When you’re in a program at Centennial College, you have the opportunity to do more than come to class. You’re joining a community, and that means opportunities to further develop yourself personally and professionally. A career in social service work is about the community, so if that’s what you’re after, you’re in the right environment. That’s why Paige Carriere’s been busy. Between her Social Service Worker classes, she’s been active at the college since the moment she arrived. Paige has been a member of the Centennial College Student Association Inc. (CSSAI) Street Team, the Residence Council, and she’s worked with Transitions and Student Life, among other things. What motivated her to get so involved, and what did she gain from it? Let’s rewind, and start with why she came here.
A Pathway to Helping
“I've always been passionate about helping people, caring about others, and advocating for mental health,” Paige says, about her choice to get into social service work. The real question, though, was where to go to learn about it.
“Centennial had the most hands-on approach,” she says about her decision to come here. “And the courses were the most unique. Centennial is specifically focused on anti-oppressive practices, anti-black racism, the indigenous approach to social work, and promoting equity.”
“First, we got an Indigenous approach to social work, with a non-traditional classroom,” Paige says about her time in the Social Service Worker program. “So instead of sitting lecture-style at desks, we ended up listening to our professors’ stories, storytelling in the circle, and sometimes we would also participate in a sage smudging. We also got to participate in a lot of music – they’d play instruments, and drumming, and we would listen.”
“Another practical experience was that we'd practice how to be a social worker talking to a client in the classroom,” she says. “We called it roleplay. We'd be the social worker, they'd be the client, and then we'd switch with our partners, so we’d get to practice those hands-on practical skills using the workplace.” But her most valuable community experiences happened outside of the classroom.
A Part of the Community
Paige’s heavy involvement with the Centennial community started the moment she started college itself, thanks to Headstart, a special program designed to orient college students.
“I got involved in CCSAI by applying to work there in July of 2022,” Paige says. “I saw it on their Instagram. But the reason why I found the CCCAI's Instagram was I started Centennial College with the Headstart program, and the session talked about on-campus resources.” As for that work, it was as a CCSAI Street Team staff member.
“It’s about student engagement,” she explains. “We're in two separate departments. One is content creation where they cover all the photo and video media, and street team is going to the events and engaging with students.”
“During my first year, I was on residence council, because I live on campus,” she says. “What we do there is promote wellness, we advocate, and we engage with residents. By the end of the school year, we were able to advocate building a sidewalk from residence to the bus terminal at Progress. Last year, we were really struggling, especially in the winter, so that got built in the summer of this year. This year, I'm still on Residence Council, and I'm the president.”
Her work in the college community would lead back to her college program. When it came time to do a Social Service Worker field placement, she’d take a position at Transitions and Student Life.
“The position was the Queering Community Student Collective Liaison,” she says, explaining the role. “I advocate for the 2SLGBTQIA+, and I foster connections for students at Centennial. I create a safe and inclusive space for Queer Students and allies, and make sure Centennial knows that we have a Queering Community.”
Why she does it
So, what motivates Paige to be so involved? It’s complicated.
“It builds my leadership skills doing these various ventures and experiences in student life,” Paige says. But there’s more to it than that.
“When I was in high school, we didn't really have a lot of these things,” she says. “In grade nine we had a couple of clubs and then the following year we went into lockdown. Then there wasn't really any engagement in high school, it was all on Zoom. So when it came to college, finding out that Centennial had all these resources available, I've really been able to jump into the college, just because I wanted to be able to still have the opportunity to reach out and do things that weren't just online, and better my mental health.”
“I really gained a voice and became a good strong leader,” she adds. “And I've advocated for those who have not had a voice in the past year. I foster those connections with other students so that in the future with my career, I’ll still be the strong leader that I've always been.”
Jump in, but take care
“Don't be afraid,” she says as advice for anyone else considering volunteering and participating in the college community. “Go after the opportunities that the college offers, make connections with people, there's so much available at Centennial. In my opinion, it's better for your own mental health and wellbeing to go out and do them, even if it seems scary. It's better than staying inside.”
“It's very important to still have self-care, and to be selfish,” she adds, as a word of caution. “So don't try to give all your energy to everyone else, you need to put in energy to yourself. Even if it looks like I'm doing all of these extracurriculars, I still have time for myself, and I'm still giving the self-care that my body needs.”
Written By: Anthony Geremia