Minaz is a graduate of the Pathways Program in Scarborough Village, Class of 2022. Since high school, Minaz has been in a bridging program, receiving a diploma in Social Service Work from Centennial College, and is now at Toronto Metropolitan University, studying to become a Social Worker.
Minaz first heard about Pathways through her brother, who was part of the program in Scarborough Village. One of the main reasons she wanted to join was to give her a place where she could meet with her friends after school. “It was like a third space for me. Yes, we were supervised, but we were still able to explore things on our own and had the space to be with our friends. That was very important for me because there were a lot of times when I didn’t want to go straight home from school.”
Being at Pathways, Minaz also learned that there was a space for her to confide in people. “I had the opportunity to speak with people outside of my immediate friend group and got to build socializing skills. I was not someone who spoke a lot in school, so outside of school was my opportunity to speak to other people—whether it was with the support workers or someone my age.”
In her final year of high school, Minaz reached a crossroads and began questioning what she wanted to do after graduation. “I was kind of stuck,” she said. One thing Minaz knew she was interested in was connecting with her community and the possibility of working with youth, so she decided to connect with her support workers and learn how they got into their roles. “They told me they went the social service worker route and encouraged me to go to university.”
Alternatively, Minaz decided to go to college first, “At the time, I didn’t believe I had the abilities to go to university straight out of high school. I thought, ‘Maybe I should take that first step with college, and then I’d go to university after,” she explained. Her support workers encouraged her to explore all her options, but they also respected her decision. “Now, being in university, I can see why they told me to apply, but they allowed me to make the decision that I thought was best for myself at the time.”
Today, she is in university studying Social Work after receiving a diploma in Social Service Work from Centennial College. She credits her support workers for helping her carve her a career path and sparking her interest in social work. “Talking to them about their journeys opened my eyes to the possibilities of my life. They showed me that I could create a future where I’m supported and can support others, too. And I can’t wait to give back to other youth.”