Community Voices – Pathways to Education

Fatima’s Story

I had a lot going on—family issues, struggles with friends, and my own mental health. There were times I wanted to give up, but Pathways never let me.

Fatima is a graduate of the Pathways Program in Pointe-Saint-Charles, Class of 2022. She is currently in college and working as a pharmacy assistant, with hopes of becoming a Pharmacist.

Thousands of students every year credit Pathways for changing their lives. But for Fatima, she credits Pathways for not just changing her life, but saving her life.

“I had a lot going on—family issues, struggles with friends, and my own mental health. There were times I wanted to give up, but Pathways never let me,” Fatima explained. High school wasn’t the easiest time for her either. She recalled sitting in parent-teacher meetings, feeling discouraged by teachers telling her that she wouldn’t pass the school year because of her grades. “I remember my mom crying at the meeting. All I wanted to do was prove the teachers wrong.”

Feeling lost, Fatima turned to her Pathways support worker for guidance. “She told me, ‘All you can do is give it your best. Sometimes, in life, you may fall, but the important thing is that you get back up.’ Everyone really supported me.” Fatima didn’t give up—she made sure to show up at Pathways every day after school for tutoring. Pathways also gave her the tools to support her with her mental health.

“I struggled with anxiety, and focusing [on homework] was really hard for me. But my support worker found ways to help. She’d bring me into a quiet room, check in on me every few minutes, and remind me to take breaks.” Fatima’s support worker also connected her to resources for therapy, helping her take positive steps towards improving her mental health. “Once I followed through with that, things started getting better, and I gained confidence in myself.”

Saskia, a Pathways staff member who previously worked at the Pathways location Fatima attended, remembers her well. “Fatima wasn’t part of my direct caseload, but that didn’t matter. We [support workers] had an unspoken understanding—we all looked out for each other’s students. We knew who needed extra support, and we stepped in. Fatima is proof of how powerful that kind of community support can be.”

Through hard work, determination, and the support of Pathways, Fatima proudly walked across the stage at her high school graduation. “It was a day to remember—my mom cried tears of joy this time. And I felt so proud of myself. I couldn’t have done this without Pathways. They believed in me when no one else did.”

Now, in college and working as a pharmacy assistant, Fatima has discovered her passion. “I’ve always wanted to help people, and I realized pharmacy was the right path for me.” She also carries through some of the lessons she learned at Pathways. “When customers come in, sometimes they just need someone to listen. Just like Pathways did for me.”

Darlene’s Story

Without Pathways, these students wouldn’t have been able to dream that they could achieve this.

Darlene Lanceley is a Cree woman and band member of the Mistawasis Nehiyawak First Nation, a lifelong educator, student advocate, and activist in Indigenous rights and education. After supporting four cohorts of Pathways graduates, Darlene recently retired from her position as Program Manager at Pathways Saskatoon.

Graduating with her teaching degree in 1984, Darlene entered a system where Indigenous teachers were rare, and culturally relevant curriculum was absent. She began her career in education at a First Nations daycare and sat on the Youth Council for the creation of a high school that would address the gap in culturally relevant classroom environments for Indigenous students in urban Saskatoon. Today, that high school, Oskāyak, is one of the schools that Pathways Saskatoon is partnered with.

Since the local Pathways Program opened in 2017, Darlene has helped to reach Indigenous students in 58 different neighbourhoods in Saskatoon. What began with 42 students has grown to 350, with more than 200 graduates. This year alone, 61 students will graduate—many being the first in their families to do so. “Without Pathways, these students wouldn’t have been able to dream that they could achieve this,” Darlene reflects. “When you look at what we’ve been able to do at Pathways Saskatoon, our students are graduating on time. That’s powerful. That means that they’re doing things in succession the way they were always supposed to.”

Darlene’s own journey has also been about breaking cycles. A child of the Sixties Scoop, she was one of the many Indigenous children who were forcibly taken from their own homes and communities. “My mother was a residential school survivor, and I was able to locate her residential school file. She was number 383. And number 383 wanted to be a nurse,” Darlene shares. Through her work at Pathways Saskatoon, Darlene has been able to carry that dream forward by creating healing through education.

From tutoring and job training to ribbon skirt-making, beading, and engaging in ceremonies like the Sun and Horse Dance, Darlene and her team at Pathways Saskatoon have ensured that students can reconnect with their culture and learn how to embrace their futures.

After supporting four cohorts of graduates at Pathways Saskatoon, Darlene will be retiring after this year’s graduation ceremony. Her hope for today and tomorrow’s students is clear: “I want them to continually thrive. To say, ‘I deserve better’. To use their voice, because voice has got I-C-E in it—Identity, Choice, and Empowerment.” And for every student who walks across the stage this year, Darlene’s vision echoes in their success. “Our students can now see themselves in leadership roles and are leaders, and they’re leading the next generation, and leading them in a good way. Our young people have broken cycles and they’re going to continue to break cycles.”

Without Pathways, these students wouldn’t have been able to dream that they could achieve this.

Tapfuma’s Story

I always had someone to partner with, and sometimes just being able to vent to someone who truly understood made all the difference.

Tapfuma graduated from Pathways Regent Park in 2013. He then studied Finance at Dalhousie University and is now an Underwriting Associate at Zurich Insurance Group.

