Alumnae

“At the time, high school completion seemed like a dream”, says Dominique, a graduate of Youville Centre’s class of 2009, as she reflects upon her life prior to attending Youville. “Being 20 years old, alone with two children, and on social assistance preoccupied my life.” Before attending Youville Centre, Dominique felt alone and disorganized: “I felt as though I wanted to be immersed into bettering my educational goals, but that seemed impossible”, she says. Having struggled with depression and addiction in her early teenage years, Dominique dropped out of school at the age of 15 and spent much of her time in and out of the criminal justice system, living periodically in shelters. At the age of 17 she became pregnant, and at that time she realized that she “needed to stay clean and sober, and make healthy choices” in her life. Through the support she received at Bethany Hope Centre, she learned about Youville Centre and decided to enrol. At Youville, Dominique was able to attend school, be close to her child, and benefit from the parenting programs and mental health and addiction counselling she needed. “Using Youville Centre’s services such as: food bank, clothing donations, counselling and other supports has helped me financially and socially”, says Dominique. Her time at Youville also inspired her to give back to those in need through her own career. “By attending Youville Centre, I was not only able to achieve my high school diploma, but I was inspired personally and educationally by the professionals around me.”Since graduating in 2009, Dominique has gone on to earn a college diploma and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, is now working at the Children’s Aid Society. She will be attending Carleton University this fall to begin her journey towards a Masters in Social Work, so that she can achieve her dream of a career in child protection. When asked what advice she might give to the young mothers currently attending Youville Centre, Dominique urged: “Keep an open mind and use every resource that Youville has to offer.” During her own time at Youville Centre, what she valued most was, “the ability to feel and be understood without having to say anything, and having the utmost support and encouragement from staff who believe in your abilities and capacities.” Dominique’s children Hunter and Sadie are now 9 and 7 years old.