WOODSTOCK – Wherever Angie Godin goes in Woodstock, from the grocery store to the basketball court, she answers questions about NBCC.
As the Recruitment Advisor/Student Services Representative for the Woodstock Campus, hers is the face that young people in the community, and their parents, usually associate with NBCC. But she’s quick to point out that she is just one member of a dedicated team that is transforming lives and communities.
“We’re all ambassadors,” Godin said. “We have an awesome team and I do see how we’ve changed people’s lives.”
Godin is uniquely positioned to follow students full circle on their path to post-secondary education. In her recruitment role, she is introduced to them when they’re just starting to think about applying to college; when they get to NBCC, she has a chance to get reacquainted with them in her student services role.
“I love talking to people about how they want to improve their lives, helping them find the program that’s right for them and telling them, ‘That’s what’s going to be best for you and that’s what’s going to transform your life.’ I love making that connection with them,” she said.
“We have some really fantastic opportunities at NBCC. To help kids realize they can have a great future through what they do here…..and then they get here and I get to help them on the student services side. I feel like I get them full circle and I love that.”
Providing student services for Woodstock’s learners sometimes means Godin is a mother, counsellor and confessor all in one. Luckily, Godin has three teenagers of her own at home, so she’s comfortable in all of those roles.
For NBCC’s younger learners, many of whom are coming to college right out of high school, the transition to post-secondary education can be a bumpy one. They’re on their own for the first time and suddenly responsible for their own decisions, including budgeting. Godin and her colleagues recognize that they have a role to play in making the transition smoother.
“Some of them just need a mom, and so we try to counsel them. We tell them to spend carefully and budget their time and money,” she said. “We do mother them, and in return they talk to us, they tell us what’s going on in their lives. We care about them, and part of caring is making them accountable for their own decisions.”
Helping young people determine their future path can be a weighty responsibility, and it’s not one Godin takes lightly. But it’s a responsibility that comes with a huge payoff, in terms of career fulfillment and gratification.
“The weight of what I do, guiding life decisions, hits home. That’s never lost on me,” she said.
“But when you see them leave here and go out to work and be happy with what they’re doing, that makes it all worthwhile.”
