Tamara Angeline Medford-Williams, GrCert 19, BA 20, GrDip 22, is at the helm of providing education, research and resources to marginalized individuals.
When Tamara Angeline Medford-Williams, GrCert 19, BA 20, GrDip 22, began her studies as an undergraduate at Concordia, her initial career objectives seemed straightforward. “I just wanted to help people,” she says.
As her university journey progressed, however, the vast course content, along with the invaluable insights of professors and peers alike, helped put her future into focus. “My vision became more and more refined,” she says.
With that solid academic foundation, Medford-Williams has since carved a unique and successful career path that speaks to her strengths, aligns with her values and adheres to her original goal of helping others.
Today, as director of Black Community Initiatives at the DisAbled Women’s Network (Dawn Canada), Medford-Williams is at the helm of providing education, research and resources to marginalized individuals. The Montreal-based national organization advocates for women and girls with disabilities who suffer from poverty, discrimination and violence. Its mission hits close to home, says Medford-Williams, who is a survivor of intimate partner violence.
“These experiences have deepened my empathy and understanding of complex challenges that other people face. It reinforces my commitment to public service and social justice, and has been one of the driving factors for my advocacy,” she says. “It's not always easy working in stressful environments and helping people who experience trauma while you're navigating your own, but it’s definitely fulfilling.”
Medford-Williams’s advocacy extends beyond her main job. Among other support-service positions, she serves as director of Strategic Planning at Welfare Avenue, a not-for-profit with a mission to eliminate homelessness. She’s also a family worker with AMCAL Family Services, which provides respite and counselling services to promote healthy family relationships, and she’s a clinical educator at Elizabeth House, an organization that supports positive parenting and life skills for new families. She juggles these and other commitments while pursuing her Master of Social Work at Wilfred Laurier University — all with a goal to help amplify the voices of the disempowered.
“I’ve experienced a lot of trauma in my life where my voice was minimized,” says Medford-Williams. “It's all about dismantling those barriers to ensure that every voice can be heard and every story can be valued.”
An education that ‘meant everything to me’
Medford-Williams attributes a meaningful experience at Concordia to the unwavering support, mentorship and friendships she forged as a student. She says that professors and staff showed genuine interest in her success. After her receiving her BA in Human Relations, Medford-Williams was set to pursue a Graduate Diploma in Youth Work at the university. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, and brought with it uncertainty and disruptions to education, she came close to not going forward with it. She credits staff members such as the late Sean Gordon, former graduate program assistant in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, and undergraduate program coordinator Alison Piela, who inspired her to continue on what proved to be the right track.
“Seeing people who work in academia and knowing how committed they were to my success and academic experience meant everything to me,” says Medford-Williams. She also credits Patti Ranahan, associate professor and graduate diploma program director, whom Medford-Williams describes as a trusted mentor.
“She continues to check in every few months. She’s even opened my mind to the possibility of teaching — before her, I never thought it would be something I could pursue.”
Medford-Williams is grateful for her Concordia education for leading her to a job where she can help guide people towards positive actions that can improve their lives. She says that she wants people to feel loved and cared for instead of experiencing isolation and helplessness.
“I want people to know that they are not alone and that there are resources to help them. That is really what keeps me going.”
