Since 1996, the DDRC’s PACE program has been supporting young adults as they transition from high school into the working world. Team Leader Charmaine Wong gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like working with the PACE team, and how she came to work at the DDRC.
How long have you been with the DDRC?
Just over three years. I started in March 2011 as a CRW [Community Resource Worker] for the South Team. In June of 2012, I became the South Team Leader, and one year later, in June 2013, I became the PACE Team Leader!
What made you want to work here?
I used to work with kids at an after school program, teaching life skills. But the hours didn’t really work for me, so I started looking elsewhere. I studied psychology, and I always had a sense of wanting to help people in the community. I came across the DDRC job posting and thought I’d give it a try without
quite knowing what it really was. The interview went really well, and now I’m here!
What is the best part of being a Team Leader?
I think the best part is seeing the team be recognized by others, and seeing their positive energy and attitude infect the whole agency. I can’t take credit for it; the whole PACE Team makes me very proud.
Can you share a recent client success story for the PACE Team?
One of our clients is graduating from the Professional Cooking Program at SAIT. It’s a two year program, and we’ve been doing a lot of side-by-side support: taking notes in class, creating study plans with him, and talking to his professors. We helped him get a practicum experience and now he’s graduating. The team put in a lot of hard work.
If you could have any question answered, in the world, what would it be?
That’s a hard question! If I had the power to know the answer to any question, I guess it would be “how can I best motivate our team to have the best successes they can?”