Education the key to a new life
“Everything that’s behind me stays behind me.” That’s how Auri described her feelings about getting an education. Auri is part of the Bridges Project, initiated to help women who came from an abusive environment where they had little or no control over their lives. The Bridges Project, conceived and championed by Professor Susan Rodger, has at its heart the intent to “open doors wide enough for everybody to come in. Not everyone’s journey is the same and it’s important to celebrate that. ” And celebrate they did. The Class of 2009 came to the Faculty where they were robed and congratulated on their achievements.
The project is a partnership between the Faculty of Education and the Thames Valley District School Board, where the women attend classes in a safe environment. They are also provided safe transport, child care and counseling services. “My life is good now, thanks to Bridges. I have an inner strength and I can see now that there are people out there who care,” said one graduate, adding, “Dr. Susan is a miracle worker.” Another who completed a program at Fanshawe, on the Dean’s list, and will attend King’s University College in the Fall, credits Bridges with breaking a vicious cycle of abuse and addiction in her life. “As my confidence started building up,” she said, “I began to see I could do anything.”
