50th Anniversary Memory: Hanna Cabaj (TESOL Certificate, 1988)

I arrived at Woodsworth College in 1985, straight from a refugee camp in central Europe, having found that my university degree and teaching credentials from my home country were not opening any employment doors as a new immigrant to Canada. As the accreditation process with the Ministry of Education was expected to be a protracted one, I sought to find an alternative career instructing in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) non-credit programs in the city. Woodsworth College's TESOL program was the foot in the door.

As I arrived just at the beginning of the new academic year, with no money, and supporting myself on a minimal-age job, I was in dire straights on how to proceed. When I came into the Woodsworth office for the in-person registration, I found angels of mercy who sprang into action to help me: Professor Jack Chambers personally interviewed me and took my writing samples to admit me without the qualifying language test that I missed, and an admission counsellor, Damon Chevrier, filled in an application for a bursary which I did not even know existed, and which allowed me to take two courses instead of one for which I had saved funds.

I graduated from the program with honours in 1988 and have found a rich and exciting career in the field of second language teaching. I will be grateful to Woodsworth and the staff mentioned (and others who worked in the program over my years there) forever.

After Graduation

I have been working in the field of adult non-credit language training in the city of Toronto, as an instructor and finally a program manager, with a long career in the sector.

Have a memory to share?

Help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary by sharing a memory or testimonial of your time at Woodsworth College. Tell us about friendships formed, your favourite classes, study spots and professors, your mentors or role models, and any other significant memories that have had a life-long impact on you.

Click here to submit your memory or testimonial.