University of Ottawa graduate, Jennifer Wani is dedicated to supporting South Sudanese youth in the Canadian Prairies with tools, networks, and opportunities to thrive academically and beyond. “I had a natural curiosity when finishing my degree as to what’s next. Being the first person in my family to graduate from university, I reflected on the balance of it both being such an amazing achievement, but also how difficult the process can be. I started to think about what support I wished I had and how to bring light to those gaps,” Jennifer shares.
The Pathy Foundation Fellowship is a unique opportunity for Canadian university students to contribute to meaningful change in their communities while benefiting from generous funding and wrap-around supports. In general, there are three main components to a strong Pathy Foundation Fellowship application: you as an individual candidate, the strength of your initiative idea, and the strength of your connection to community.
“Completing the application for the Pathy Foundation Fellowship was very much a self-reflection exercise. The process of having conversations with community, building collaborations, and sharing the idea with others, caused aspects of the proposed initiative to naturally shift, but also solidified its focus of working with South Sudanese youth in their transition to adulthood to ensure they feel confident in their career paths, academic choices, and can build community,” Jennifer says.
For Jennifer, the Pathy Fellowship has been a lesson on the intricacies of nonprofit management and building the foundations of a national initiative. From working with board members, to facilitating content across the country, to attending world forums, the year has been filled with learning on organizational leadership. “I’ve been doing a lot of administrative or operational work, learning the technical aspects of what it means to build a community initiative and create a support system,” Jennifer says.
Along with the benefits of personal growth and community engagement, Pathy Fellows learn how to pitch, plan, budget, implement, evaluate, and report on their socially innovative initiative. “I didn’t expect how much this year would provide such a training ground for myself, my leadership, and in my next steps in my career and education. My cohort has been such an anchor and support system throughout the Fellowship and being able to rely on that has been so transformative,” Jennifer explains.
The Fellowship has also carried some unexpected learnings, too. “The Fellowship has looked like a lot of time and conversations with community, mentors, and family,” Jennifer shares. “I’ve been able to explore and develop new skills like photography. Being able to take photos with community members and be creative has brought me so much joy.” The gift of photography for Jennifer has become a way to bring joy and creativity into her work, “for me, it became less about decision-making and more just enjoying being in community learning and in conversation.”
When asked what the remainder of the Fellowship year looks like, Jennifer shares, “my focus is on being fearless in my leadership. This process has taught me that there are multiple right answers and that it’s easy to choose comfort, but I’m excited to engage with more risk and reach outside of my comfort zone. Overall, the Fellowship has given me a space with grace to learn about myself and my leadership.”
“Before the Fellowship, success was defined quantitatively and based on how much my original idea came to life,” Jennifer shares. “Now, success looks like coming to know the truth about myself, my community, and what’s next for me. All of that wouldn’t have been possible unless I went through this experience. The Fellowship has been an incubator of ideas, relationships, and learning.”
To learn more about Jennifer’s Pathy Fellowship initiative, or the Pathy Foundation Fellowship, please visit PathyFellowship.com.
