Alumni Spotlight: Dana Williams – From Full-Time Caregiver to Community Support Worker

When Dana Williams enrolled in the Community Support Worker (CSW) program at Robertson College, she was juggling a full life — caring for her mother full-time, managing household responsibilities, and trying to imagine what might come next for herself while working her day job. She didn’t take the decision to return to school lightly. Like many adult learners, she needed a program that would fit into her life, not take it over.

Dana was able to attend online classes from her home in Regina, Saskatchewan. She could log in during quiet moments, rewatch lectures when life got in the way, and complete assignments in the hours that worked for her — sometimes early mornings, sometimes late at night. “Being able to complete my studies remotely while caring for her was a true gift,” Dana shares. That flexibility didn’t just help her stay in the program — it helped her stay present for her family.

Dana’s mother had spent years working as a Community Support Worker. Their household was familiar with what support work looked like — the routines, the emotional labour, and the quiet rewards that come with helping people live with dignity. As Dana took on more caregiving herself, she saw how that work could also be a pathway forward for herself.

The Community Support Worker program gave her tools and knowledge she could apply right away, even in her daily life — from communication techniques to learning how to support individuals with complex needs. It also gave her a new kind of structure during a time when everything felt uncertain. Weekly live sessions, clear deadlines, and access to responsive instructors helped her stay grounded and connected to something beyond her caregiving role.

When Dana began her practicum at Everbright Complex Needs Support Services, she was prepared. Working with adults from Nunavut who live with developmental disabilities and complex challenges, she found herself using what she had learned in real time. “I found myself drawing on everything I’d learned at Robertson — especially trauma-informed care, empathy, and cultural sensitivity,” she says.

For Dana, the program helped her build the skills she needed for a new career — but also offered something harder to define. After losing her mother during her time in the program, it gave her space to process that grief, to reflect, and to begin focusing on herself again after having devoted so much of her energy to caregiving.

“Robertson College helped me keep a promise, begin a new chapter, and rediscover hope.”

Dana’s story is a powerful example of what’s possible when education is built to meet students where they are. Because not every learner enters a program from the same spot. Sometimes, they bring a full life with them — responsibilities, history, and all. And for students like Dana, flexibility isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s what makes school possible.