Former Cowansville resident graduates from George Brown College with honours

Wendii Gwen Fulford, the daughter of Ingeborg and Jim Fulford, graduated last week from a Personal Support Worker Program at George Brown College in Toronto. The graduation ceremony was held over Zoom. Gwen had come home to help with her mom’s care for two weeks. It was special that her mom was able to “attend” the convocation. Her mom had last seen Gwen at an award ceremony when she graduated from a Photography Certificate Program at Ryerson College.

In these Covid times, personal support workers are in high demand in all Canadian provinces. Gwen’s motivation for entering the program was both her mom and dad. They had a car accident in 2016 and Ingeborg still requires daily assistance in the mornings and evenings. Gwen wanted to understand the correct procedures to assist someone with her mom’s needs and her goal is to take her skills into the community around her in the Toronto area. It also means that she can be part of her mom’s support team when she comes home for visits.

Gwen was very pleased with the program. It not only covered the basic procedures in support work but many other areas as well. The program included learning about organizing operations at institutions, nutrition information and dietary planning, the management of time and resources, and learning how to cooperate and work as a team member.

Gwen worked hard in her yearlong program and excelled. The awards committee at the college met and decided to give Gwen the Extendicare Paramed PSW Award for outstanding commitment and achievement in the program and in her stage placement.

She has a job in the Toronto starting in June. Gwen will continue to pursue more learning online. She has found a program on being a medical transcriptionist. It is being offered by Canscribe College in British Columbia. She sees it as a compliment to the knowledge acquired this past year at George Brown College.

Ingeborg is happy to have Gwen home for these two weeks. She is proud of Gwen’s achievement and was glad to have been able to be part of Gwen’s graduation.