50 Faces of SECC – Fatima

Fatima and her family arrived in Canada from Syria in December 2016. While her parents attended English Classes at SECC, Fatima and her siblings attended SECC’s Care for Newcomer Children Program.

In September 2017, Fatima began attending Queen Elizabeth Public School, but due to age restrictions, was unable to attend any of SECC’s current programming. However, once she turned seven, she was eager to register for the SPARK After School Program. Fatima was often the first student to arrive at programming and was an active participant in all recreational programs. She is a natural when it comes to sports, including soccer, floor hockey, and running.

Fatima didn’t always enjoy school and had difficulty keeping up with her reading, writing, and math. With her determination and help from Youth Workers, she put in the time and effort to catch up.

The onset of Covid-19 meant shifting online service delivery. Fatima participated in virtual programming on a daily basis to make sure she kept up with her schoolwork.  This wasn’t an easy task considering she has eight siblings to compete with for computers and Wi-Fi.

Fatima now attends a new program at SECC: Ignite Academy. Over the years we have known Fatima, we have seen her blossom into a kind, motivated and persistent young person.  Her caring nature shows through her actions and she is always willing to help out wherever she can.   Fatima thrives when she gets opportunities to connect with others.  She loves to be a buddy for her younger cousins and siblings, or being a student helper. Her creativity shines when she writes notes or draws pictures for staff. She has demonstrated the ability to reflect on past actions and adapt to new information that comes her way. We have been lucky to see Fatima grow into a spunky, loving, and caring young lady, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!