When I arrived at my interview at SAI I was out of breath and soaking wet. It was pouring rain and parking had been a nightmare, I figured I would save some time by taking the stairs up to our office. Upon walking in and greeting Laura (our Admin Assistant) I instantly hoped that this would be the job for me. I spent the next 30 minutes or so with Melanie, who asked me all sorts of questions that had my mind racing with excitement about the possible opportunity to learn more about the agency and the people they support. When I arrived (in heels) to my second interview I was immediately regretting my choice of footwear as we spent the entire morning walking, talking, and delivering flyers. But I was hooked! I knew this was the place where I was going to spend my time building relationships and exploring who I was a support person. Over the years my idea of what role a support person plays in the life of the person they serve has changed greatly with the deepening of my understanding of Gentle Teaching. I have learned to appreciate the teams I have a been a part of and all they have taught me, not only about what being a successful team looks like but also how to help each other during difficult times. However, I must say that I have learned the most from the people that I am privileged to support. Their willingness to allow me to be a part of their lives reminds me to be thankful for the opportunity to learn from their pasts, and celebrate their futures. It is encouraging to see them reaching their goals and knowing that you may have been a part of that. My sister recently said to me, while talking about SAI and Gentle Teaching, that some people have a job but that what we do here is a lifestyle. I couldn’t agree more!

– Toni Klassen, Director of Support & Mentorship