Success Stories

Kennedy Montour is a 26-year-old Mother of 2 from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. She is an active community member who has a passion for giving back.

In high school, Kennedy reached out to GREAT for the first time for assistance with resume and cover letter creation in hopes of seeking summer employment. An employment and training coach at GREAT directed Kennedy to the Student Job Board to match her with summer employment aligned with her interest in sports and children.

Up until now, Kennedy has worked in various customer service positions, preparing her to work with people. Kennedy knew she wanted to do something healthcare related, but also knew she needed to upgrade her marks. In 2019, Kennedy came to GREAT seeking a Purchase of Training to complete the Pre-Health Sciences program through Mohawk College; this would allow her to upgrade some of her marks while adjusting to student life now with her daughter by her side. Having more financial responsibilities at this time, GREAT was also happy to assist Kennedy with our Monthly Training Supplement, where she received monthly funding while completing her training full-time.

“I don’t see it as a barrier, but more of a different way to adapt by becoming a mother. I never knew how it would impact my career goals, but I’m thankful for the people I have in my corner to help me. Whether it be drop-offs, pick-ups, or watching her while I’m at clinical.”
- Kennedy, when asked if she faced any barriers/challenges to her employment goals.

Kennedy was motivated to join the healthcare field by observing her Mother, her role model, and excel in her career as an X-Ray/MRI Tech. Although she couldn’t see herself in that exact position, she felt drawn to the hospital’s atmosphere and knew she wanted to work there.

Kennedy didn’t skip a beat; after completing the Pre-Health Sciences program, she continued to pursue her goals and began the Registered Practical Nursing Program through Mo-hawk College. After finding herself needing additional funding, Kennedy reached out to GREAT again to ensure she could balance life expenses while being a student. GREAT was fortunate to be able to remove some of the stress from her situation and assist her financially so she could focus on completing her education. During this program, Kennedy completed a pre-grad placement at Brantford General Hospital as well, giving her some real-life experience in the hospital setting that she once saw herself working in.

Once Kennedy completed the RPN program, she was required to register with the Colleges of Nurses of Ontario, which included more testing and more fees. Luckily, GREAT was able to assist her with this under our Employment Transition Support program. Again, GREAT was able to remove some financial stress from the situation so that Kennedy could continue to study and work on officially becoming a Registered Practical Nurse in Ontario. Kennedy hopes to complete more schooling and work in either Labour, Delivery and Postpartum or Emergency Services.

How has GREAT impacted your personal and/or professional development?

“It’s made me more confident in reaching out to my community. Before, if I couldn’t find an answer by asking family or friends, I just assumed I couldn’t do it. Now, if I have a question, I’ll email GREAT and see if there is anything they can offer or even point me in the right direction.”

Lastly, we asked Kennedy what advice she would offer to a potential client who is unsure of their career path or next steps in life…

“Take the chance. We have community resources for a reason. It doesn’t hurt to ask anyone if you’re unsure of things.”