Pathways Voices

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 creating 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.

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 what today’s students experience and what she experienced as a former student. Following the pandemic, she finds 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.”

Petra joined Kingston Community Health Centre (KCHC) in 2008 and became their first Pathways team member, registering students for the new Program location when it opened in 2010.

Living in Kingston, Petra enjoys the close-knit connections she’s fostered over the years. That’s why her work with the Pathways Program is so personally meaningful—she’s contributing to a stronger future for her community. “I love working in this community,” Petra shares. “When I learned about Pathways’ history and [founder] Carolyn Acker’s vision, it wasn’t just about supporting a student as an individual, but about building resiliency within that community and creating opportunities.”

After graduating from the Child and Youth Worker Program at St. Lawrence College, Petra joined KCHC as a childcare provider before taking a role in their school readiness program for elementary school students a year later. Through that experience, she saw some of the challenges facing youth before entering high school. In 2010, when the new Pathways Program location was opening in Kingston, she knew she could make a difference by engaging her community and encouraging them to register. “It just made a lot of sense to support students’ success in getting to high school graduation. Because education is one of the social determinants of health, I knew the impact it would have on students’ lives, and it just clicked with me,” Petra recalls.

The school year started with 60 Pathways students, and Petra began working full-time as a Student Parent Support Worker. The close rapport that she had developed with the families in her community brought perspective to her role. “I already knew some of the families and students and their worries, fears, and excitement about going into high school,” Petra shares.

Now, as the Lead of Student and Family Advocacy at Pathways Kingston, Petra is there to help students stay engaged in school. By establishing trusted partnerships throughout the years, Petra has helped young people overcome the stigma of accessing mental health supports. “Especially with COVID, we recognize that mental health has been a huge barrier to academics. In hand with our KCHC social worker, we’ve introduced programming so that students develop the strategies to manage strong emotions and have delivered Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to those who need it,” Petra explains.

Petra and the KCHC team are strengthening connections between Pathways families, external mental health service partners, and school boards to provide youth with a wraparound community of care. For example, a partnership with the Queen’s Psychology Clinic provides no-cost psychological consultation and assessments for students who struggle with learning and need help accessing resources to aid their educational success. To address gaps in students’ individual learning needs, Petra also works closely with schools to champion other opportunities for students to learn beyond the classroom. “It’s about celebrating neurodiversity, that there isn’t a right way of learning,” Petra reflects. “By honouring each student’s goals and where they see their life going, we can make that difference. And hopefully, because we’ve been part of their lives, it’s made a positive impact in their path, and can help break that cycle of hereditary poverty.”