Tapfuma was born in Zimbabwe and moved to Toronto, Canada, with his mother when he was seven. They lived in a refugee shelter, then moved around to various neighbourhoods in the city before finally settling in Regent Park. Despite the challenges he faced, Regent Park became home for him—a community where he found belonging, even as he navigated an unfamiliar world. “I never felt truly alone. I loved Regent Park and the people I grew up around.”

When Tapfuma began high school, he faced another set of challenges. The high school he attended was further away, in a more affluent area. “Commuting there and back became a burden,” he explained. Luckily, his mother learned about Pathways through their neighbour, and she enrolled him immediately. Right away, the bus tickets helped to alleviate the financial strain of travelling to and from school.

Pathways also introduced Tapfuma to a community that was different from his high school, which was predominantly white. He was now surrounded by students he could relate to and shared similar experiences with, such as growing up in a single-parent household, being a refugee, and living in community housing. “One of my biggest challenges was trying to explain my situation to people who had never been in similar circumstances. By getting more involved in school activities, I always had someone to partner with, and sometimes just being able to vent to someone who truly understood made all the difference.”

What moved Tapfuma the most was having someone who believed in him and advocated for him. “My support worker, Savannah, always told me I could do great things. She also talked to me like an adult, which I really appreciated as a young person.” When Tapfuma got into trouble at school, Savannah would step in. “She’d tell them, ‘I know he’s a good guy.’ And she’d tell me, ‘Tap, you’re smarter than this!’ She was really patient with me.”

By the time post-secondary applications rolled around, Tapfuma had decided to apply to Dalhousie University, and Pathways was there to help him through that process. “When I got my acceptance letter from Dalhousie, I lost my mind! Savannah was the first person I called. I called her before my mom—that’s how much she meant to me.”

During university, he yet again navigated an unfamiliar environment—going to school far from home in another province. However, one thing that stuck with him from Pathways was never being afraid to ask for help. “There were always resources around me, and I felt empowered to seek out those resources.”

Today, he is an Underwriting Associate at Zurich Insurance Group. “Being Black and working in finance can be challenging, especially since I started there as an intern. But the support I get at work has been outstanding.” Through his work, he formed a resource group for African and Caribbean people working in finance across Canada. He also recently won the Rising Star Award, which awards emerging professionals under the age of 35 who are excelling in the insurance industry.

Tapfuma continues to carry through what Pathways instilled in him—self-confidence and the ability to ask for help. “When I feel like I do not ‘belong’ or like an outsider, I remind myself that I earned the right to be here.”

Talon’s Story

Pathways is part of my story; I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I’m proud to call myself a first-generation tradesman, musician, and entrepreneur. I’m breaking all the cycles.

Talon is a graduate of the Pathways Program in Vancouver, Class of 2021. He is currently an Entrepreneur running his own property service business. In his spare time, he likes to make music and perform shows in his community.

Support, community, and education—these words come to Talon’s mind when asked what the Pathways Program means to him. “School didn’t always come easy to me growing up. But it felt reassuring to have support with any subjects I was struggling with. The staff helped me take school more seriously.” What also helped was having a network of students hold each other accountable to get work done.

Talon always had a strong work ethic, starting with volunteering at a community centre in his neighbourhood on the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Some of his volunteer work included leading sports activities, teaching students how to cook, and leading a Boys Club.

Talon hadn’t thought about his career plans until Grade 11, when a guest speaker who worked in the trades visited his class and talked about his experience in the field and the options available to students. “Working in trades wasn’t something I decided on my own. I was intrigued by the presentation and told myself to try it out for two weeks and see how I feel.” Pathways helped him take the first step in his trades journey by helping him explore his options when figuring out what to do after high school. After some consideration, he decided to go with plumbing.

The following year, Talon enrolled in Tupper Tech, a program for Grade 12 students wishing to pursue an apprenticeship in the trades. This experience was a new challenge for him—from the 4 a.m. wake-up calls to working with people twice his age. “It was tough at first, but I found it eye-opening. Getting used to a new schedule and dealing with different personalities helped me develop thicker skin.”

After graduating from high school, Talon continued working as a plumber while going to Pacific Vocational College for training. Things were going well until he hit a roadblock—in 2022, he was laid off from his job. But once again, with hard work and motivation, Talon bounced back and decided to form his own property service business. “I just picked up my cleaning tools and got to work. My business relies on door-knocking, which comes easy to me since I consider myself outgoing.”

When Talon isn’t working with his hands, he exercises his creativity by making hip-hop music. “Being Indigenous and growing up in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, I’ve been exposed to a lot of poverty, violence, and addiction in my community and my own family. Writing about it makes me feel better.”

What initially began as a hobby progressed into something bigger—Talon has now performed over 40 shows in his community. “Without the struggle, I wouldn’t be where I am now. And my hope and message in my music is that you can chase your dreams, no matter your circumstances.”

Talon feels grateful to have the opportunity to take risks and tap into different avenues despite his environment. “Pathways is part of my story; I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I’m proud to call myself a first-generation tradesman, musician, and entrepreneur. I’m breaking all the cycles.”

Pathways is part of my story; I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I’m proud to call myself a first-generation tradesman, musician, and entrepreneur. I’m breaking all the cycles.