Testimonials
Who better to tell you about the Social Service Worker program at the Waterfront Campus than our grads!
When the Invictus Games were held in October 2018, Algonquin College cheered for alumnus Naomi Fong. The Pembroke Campus Social Service Worker Honours graduate and Canadian Forces Veteran was among 40 athletes who represented Canada when the week-long event began in Sydney, Australia. Naomi trained for the games for several months and competed in four competitions, including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, cycling, and powerlifting.
The Games began in 2015 after the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, attended the Warrior Games in the United States. He witnessed the powerful impact sport had on the recovery and rehabilitation of injured soldiers and formed the Invictus Games Foundation. The initial Games were held in London and attracted more than 400 competitors from 13 nations. The Games have continued to grow with 18 nations and over 500 competitors expected in Sydney.
Every year, Algonquin College celebrates the incredible achievements of its alumni through the Alumni of Distinction Awards. These awards honour the extraordinary contributions our graduates make to the community while achieving career success. Naomi Fong received the Alumni of Distinction Award in 2019.
Community is vital to Naomi Fong. When she speaks about her two years studying at the Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College, one of the things she highlights is the extraordinarily tight community she formed with her fellow students in the Social Service Worker program. Even now, you can hear the enthusiasm in her voice as she speaks about this special time in her life. Read more about Naomi’s journey.
“I had already gone to college when I chose to enroll in the Social Service Worker program. I had always believed in empowering people and felt a career in social work would be a good fit for me. Most of my career has been spent in the not-for-profit sector. The program provided the flexibility and encouragement for me to think outside the box. I’ve had opportunities to work as the National Director of Intervention Services at Operation Go Home, to help design the clinical counselling model for the Robbie Dean Family Counselling Centre and to become an elected official in my hometown of Renfrew.
Algonquin College has been instrumental in my personal and professional career. If not for Algonquin College I would not have had these opportunities and would not have been able to help hundreds of people throughout the Valley, Ontario and Canada.
-Tom Sidney, Councillor, Town of Renfrew, President, Renfrew & Area Chamber of Commerce
“I am really enjoying my program and the Waterfront Campus. I feel like the Social Service Worker Program gives students so many transferable skills. As a military spouse, I know I will be able to find work all over Canada in many different fields. Within our program, we also receive a chance to do many different certifications and workshops. We recently took part in the one-day Mindfulness Workshop, and next week we will be doing the Safe Talk Training. This year, I received the Military Family Fund Bursary through the Sens Foundation. It was really beneficial for me because there are always extra expenses when going back to school. I am currently working at a placement that allows me to get more experience in my field. It has been great to meet so many different people and to network with people who work in the field!”
– Belinda Thomas, Military Spouse, Mother and Social Service Worker Graduate 2018
Meet Crystal Martin, a graduate of the Social Service Worker program here in Pembroke. Crystal’s testimonial to the versatility of the skills she learned at Algonquin, is a wonderful example of the endless opportunities that can present themselves when you have the passion and drive to help others.
“I primarily grew up in the Ottawa Valley but I also frequently visit my home community in Northern Canada because I am Inuit. When I was there I saw the need for social services and that was my first goal when I entered the Social Service Worker program at the Pembroke Campus.
After graduating from the SSW program, I landed my first job as a Community Social Service Worker in Nunavut but soon realized the system was badly failing our people and tearing families apart due to the lack of available supportive programs, such as mental health and healing services. This really motivated me to become an advocate for Inuit, leading to the launch of my business which supports Inuit organizations in project management, policy development and Inuit Cultural Sensitivity Training, among others.
I graduated from the SSW program in 2013 and believe that the opportunities are endless for graduates. There are many different fields you can get into, whether that is frontline in supportive services, or changing a system in policy. Keep your options open and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
-Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, Owner of Okpik Consulting, a project management-based company with a focus on Inuit-specific services.
“I really enjoyed my time in the Social Service Worker program at Algonquin College in Pembroke. When my husband was deployed to Afghanistan I had a rough time dealing with it emotionally but my teachers were very understanding and they supported me through it all. After I graduated, I was employed right away in my field. We ended up getting posted and I decided to stay home with my children for a few years. After 6 years, I decided to go back to work and am gainfully employed again. I had no trouble s finding work in my field, and as a Social Service Worker grad, I know that my job is transferable to wherever we end up. I loved the program and I loved the challenges we had as well as the fun.”
-Suki Okorofsky, Military Spouse and parent, Social Service Worker Graduate
These videos were produced before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. It reflects a campus life that is currently altered to ensure the health and safety of our students and employees. We are currently following all protocols as outlined by our public health authorities.