For me, all my life, I’ve always liked the idea of helping people."
First-year Community Social Services student Christabel Ntow was one of 13 graduating post-secondary students to recently receive a scholarship from the United Achievers’ Club, a Brampton-based non-profit organization.
Ntow was honoured at the organization’s 37th annual Scholarship and Recognition Awards, a virtual event with a keynote speech from past scholarship recipient Carole Walker.
The United Achievers’ Club of Brampton was founded in 1980 by Canadians of Black and Caribbean heritage who wanted to provide opportunities for people from their communities to express their culture and add to the cultural blend of Peel Region.
For Ntow, the recognition caught her completely off-guard.
“When I found out I was receiving it, I was honestly shocked,” Ntow says. “I was overjoyed and really blessed to get this opportunity. I’m so grateful to the United Achievers’ Club as well.”
A community presence
In applying for the scholarship, Ntow’s written application and interview focused on the ways she has gotten involved in her community. Raised in Mississauga, Ont., Ntow volunteered as a member of the athletic council at her high-school – helping out behind the scenes of sports and athletic events – and she continues now to devote her time to helping out as part of the media team at her church.
“For me, all my life, I’ve always liked the idea of helping people,” she says.
That’s what brought her to the University of Guelph-Humber and the Community Social Services program specifically.
Ntow could see herself pursuing social work or teaching, but since she’s still in the first semester of her studies at UofGH, she says she’s still in the earliest stages of exploring her career options.
Whatever she winds up doing, though, she’s certain of one thing – she wants to make a difference in the lives of others.
“The CSS program caught my eye because it has opportunities for a pretty broad number of careers,” Ntow said.
“I saw that with those opportunities, no matter what I ultimately did in the end, I would still be helping people and I would be helping a very broad range of age groups.”
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