Queenisha is a graduate of Pathways Lawrence Heights, class of 2020. She is currently in her last year at York University, studying Social Work. As part of her program, she is doing a social work placement at the same Pathways Program location she graduated from.
Growing up, Queenisha struggled to make connections in school, so joining the Pathways Program gave her a space to open up when she needed it. “I understand how hard my mom was working and trying to take care of us, so I didn’t want to burden her whenever school might not be going so great. Many times, Pathways was that anchor for me—it was a home away from home.”
What Queenisha enjoyed the most about Pathways was the mentoring. One support worker in particular, Sewit, made a significant impact on her. “I always looked forward to speaking to Sewit. It felt great to have someone that simply cared. And it wasn’t just a one-time thing—she would do follow-ups and check-ins to see how my day was going or how I was doing mentally and academically.”
One of Queenisha’s most memorable moments in the Pathways Program was attending a career fair organized by staff, where she met a social worker. “I had the opportunity to learn more about her role and the different aspects of Social Work. After talking to her and picking her brain, I thought, ‘Okay, now this is what I want to do!’”
Pathways staff worked with Queenisha on a plan to go to university, helping her with the application process and applying for scholarships. Today, she is in her final year at York University and is expected to graduate with a Bachelor’s in Social Work. Queenisha continued to stay connected to Pathways by volunteering as site support for tutoring and working as a summer student with the Pathways team.
Now, as part of her graduation requirement, she is doing a placement at the exact Pathways Program location she went to in Lawrence Heights—working alongside Sewit, who is now the Program Director. Some of her duties revolve around working on caseloads with different students and organizing events for them. “It’s exciting to be on the other side where I can be part of the behind-the-scenes for events and activities. This experience also made me gain a new appreciation for my support workers who were there for me when I was a Pathways student,” Queenisha reflects.
As Queenisha continues working with Pathways students who face some of the same struggles she did, she strives to provide a safe space for them. “It feels very rewarding when students come up to me and ask questions, whether they need help with schoolwork or want to talk to me about what’s going on in their lives,” she revealed.
Queenisha also notices the differences between today’s students and her time as a former student. With the pandemic, she found that more students are relying on Pathways staff for additional social support with certain tasks, such as writing an email or checking their school application status online. “The pandemic has had a huge impact on these students, but we have to understand that some of them have been isolated for a while and will need more time to adapt and slowly learn how to do things on their own.”
With one of her younger siblings currently in the program and another who plans to join when she’s old enough, Queenisha believes they are in good hands. If she could advise them and other students, she’d say, “Just hang in there. Some of the problems or things you stress about may seem big at the moment, but as long as you have a good support system and stay focused on your goals, you will be good.”