Mairin is on a journey of self-discovery. In her mid-20s, she already possesses a good understanding of herself. Mairin has a keen eye for fashion, whether it’s choosing hair ornaments or coordinating colours of her outfits, she presents herself in an attractive manner. Her sense of beauty extends to flowers, admiring their endless shapes and forms. She loves being active and participates in many recreational activities. Her heart truly blossoms in close relationships with her family and friends, where she feels a strong sense of love and acceptance.
As you get to know Mairin, you’ll be captivated by her sweet and endearing personality, as her face lights up when she’s with you. She builds connections through shared activities, and her coffee dates at Starbucks, particularly enjoying Frappuccinos and Strawberry Pink Drinks, are highlights of her day. Mairin’s favorite bonding experiences include shopping with her mom and sister, looking for pretty dresses, or having nail-painting sessions with her Aunty. She looks forward to sharing her dad and brother’s love of cars at car shows and cheering on the Abbotsford Canucks together as a family.
Hockey and Starbucks are two of Mairin’s favourite activities in the community. At top (centre) she celebrates her birthday with two of her former support workers at the community inclusion she attended. At right, Mairin cheers on the Abbotsford Canucks.
Mairin has a part-time cleaning job at the main Bethesda office in Abbotsford twice a week. She most looks forward to the interactions and the friendly atmosphere she encounters during her rounds to empty office garbage bins. Gwen, her previous LIFE Services coach, explains that Mairin values her job at the office for the connections it fosters. “She genuinely enjoys greeting everyone here and connecting.”
Mairin values her job for the differences it makes in her life. It allows her to take trips to places like Mexico with her family and indulge in her love for Starbucks. Additionally, it grants her the freedom to purchase the feel-good items, such as nail polish and hair barrettes.
Mairin is supported in this job by the recently added LIFE Services, which aims to equip people to learn new skills, increase their network and live full lives in community. The service aligns perfectly with Mairin’s exploration of her dreams and interests.
While working with Mairin earlier in the year, Gwen and she discovered her desire for a secondary job. She doesn’t want to let go of her current job, but she would like to venture into something different. Mairin and her current coach, Karina, are now exploring various possibilities that match Mairin’s interests. She expresses her desire to work with flowers, and Karina envisions her in roles like a hair salon or spa, where she can be part of a community while performing specific tasks like sweeping up hair, cleaning towels, and greeting people. Another possibility is working in a flower nursery, where the pace is quieter. Whatever she chooses, it will be within her community, emphasizing the importance of relationships.
Karina pauses and remarks about that it is so extraordinary to think the expectation that she could have more wasn’t there years ago. “You know, jobs would typically be janitorial and stay that way, and so to see it becoming normal to want to find a job that matches a person’s interests and goals, that’s amazing progress. She wants something that’s fulfilling to her and that’s a reasonable expectation.”
Karina, Mairin’s LIFE Services coach, supports her with current cleaning job at the Bethesda provincial office. Together they’ve found simple solutions to overcome challenges, helping to build Mairin’s skill and confidence.
Throughout her journey, Mairin is not only discovering her passions but also strengthening the other pillars of life: learning, inclusion, and friendships. Although she excels at making friends, she is honing skills to initiate and deepen friendships independently. Karina says, “There’s a whole bunch of choices that go into friendships, like getting to a friend’s place, or even asking someone if they’d like to be a friend, because that’s risky. And then there’s making sure to text a friend in advance to arrange a time to get together.” Mairin and Karina are working together to build her confidence in these areas, and these skills can be applied to success in her job and other aspects of her life.
Gwen shares an example of Mairin’s growth, specifically in her ability to order drinks at Starbucks. Mairin can sometimes struggle to ask people she doesn’t know well for things, as can be the case when ordering complex drinks at Starbucks. However, they devised a solution: she now screenshots her favorite drinks on her phone, and if she ever encounters difficulty, she simply shows the baristas a picture of the drink she wants. This method has boosted her confidence significantly, and she’s even applied it to ordering sandwiches at Subway.
That is success: supporting someone to gradually step out of their comfort zone and then to see them apply what they learned in other areas of their life.
Mairin has many things going for her because she has been so strongly supported by her family and community over the years. She actively participates in swimming and track and field through Special Olympics, engages in Zumba, dance and yoga classes at the Fraser Valley Down Syndrome Centre, and maintains a regular exercise routine. Additionally, she’s a welcomed member of her church community. On top of all that, she finds time to engage in quality time with her family. Karina laughs, ‘She has a life many would envy. Yeah, she has a marvellous life and she hasn’t even tapped into it all.”
Cover image shows Mairin with her former LIFE Services coach Gwen. Mairin’s appreciation of flowers is leading to explore options for a second part-time job that may involve working with flowers in some capacity.
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month when we promote the benefits of inclusive hiring and celebrate the contributions people of all abilities make in our businesses and communities. Learn more about inclusive employment at Canadian Association for Supported Employment.
