Child and youth care grad finds success by taking it slow

Donohue

It may have taken 12 years, but for Andrea Donohue, graduating from UVic’s child and youth care program was well worth the wait. "I took my time," she laughs. "The department must be excited that I’ve finally finished."

Donohue has certainly made the time count. She came to UVic in 1993 after completing a diploma in social work and immediately began to accumulate invaluable work experience.

"I was initially very interested in working with children and individuals with special needs. So in between coursework, I worked at a daycare, then did practica with the Dallas Society, an organization that provides addiction counselling, and with the YMCA/YWCA Street Outreach program."

That led to a full-time position as program co-ordinator at the Pandora Youth Apartments in downtown Victoria, a transitional housing program for youth aged 15 to 19 years-old. For the past six years, Donohue has worked with eight participants at a time to help them develop essential life skills.

"I love my job," says Donohue. "It lets me be as creative as I want, and I get to be around the energy of youth everyday." Donohue had been taking one course at a time on the side, and until recently had only one course left to take before she could graduate—statistics.

"I was dreading that course," she says. "I put it off for a long time, and even considered walking away from child and youth care to avoid it. It was such a surprise that the only A+ I ever received in the program was in stats!"

She credits her father for encouraging her to stick with the program, and is thinking about returning to school for a master’s. At the moment, however, she’s been offered a job working at a secure youth custody facility in Limerick, Ireland.

"I’m still deciding on that one," she says. "Maybe in a year or so." For this determined graduate, there’s no rush.