be educated, became a woman who opened up to learning in ways few would understand.

I turned to her and looked her right in the eye and said “I just want you to know I am honored to have met you and I thank you for teaching me, you are one of the smartest people I have ever met, thank you.”

We gave each other a gift that day, what she gave me was magnificent. I meant what I said, she remains one of the smartest people I have met. Her nose wasn’t buried in books for years on end, she didn’t hide in the classrooms studying and pontificating to others. There is no letters after her last name, that she can fall back on to say “here is what I have accomplished, now I am a “scholar” an “academic”.

Joy is an example of someone who was built for life, she was compassionate, instinctive and hard working. She capitalized on her strengths and despite her learning challenges she rose above. Joy wasn’t one for labels though, so don’t bother analyzing what her disability was, she didn’t much care to look at herself that way. The only people who brought her down were the ones that thought they were so high up.

What has been presented to me time and time again, is too many people with a lot of credentials that are not that life smart. On the opposite end is so many people that were over looked, that if given the chance could have made for great employees despite their lack of credentials. What I also noticed is Joy spent the whole time talking about her clients and information poured from her with very little use of the word “I” or “my” . Maybe that is because she didn’t have to add in any mention of her thesis, course evaluations or review her CV with me. That was refreshing.