When Vivian Manyara graduated from Centennial College’s Community and Justice Services program in 2009, she had a strong interest in helping people, along with the practical skills to begin a career in the justice system. Today, she is the shelter manager at Kennedy House, where she supports youth, guides staff and helps build partnerships that benefit the community.
Her career has also brought her back to Centennial College. By reconnecting Kennedy House with the College, Vivian is helping current Community and Justice Services students gain practical experience, explore career opportunities and develop the skills they need to succeed.
Choosing Centennial College’s Community and Justice Services program
Vivian’s path to Centennial began with a university education. As she watched her younger brother graduate from college and move straight into the workforce, she started thinking about what she wanted from her own education.
“I went to university,” she says. “I saw my brother, who's a little bit younger, go to college, and get a job right out of school, while I was still in university. University gave the theory, but I wanted the hands-on stuff. So, I decided that when I graduated university, I would look into college.”
Vivian had long been interested in helping others. Through volunteering at a drop-in program, she worked with young people who had come into conflict with the law. That experience helped her realize she wanted to build a career in the justice system. Centennial College’s Community and Justice Services program appealed to Vivian because it offered a broad range of career possibilities and opportunities to gain experience in the field.
“You weren't locked into just one type of job,” she says. “I liked that it gave me that choice. I also liked that there were two different placements, because then you could pick and experience two different things.”
How Hands-on learning prepared her for a career
For Vivian, those field placements were among the most valuable parts of the Community and Justice Services program.
“I made sure I did one with youth, and one with adults, so I could get different experiences and decide what I liked more,” she says
The program also introduced students to a variety of facilities through tours, giving them a closer look at potential workplaces.
“In your second semester, you go to tours of different places within the field, to get a sense of what they’re like, and if you could see yourself doing placement there, or working there,” she explains. “We went on three tours of youth facilities, and three tours of adult facilities, which were really eye-opening for people, seeing how some of those places work.”
Practical classroom activities were equally important. Through role-playing exercises, students could practice challenging conversations, and learn from their experiences in a supportive environment. Vivian has carried that approach into her own work, helping shelter staff prepare for difficult interactions.
“That was one of the big things that I took from Centennial with me,” she says about role-playing. “For a lot of the staff in the shelter who are new, when a youth gets a little bit angry, it gets intimidating. So, finding ways to role play with the staff so they can practice how to interact with an aggressive or violent youth in a safe environment means they can learn and practice and gain that confidence.”
Faculty support made a lasting impact
Along with the practical experience she gained, Vivian remembers the encouragement she received from her Centennial instructors as a defining part of her education. She recalls faculty members who took a genuine interest in their students and wanted to see them succeed.
One instructor, who has since passed away, made a particularly lasting impression at Vivian’s graduation. As Vivian crossed the stage, the instructor shared a simple message of confidence in her future: “I expect big things from you.’” Vivian says those words stayed with her long after graduation, reminding her that someone had seen potential in her and believed in what she could accomplish.
“I graduated in 2009, and it's still stuck with me,” she says. “I think about teachers when I do things. I want to make them proud.”
That encouragement continues to influence Vivian’s approach to giving back to Centennial and helping students access opportunities of their own.
From Centennial student to Kennedy House shelter manager
Vivian received two scholarships through Centennial: one from the Ontario Association of Corrections and Criminology, and the Ed Blazo Memorial Scholarship through Kennedy House. Both were awarded based on academic achievement, and the financial support helped with her education costs. The Kennedy House scholarship also helped establish a connection with an organization she would eventually join professionally.
“That's what started me wanting to work at Kennedy House,” she says. “They gave me this opportunity with the scholarship, which really helped pay down some of my school debts.”
While studying at Centennial, Vivian participated in a Program Advisory Committee, and made connections that helped her secure part-time work with a youth program. She continued working there through graduation, and later obtained a full-time contract.
“I started while I was in college as part of the Program Advisory Committee,” she says. “I met the executive director of a youth program, and through that, was able to gain part-time employment while I was still in college. I did that through graduation, and was able to pick up a full-time contract for a few months.”
From there, Vivian moved into a full-time overnight position at a halfway house, where she worked for about two years. She later spent nine years working at Old City Hall in Toronto in the Direct Accountability and Diversion program. The program offered a way for eligible people facing less serious charges to accept responsibility and make amends, helping them work toward having their charges withdrawn. Although Vivian enjoyed the work, the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic prompted her to consider a different direction.
