“Let our Charity be a bright and burning light pointing out the path of virtue to all who surround us.”
– Mother Marie-Rose Durocher
It’s no coincidence that Belinda Guerra’s favourite quote is from the Canadian Catholic religious sister who founded the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and was beatified in 1982. A fellow Catholic, she also takes her faith seriously.“My hope is to create equity and accessibility with the education I will learn at Booth University College,” Belinda states. “Through learning and experience, I want to make the world more inclusive.”
Born in Winnipeg and of Portuguese-Canadian descent, 25-year-old Belinda is the oldest of three siblings.
“My youngest brother has autism,” she says. “Growing up in an inclusive household that supported him developed my interest in social work.”
Belinda pursued an arts degree, majoring in psychology and women’s and gender studies, “but I knew I needed a bachelor’s in social work if I was to achieve my dream of becoming a policy analyst.”
Belinda started attending Booth UC in 2021 and found it very warm, welcoming and accommodating.
“I chose Booth UC because it’s more hands-on,” she explains. “It’s a personalized style of education with a small class size, all the easier to ask questions and establish a better relationship with professors.”
While Belinda has flourished as a student, becoming involved in the Student Council and volunteering for special events as well as being awarded two well-deserved scholarships, Booth UC has also strengthened her faith. “I’m really interested in the history of Catholicism within my family,” Belinda says. “I went to church when I was young but there had been a disconnect as I grew older—I would sometimes go to church or sometimes take a pass. Attending religion classes at Booth UC, attending chapel, has deepened my faith.”
This is an excerpt is from a longer article that is coming in our next Connect Magazine (Winter 2023). Keep an eye out for the rest of Belinda’s story!
