UFV grad from Mission receives Governor General’s Silver Medal
MISSION — A Mission resident went back to school after a 20-year break– and her hard work has been rewarded with the Governor General’s Silver Medal at the University of the Fraser Valley’s convocation ceremony earlier this month.
On June 10, Thea Bramer received her award along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child and Youth Care. The foster parent of 16 years said she was inspired to take the course after hearing from a UFV student she’d hired for child care.
“She shared a lot of the stuff that she was doing in her classes, which was the first time I’d ever heard about the Child and Youth Care program here at UFV. Getting my own bachelor’s degree was always something that I wanted to do, but I never found the right fit,” Bramer said.
Bramer is also the co-founder and executive director of The Growing Up Hope Society, a family togetherness program with 94 staff providing outreach prevention, a teaching home, and resources that support family connection for the children who reside there.
“We do all things based on relationships,” she explains. “We don’t work with our children in the absence of their families of origin, whatever that looks like for the family. We encourage our young people to have a voice at the table when it comes to their planning, their goals, the things that they want to work towards.”
Despite her experience, the UFV program provided her with more context, boundaries, and mindfulness skills. Armed with a degree and an award, Bramer is excited to come back to her team as an example to the people in her care.
“I think it really speaks to the fact that you can do anything at any point in your life. It’s never too late. You’re never too old. I took a 20-year break before coming back to university. And not only did I do it, but look at how well I did. It shows my kids that there were some hard times, but there was a reason and a purpose — and I think that this is part of it.”