More than a Summer Job

Summer jobs can be about so much more than what you accomplish during a few months at work. They can be a chance to try something new, build relationships, discover what you’re good at and sometimes even figure out where you want to go next.

This summer, students joined teams across three areas of KW Habilitation. Sofia and Angelina worked as Summer Job Coaches with KW Career Compass, Evangeline, Cooper, Nolan and Noah joined Our Farm as Farm Interns, and Rebecca, Bill, Sydney and Miriam spent their summer with YEP. Their jobs looked very different, but when we asked about their experiences, some common themes came through: learning, relationships, community and discovering just how much can happen in one summer.

Growing skills at Our Farm

At Our Farm, summer days have been busy with harvesting, planting, preparing beds, caring for crops, getting ready for markets and plenty of time spent outdoors. But for the Farm Interns, the experience has been about much more than learning how to grow food.

For Nolan, the summer was simply a “big learning experience,” including getting to try things he hadn’t done before, like driving the lawn mower. Cooper, a returning summer intern, found just as much value in the people around him, describing everyday life at the Farm as working with a great team that appreciates each other and spends time “over iced coffee, learning and laughing.”

For Evangeline, who has spent five summers working at Our Farm, this year offered a chance to see just how far she has come. When new team members arrived, she found herself helping to teach them and realized how much knowledge she had gained over the years. Her experience at the Farm has even helped shape what comes next. After discovering how much joy she finds in agriculture and nature, Evangeline changed her university plans and will begin a double major in Global Development and Environmental Science this fall.

“My summer at KW Hab has been rejuvenating, sparking my passion and creativity as well as my dedication.”

Making connections at YEP

For the YEP Summer team, much of the summer has been spent out and about. Rebecca, Bill, Sydney and Miriam have helped participants explore Waterloo Region using GRT, try new activities and, most importantly, connect with one another.

Sydney shared one of her favourite moments from the summer. While everyone was outside, a group naturally formed a circle and started talking. Participants shared their interests and experiences and discovered things they had in common. It wasn’t a planned activity or a big event, but that was exactly what made the moment stand out.

“It was a simple moment, but it showed me how meaningful it can be when everyone feels included and connected.”

Miriam has also enjoyed seeing the direct impact of supporting people after spending years learning about it at university. The summer has introduced her to accessible places around the region she hadn’t known about before and confirmed that she wants a future career working directly with people. Bill has been building his public speaking skills, learning his way around the ION and bus routes, and says the experience has opened his mind to direct support work.

Supporting people to take their next step

Over at KW Career Compass, Sofia and Angelina spent the summer supporting people with their employment goals. That meant everything from job searching and resume writing to interview preparation, but one of the most important parts was simply getting to know each person. Through one-on-one conversations, they learned more about people’s talents, skills and interests and saw firsthand why support needs to be tailored to each person.

For Angelina, the relationships she built were a highlight of the experience.

“An experience that stood out to me is being able to build strong connections with the people that I work with. In one-on-one conversations, I got to learn more about a person’s talents, skills and interests.”

Whether they were harvesting vegetables, navigating the community, building friendships or helping someone work toward an employment goal, our summer students brought a lot to KW Hab this year. Just as importantly, they are leaving with new skills, relationships, memories and experiences of their own.

Thank you to Sofia, Angelina, Evangeline, Cooper, Nolan, Noah, Rebecca, Bill, Sydney and Miriam for spending your summer with us. In the words of Cooper, we hope it “rocked your socks off!”