Kassandra Thompson

At OJEN, I have the pleasure of connecting with amazing groups of youth and working closely with them while providing them with legal information and legal life skills to navigate through their everyday lives. I am also fortunate because I get the chance to connect with justice sector volunteers who also enjoy giving back to youth and providing them with information that can be very useful.

One of my favourite memories since being with OJEN has been getting to experience in-person program with several youth from the Roy McMurtry Youth Centre.  This was an incredible experience not only because it was my first time facilitating OJEN’s T180 program in person, but also because the youth provided so much positive and helpful feedback. This had a significant impact on me since it was really rewarding to see how eager the youth participants, were to engage with me and share their opinions and lived experiences, regardless of their current circumstances. I was extremely happy that they brought their best selves to every session.

Recently, I’ve been learning how to be a better facilitator and mentor for youth. I believe that there is a specific technique that is needed in order to be able to connect and engage with an audience of young people who come from all different walks of life. Being able to gauge the audience to understand what direction the conversation needs to go in or what is needed to assure the information is being interpreted well, is very important. While trying to master this, I’d also like to continue to be a role model and be a good mentor for youth that seek direction and/or insight from someone like myself who has also experienced quite a bit within my own life. In all, wanting to lead youth in a positive and good direction is my ultimate goal and why I strive to improve at what I do within OJEN.