THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Jaleesa Paulette knows how important it is to have a local workforce in a small town, especially when it comes to social work.

Jaleesa Paulette returned to her hometown of Fort Smith to work as a community social services worker. - photo courtesy of Jaleesa Paulette

"I'm an aboriginal social worker in the North," she said. "I'm proud to be aboriginal and doing the job that I'm doing in my hometown."

Paulette said that even from a young age, she knew she wanted a job that would allow her to help others.

"I think I started to think about doing it as a career when I was pretty young, probably in Grade 7," she said. "My ultimate goal of wanting to be a social worker was just wanting to make a difference."

Paulette attended Aurora College in Yellowknife where she earned her social work diploma.

She was only 18 at the time and said living away from home was a challenge. She'd never moved away from home on her own before.

"The transition was definitely difficult," she said. "I remember it was so hard, having to cook and buy groceries and do all those things that my parents had done before for me."

But Paulette persevered and earned her diploma. She then went on to earn her bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Regina.

While school was tough, Paulette said it's important for people who want to become social workers to stay determined.

"Staying focused on why you wanted to be a social worker or why you got interested in it is the main thing to keep in mind when you're going through school and you're frustrated," she said.

Paulette lived in Regina for about a year and a half before a job opportunity as a community social services worker opened in Fort Smith. She said working in a field that often deals with sensitive issues in the town where she grew up can be difficult, but Paulette knows many people appreciate her work.

"People have said, 'I'm so glad that you're working'," she said. "It's nice to hear."