Jawahir's Story

The future’s bright for Jawahir Ismail, but it hasn’t always been so easy. As a mother of eight, she knows the meaning of hard work, and has put her heart and soul into raising her family in a safe and healthy environment. Jawahir also knows that education and career are part of being a good role model and crucial elements in her ability to provide for her family.

In 2007, Jawahir made the decision to go to school, proudly finishing the two year Social Work program at Algonquin. Preparing to enter the workforce in her new field, Jawahir volunteered extensively with a number of organizations, gaining some great work experience along the way. What she needed was help turning her education and experience into a paying position.

Jawahir turned to the Y Employment Access Centre looking for that support. Staff at the Centre helped her create a strong résumé, taught her job search strategies, and offered guidance on how to best use the network she had gained through her volunteer work. With these skills in place, Jawahir was asked to interview for a job in her field and was successful in securing the position. A bright future, indeed!