“When COVID hit, everything went online, and working from home five days a week, I couldn't do it. It was just very isolating,” she says. Looking for a leadership opportunity, Vivian became a team lead at a shelter in Richmond Hill. After a year, she was promoted to a management role in community housing. When she began looking for an opportunity closer to home, she applied for a position without initially realizing where it was located.
“It was funny, because I didn't realize that where I applied was Kennedy House,” she says. “I applied, got it, and I've been at Kennedy House for about four years now.”
Today, as shelter manager, Vivian oversees and supports staff while helping ensure the shelter meets the needs of the young people it serves. The role brings new challenges and opportunities every day.
“Every day is different, which is part of what I like about it,” she says, “not knowing what you're going to expect. They keep you on your toes.”
Her experience at Centennial, and the skill she picked up there, also continue to inform how she leads her team.
“Interpersonal skills are a big one,” she says. “I use them daily, especially if we have staff that are having conflict, to mediate that. But also, the counseling skills, when a youth will come to my door, and they're having a rough day, or had a negative interaction with the staff, so they want to talk to me about it.”
Reconnecting Centennial College and Kennedy House
Building community partnerships is an important part of Vivian’s role at Kennedy House. These relationships help bring outside expertise and resources into the organization, supporting both staff and youth.
“Partnerships are really important for our program,” she says. “We couldn't run the shelter without outside people coming in and running workshops, or being donors.”
When Vivian joined Kennedy House toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, she recognized the need to rebuild community relationships that had been interrupted. Remembering her own positive experience at Centennial, she reached out to reconnect with a former instructor. That conversation created an opportunity to welcome students to Kennedy House for program tours.
“I got so much out of my tours,” she says, “so I really wanted to give back, and I wanted that same experience for the new group of students.”
Since then, the partnership has expanded beyond tours. Vivian has participated in mock interviews with Community and Justice Services students, giving them feedback to help prepare for the job market. The relationship has also created pathways to employment.
“We've hired placement students from those, actually,” she says. “We've also hired students who came on tours and then reached out to say they’re looking for work.”
Centennial College has since become an important partner, giving Vivian an opportunity to reconnect with former instructors while helping current students learn more about careers in community and justice services. Centennial students and faculty have also supported Kennedy House fundraising initiatives. These have included a student sale and a walk connected to the Coldest Night of the Year fundraiser. Another example of the relationship’s impact came when a former instructor organized a coat drive with Centennial’s Police Foundations class.
“One of my former teachers did a coat drive with the police foundations class,” Vivian says, “and got us about 20 coats, and a bunch of bags of winter gear.”
For Vivian, the partnership reflects the value of maintaining relationships between the College and the community organizations where graduates build their careers.
“Centennial did a lot for me, and did a lot for Kennedy House,” she says, “and in return, I want to do the same for the students at Centennial. I want to give them the same experience that I had, and give them the same opportunities that I was given because of Centennial.”
Advice for future Community and Justice Services students
Vivian encourages students considering Centennial’s Community and Justice Services program to stay open to different career paths, and take advantage of opportunities to build professional relationships. Her own journey took her through youth programs, a halfway house, court-based services and shelter management, giving her a range of experiences that she could draw on throughout her career.
“Other than keeping an open mind and exploring all your options,” she says, “don't be afraid to make connections, because that was huge for me.”
She also encourages prospective students to choose an education that aligns with their interests and career goals, rather than assuming university is the only path to success.
“For me, it depends what you want to do in a career,” she says. “I got a lot out of Centennial, and I don't want people to look down on going to college, or think that if you go to college, you're not as smart. That's not what it is. It's what you're interested in. It's what you want to do. If you want to work in a shelter, for example, that's what college is for.”
Looking back on her journey, Vivian remains grateful for the education, encouragement and opportunities she received at Centennial. Now, through her work with Kennedy House, she is helping provide the next generation of students with some of the same opportunities that helped shape her career.
“Centennial honestly gave me such a great opportunity to get where I am, and I really appreciate it,” she says. “For anyone that's thinking about it, I would strongly encourage people to take this program.”
By Anthony Geremia