PANNIQTUUQ/PANGNIRTUNG - When her great uncle had a stroke she was able to be there and help him daily. Now, after going to school, Selina Nowdlak is working at the Pangnirtung Health Centre as a community therapy assistant and is helping other residents in her community.

"I like to help people," she said.

In May 2008 Nowdlak began the community therapy assistant program at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit. She graduated in October 2009.

In February 2010, she began working at the health centre assisting physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and audiologists.

"I'm very busy," she said. She works out of the health centre, does home visits and makes stops at the elementary school.

On an average day, Nowdlak said she sees anywhere between seven and nine clients.

When she is working with physiotherapy clients such as those who have had a stroke, she shows them how to do a home exercise program to improve their strength and mobility.

"I show them the proper body technique, keeping safety in mind," she said.

She said it is rewarding to her clients do their exercises faster and become stronger.

Assisting an occupational therapist means Nowdlak has to bring equipment to a client's home and show them how to use it, such as a bath transfer bench, a grab bar, a wheelchair or a floor-to-ceiling pull or bed rail.

Nowdlak said she is soon going have an opportunity to work with a speech language pathologist, working with children to improve their speech. She could be also working with someone who might have dementia.

Nowdlak said she originally wanted to become a social worker before she heard about community therapy. She said she did not know quite what it was at first.

Now she has her own office at the Pangnirtung Health Centre which opened in the summer.

"It's great. At first I didn't have an office; I shared it with our homecare representative," she said.

To expand and build on her knowledge, Nowdlak has bi-weekly meetings with her supervisors in each discipline.

She was scheduled to attend the Nunavut Rehab Education Conference in Iqaluit.

Her education continues as she uses the tele-health machine to have a weekly chat with a physiotherapist in Iqaluit.

Connected to a satellite via a TV, she is able to interact and learn using technology.

"It took some getting used to. I used to be shy but now I'm comfortable with it," she said.

Nowdlak said the biggest perk of the job is being able to help others.