Funeral Service Diploma student shows there's no age limit on academic excellence

Funeral Service Diploma student Connie Vetzal is proving that you can follow your calling and excel at it at any point and place in your career. With over two decades of professional and volunteer experience behind her, Vetzal is celebrating an extraordinary year of academic success, marking another milestone in her professional transformation.

In May 2025, Vetzal was awarded two prestigious industry scholarships: the Alberta Funeral Service Association (AFSA) Student Bursary and the Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC) National Scholarship. These awards are given in recognition of a student’s work and accomplishments throughout their funeral services education.

Before beginning her studies at Mount Royal, Vetzal had built a varied and service-oriented career rooted in law and community safety. After earning her paralegal diploma in 1997, she worked in various law firms across Canada, from boutique practices to large national firms. Her commitment to serving others also extended into public service; she volunteered as a firefighter, a search and rescue team member and even taught first aid to underserved groups, including inmates in Saskatoon. She continues to serve as a notary public in Saskatchewan.

Ultimately, it was her time as a first responder that ultimately led her toward a new calling.

“Assisting during traumatic incidents and being there for families in crisis gave me a deep sense of purpose,” she reflects. “I knew the funeral profession would be a meaningful fit.”

After working at a funeral home in Saskatchewan for over a year, she decided to formally pursue her Funeral Service Diploma online, fast-tracking her studies with the aim of becoming fully licensed by December 2025. "My relative, Remi Tardiff, owns the funeral home in Peace River, previously worked at McInnis Holloway, and his work was also a factor in this journey for me to pursue this career," Vetzal says. "He encouraged me to go through Mount Royal when I was weighing my schooling options."

Her experience at Mount Royal has been one of flexibility, growth and community.

“I love the freedom that the online learning structure provides. It allowed me to work ahead so I could fully immerse myself during the embalming practicum in Calgary,” she shares. “At first, some aspects of learning online were challenging but once I found my rhythm, I was able to take control of my learning.”

Despite balancing a full academic load, work placement and a family move from Saskatchewan to Alberta, Vetzal completed 11 courses in under a year, all while maintaining an active family life.

Receiving both the AFSA and FSAC scholarships was a deeply emotional moment for her.

“It was an incredibly proud experience. One I’ll never forget. My employers even surprised me by inviting my husband and me to the AFSA Conference in Edmonton, where I learned I had also received the FSAC award. I was over the moon.”

More than financial support, these honours were validation for the sacrifices, hard work and resilience that defined Vetzal’s transition into a new career. “These awards are a pat on the back after a hard-fought journey. They’re also an opportunity to thank those who stood by me and helped me get here.”

Today, Vetzal is thriving as a proud member of the Thackeray family’s funeral service team, working at Mission View Funeral Chapel in Lac La Biche. The Thackerays, who also own Memento Funeral Chapel in Bonnyville, St. Paul and Cold Lake, have offered her a welcoming and supportive environment.

“Two Mount Royal graduates, Scott Thackeray and Amanda Green, have been especially encouraging. My manager, Peter Harder, is an exceptional embalmer and mentor. I’m lucky to learn from the best.”

She looks forward to a long career with the Memento and Mission View Thackeray team and to giving back to the profession that has already given her so much.

Outside of work and study, Vetzal enjoys life on two wheels with her husband, family road trips, backyard fires and time with their cherished seven-year-old grandson, Jaxon. Whether it's riding motorcycles or tackling home renovation projects in the winter, she embraces every moment with energy and gratitude.

Her journey is a powerful reminder that education can be a pathway to reinvention at any age, and that Mount Royal University provides a strong foundation for students from all walks of life to thrive in their second, third or even fourth acts.