Mihret remembers looking for a place to call her educational home.
A friend who had graduated from Booth UC told Mihret a number of very positive things about her experience. “The small class sizes at Booth UC were a huge deal for me,” Mihret explains. She applied to Booth UC and, as they say, the rest is history. Mihret enjoyed her classes and the opportunity to build relationships because connections are very important to her. Booth UC allowed her to build those relationships with her professors and other students.
While earning her degree, Mihret worked part-time. After graduating from Booth UC, she continued part-time work at the North End Women’s Centre and worked full-time for two years at the West End Women’s Resource Centre supporting newcomer and immigrant women who experienced violence. Her work included counselling, program development, and facilitating groups. Currently, Mihret works in the area of Child Welfare and Child Protection.
Like all of us, Mihret has been impacted by the pandemic but is grateful for her supportive family, friends, and faith. She feels privileged to have maintained stability and overall wellness, while many have not. Families she currently works with continue to experience poverty, addiction, and housing insecurity that have only gotten worse because of the pandemic. “Those needing the most help are often not able to access systems and supports,” she describes.
Her hope for the future is for good leadership, good decision-making, and that we take care of each other while doing the best we can. She recalls a discussion about hope that took place in a social work class with Alex Sawatsky. “The hope was that social workers would someday work themselves out of a job.” She thinks about that and hopes the day will come when her clients no longer need her because they have all they need.
When asked what advice she would give someone considering Booth UC she says, “Go for it! Booth UC is a great school with all the supports you will need. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.”
“Graduating from Booth UC means that you are part of a special community.” Recently, Mihret was wearing her Booth UC hoodie at work. A couple of colleagues asked if she went to Booth UC, and she eventually learned that there were other coworkers who had attended Booth UC. “Even after you graduate, you still find Booth UC connections in Winnipeg and across Canada!”
