December 17, 2022
After 33 years of hard work, Mike Schumann retires in January. The thread that ties Mike’s incredible career is the special relationships he’s built with staff, people we support and their families.
Mike knew this was more than “just a job” after working with a student named Billy. Billy was disengaged, staff in the school were having a difficult time finding something that would peak his interest. Mike would go into the ball pit with him and play. They did this routine, incorporating other sensory toys and modified games, for over a year when one day, Billy became super engaged. “It was like he woke up, and after that moment, he was into everything, he was interested in everything. My supervisor at the time said, you helped make that happen, you helped change his life,” Mike recalls fondly.
At around the same time, Mrs. Khan the nurse manager for what was then called Mapleside Cottage, saw another incredible relationship developing between Mike and a student named Wade. She asked Mike to come work in the Cottages and to support Wade. “He was having a hard time. I worked with him in the school and I built a lot of trust with him and understood what he needed, helped him redirect his energy,” said Mike.
Their time together changed the course of Wade’s life. He graduated from school and now lives in the community. That relationship, Wade’s success and Mike’s part in it, is a memory Mike holds dearly.
Working on Mapleside, as a Resident Assistant, Mike began to see a long-term future in this field. He enjoyed the work and his work and dedication to the people we supported enhanced their strengths and helped them meet their goals.
He went back to school completing the Developmental Service Worker Program, and worked as a Recreation Instructor and leader in that area for 15 years. “Every Wednesday, I hosted story time, one of my favourite memories is reading Harry Potter. I dressed up in costume, I gave each person in the class a character in the book and they dressed in costume too. Everyone was excited. As I lit the candle and dimmed the lights, I started to read the book, then looked up….and everyone was asleep!” Mike says laughing.
He established vacation planning, and traditions for some of the people who lived at 440 River Road “Eight years in a row, I would bring the same group of guys to Albert Beach. It was so much fun, we would get beer, pick up movies from Blockbuster and just have a blast. I would tell them for two days straight -take your shoes off! Relax! We’re at the cottage!”
While he was enjoying his work, Berna Klassen, Mike’s former supervisor “and a wonderful person” Mike adds, encouraged him to think about leadership outside of his area. With her support, Mike completed the Health Services Management Leadership Program in the evenings for 3 years while working full time. From there, he moved on to supervise in Environmental Services, his St.Amant home for the last 14 years.
“It’s the people who have kept me here, that feeling of making a difference. They make a difference in my life, and I like to think I’ve made a difference in theirs too. Whenever I’m making a decision, even in Environmental Services, I think about the people I supported, Is this what’s best for them? The experience supporting people in a front line role has, guided me. That’s what’s kept me here all these years.”
While his organizational skills and kind, collaborative spirit will be missed, he has a new calling: Grandpa. Leah Marie, his first grandchild was born May 7, 2022 . He’s going to spend more time with her, be there for all her appointments and not miss a moment.
When thinking about the past 33 years he has one thing he would change “I’d take things slower, appreciate it more and worry less about doing so much.”