Nov 2nd, 2023

Meet Bill and Roody: Students Participate in Mentorship Program to Pave the Way for Future Success  

Bill, a Franco-Cité Catholic High School student who lives in the Hunt Club area, got a chance to work as an office assistant in the City of Ottawa’s Public Works Department and participated in an awareness campaign called “Be Safe, Be Seen” campaign to create safer roads for pedestrians.    

“I worked with an amazing team,” he said. “They made me feel like I belonged.”   

Roody, who graduated from De La Salle Public High School in June, spent his summer working with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. He handled administration work – which he said was a great experience for his studies in International Management at the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.   

“The job I got was super amazing, way beyond what I expected,”

Roody, Youth Futures participant

Bill and Roody were joined by 143 Students who graduated from the Youth Futures program in August.   

Youth Futures – a six-month program that offers advanced leadership training, mentorship, employment experience, and post-secondary orientation at no cost to participants to build important skills in preparation for college or university and employment.  

In 15 years, more than 1,000 students from low-income communities have participated in the program – many of whom live in OCH neighbourhoods like Bill and Roody. Youth Futures is supported by the OCH Foundation, the City of Ottawa, BGC Ottawa donors, and many community partners.  

Bill, who plans to study Health Sciences when he graduates, said his brother was in the program before him and had great things to say about the new skills he learned and the support he received from his mentor.   

“My mentor was great, and helped me through the program.We could talk for hours.”  

Bill, Youth Futures participant

Roody, who applied to the program after seeing a pamphlet at the school, said his mentor was “like a low-key brother.”  

Roody and Bill recommended the program. Roody had this to say to future program participants:   

“Set a goal of what you are there for, and you will get a lot out of it.”