Between cyberbullying, family pressure, and mental health challenges, Faith had every reason to give up. With Pathways in her corner, she chose not to.
Most of us know the anticipation of waiting for a message or feeling our phone buzz with a notification. But for Faith, a Pathways Lachine alum, that experience took on a whole new meaning. “From Grade 10 to Grade 11, it was really hard mentally. I was being insulted and bullied on social media.”
Cyberbullying was just one of many school-related challenges Faith faced. On top of that, she carried the weight of being the eldest of four children and the first in her family to attend school in Canada. The pressure kept building, and keeping up at school became harder and harder. “It was tough having everything rest on my shoulders. I had no time for myself, and my escape was skipping class just to get a few quiet moments in the day. I thought what I really wanted was to be alone.”
But Faith didn’t give up. Even when she felt disconnected from school, she stayed in touch with the staff at Pathways Lachine. Béatrice and Emma, who both work at the program, helped Faith choose connection and support over isolation. “I cried in Emma’s arms. I would text her and tell her that I was at my breaking point. But she would tell me I was almost there, that I just had to hold on a little longer.”
Part of what kept Faith connected to Pathways through those difficult moments was how deeply rooted Pathways is in the Lachine community. Béatrice knew Faith’s mother before she ever walked through the door. And Faith herself had volunteered, helping organize youth programming in her neighbourhood through Pathways. She still remembers the warm greetings from children and parents who recognized her on the street.
That community presence helped Faith find support in the moments when she felt most alone. “Pathways offers programming all year round. They have spaces to spend time at, meetups to talk things through, and they even show you how to write a résumé. It’s meaningful support for a lot of families.”
Like many high school students in Quebec, one of her biggest challenges was preparing for provincial exams, particularly in math and history. Faith’s parents weren’t familiar with the system, but Pathways staff Emma was. “During the provincial exams, Emma told me: ‘You need to come to Pathways at least three times a week. Each day, you pick a different subject to review.’ And that’s how I managed to pass my courses.”
Every Pathways youth has different goals. For Faith, passing her provincial exams and earning her high school diploma were important ones. Today, she’s focused on two bigger goals: becoming a midwife and taking care of her mental health so she can begin her career on solid ground. It’s a thoughtful, grounded approach that reflects the holistic support she received at Pathways. “No matter what problem I had, Pathways had a solution. They had the resources. They found a way to help me through what I thought was impossible to fix.”