It’s never too late for a new start.

Stella Rapi’s work experiences are as rich as they are diverse, working with children and youth on both sides of the globe.

Stella began her journey with Ranch Ehrlo six years ago, shortly after emigrating from her home in Greece. It was there that Stella first developed a passion and interest in working with vulnerable children and youth.

 “Before I came to Canada, I lived in Greece, and I created a non-profit initiative where I and other volunteers taught history to children in orphanages and refugee camps in Athens. That was the real start of my work with children.” 

“When I came to Canada, I was looking for similar work, and then I met a friend of a friend who told me about Ranch Ehrlo,” she continued. “He described to me what they do, and I found it fascinating. I thought ‘I’d like to work there’.”

Stella has filled multiple positions at the agency over the years – her first experience working as a casual staff, then as a multiple program worker, and then as a youth care worker (YCW) at Mitchell House.

Her experiences as a direct care staff further enforced her passion for helping and healing and so she began part-time studies to complete a master’s degree in counselling psychology at Athabasca University. 

Up until recently, Stella was concurrently working as a YCW while studying for her master’s. She is now on education leave to fulfill 400 practicum hours at Ehrlo Counselling – a requirement for both her degree and Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) certification.

“I’m excited to see how our classroom theory applies to a therapy environment,” said Stella. “I’ve shadowed a few sessions and it’s just fascinating, it’s so interesting and better than I was expecting.”

In addition to shadowing her direct supervisor, Stella will shadow other therapists to learn their approaches and help her further develop as a professional. In addition to her direct client hours, Stella will also learn about policies, report writing, administrative responsibilities, and more. 

Upon completion of her practicum and another few classes, Stella will graduate and move on to pursue greater career goals at Ranch Ehrlo.

“My hope is to work as a caseworker or clinical consultant at Ranch Ehrlo because my passion is working with youth. Working with the kids is fun. Some days I can’t believe it’s ‘work’."