The Path Less Travelled

The Path Less Travelled

How Amy Haertel’s journey as a mature student led her to fulfil her dreams.

After working for more than a decade as an educational assistant and child and youth worker, Amy Haertel (Child and Youth Care alumni, 2019) realized she likely reached a ceiling in her career.

She obtained a college certificate when she started working in the industry, but the field had advanced considerably since then. She knew she would need to return to school to continue to grow, so she enrolled in Fanshawe’s Child and Youth Care advanced diploma program.

Like many mature students, Amy was concerned about the possible roadblocks to going back to school, like time, money and family commitments. A friend told her about Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR), a process allowing students to receive course credit for learning gained through non-academic life experience.

For Amy, it meant she was able to complete a three -year advanced diploma in only one year. It immediately opened doors for her; after graduating from Fanshawe, she fast tracked through a program at the University of Guelph-Humber, obtaining both a Social Service Worker diploma and Honours Bachelor of Applied Science degree in family and community social services. She then completed her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Windsor in 2024.

Amy now has a private practice in trauma therapy rooted in nature where she helps people of all ages who are dealing with mental health challenges, crisis, trauma and grief.

“Fanshawe was just the beginning,” shares Amy. “That experience sparked a need to have more knowledge about what I’m doing. It was the first pebble in the water and the ripples just got bigger and bigger. It was life changing.”

Learn more about Amy's story.