CYC Child and Youth Counsellor – Rattlesnake Point PS & Irma Coulson PS
What do you love most about your job?
What I love most about my job as a Child and Youth Counsellor is the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of students and the school community.
By supporting individuals and whole classes, I help them develop important skills and achieve their full potential.
My approach is guided by the motto, “Skill to teach, goals to reach,” and I take pride in providing each student with the guidance and support they need to succeed.
By fostering a safe and inclusive environment, I am contributing to a brighter future for all students.
What is a challenge you face?
As a child and youth Counsellor, I face the challenge of limited access to identity-affirming services, which are crucial for the mental health and well-being of young people. Ensuring diverse representation in education and culturally responsive support is key to promoting positive outcomes for youth.
What is a recent tiny victory, or quick win that you would like to celebrate today?
I recently improved my diet by reducing my sugar intake. This change has diminished my cravings for sweets.
What words of love & encouragement do you have for your fellow Humans of HDSB?
During a brutal study at Harvard in the 1950s, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool of water to test how long they could tread water.
On average they’d give up and sink after 15 minutes. But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes – and put them back in for a second round. In this second try – how long do you think they lasted?
Remember – they had just swum until failure only a few short minutes ago…
How long do you think? Another 15 minutes? 10 minutes? 5 minutes? No!
60 hours!
That’s not an error. 60 hours of swimming.
The conclusion drawn was that since the rats BELIEVED that they would eventually be rescued, they could push their bodies way past what they previously thought impossible.
I will leave you with this thought: If hope can cause exhausted rats to swim for that long, what could a belief in yourself and your abilities, do for you?
What is something others may not know about you?
I taught myself how to walk on my hands by emulating the technique I saw in the movie “Mulan”. With persistent practice, I was able to master the skill and it remains a talent I can perform to this day.
