July 2011: The Junior Staff Effect
Published on July 13, 2011

Link to article in online newsletter (click here) 

Self-proclaimed “army brat” and Career Trek Junior Staff, Steffanie Avery, plans to join the air force, but she “isn’t into the fighting or driving.”“I like business,” says Avery. She plans to be a logistics officer working in human resources dealing with supply chain, finance, and food services. Avery has researched her future plans extensively. She already knows salary rates, housing costs on base, and what benefits are offered through the air force.Avery’s father was also in the military; however, her dad didn’t pressure her to want to join. “My mom would have killed him,” jokes Avery if her father would have encouraged her to join the army. But “he was happy,” says Avery about her decision. Not only does Avery plan to be a leader in the military one day, but at Career Trek next school year.

For the past school year, Avery volunteered every Saturday at Career Trek as a Phase 1 Project Junior Group Leader through the Career Internship Program at Windsor Park Collegiate, ran by her teacher Adriano Magnifico.

“I liked being a group leader because you got to know the kids better,” says Avery. “It’s Saturday, you wake up early to volunteer, you think about the hyper kids, but you still want to do it,” says Avery about her motivation to volunteer with Career Trek. The best part for Avery was the one-on-one connection with participants and when they were excited to see her.

“She has become more satisfied by doing her best than just the status-quo”

By the end of the year, Avery felt confident enough to lead the group on her own and is excited to work with Junior Staff next year and see how Career Trek affects them. “Now if I see somebody who needs help, I will stop and help them. I would have never done that before,” says Avery about the difference she’s seen in herself after her experience with Career Trek.

Magnifico also noticed the change in Avery after Career Trek. Avery was a “reluctant learner in Grade 11,” says Magnifico, “but in Grade 12 she started to engage in more activities. She has more confidence in voicing her ideas.”

Avery excelled in the Career Internship Program and even won the award for most outstanding student in the program. “She has become more satisfied by doing her best than just the status-quo,” says Magnifico.

Avery has had the opportunity to volunteer at many other places, and is currently holding three jobs, two of which she started through the Career Internship Program. She is working as a human resources assistant and for a local politician. Avery isn’t sure why she volunteered in the first place for Career Trek. She was the only who volunteered at her school at first, but it ended up benefiting her. “It gave me more opportunities to volunteer at more places. They’d ask my teacher for volunteers and he’d always ask me first.”

Avery plans to attend the University of Winnipeg this fall to study Business and Administration.