Laci Schulenborg receives national recognition for work with local service organization
Laci Schulenborg was just six months into addiction recovery when she decided to return to school. Life felt uncertain but she was sure of one thing: “I wanted to help people.”
She decided to enroll in VIU’s Psychology program. She experienced first-hand during her recovery the difference that the right supports can make and the subject felt like the natural path.
“I had a lot of people who helped me,” says the fourth-year Honours student. “I wanted to be able to do that for someone else.”
Returning to school as a mature student was intimidating. Living with anxiety and OCD, Laci worried that years of addiction had affected her focus and ability to learn. Sitting through lectures again felt overwhelming.
“It was more difficult than I thought it would be,” she admits.
She began most days at 5:30 am, studying in the library before classes. She worked several jobs while carrying a full course load. Her evenings often ended at 12-step meetings. Through it all, recovery remained her top priority. She stayed connected to her sponsor and support group and continues to show up even when she doesn’t want to.
“Sometimes I don’t even have much to say,” she says.
As she progressed in her course, her interest in harm reduction and community-based care grew. A work placement with AVI Health and Community Services allowed her to connect her schooling to real-word situations and gave her hands-on experience supporting people navigating substance use and recovery.
“I like that it challenged me,” she says. “I learned how to remain calm in really complex and unpredictable situations while still presenting trauma-informed care and approaching people with dignity.”
It also solidified for her that this was the type of work she wanted to focus on in her career. Laci now works on an enhanced harm reduction team that includes doctors, nurses and social workers. Her role centres on supporting clients and helping them feel respected and safe.
“Laci has become an integral part of our team at AVI, bringing an infectious positive attitude and consistently going above and beyond for the clients we support,” says Erin Adey, Laci’s supervisor. “She creates a safe and welcoming environment for both staff and service users and we’re very fortunate to have her on our team.”
Laci’s lived experience allows her to connect with clients in meaningful ways. She meets people at different stages of addiction and recovery and sees the weight of the stigma and the courage it takes to ask for help.
“It’s a stark reminder of where I could be,” she says. That reminder reinforces her commitment to her own recovery and to the people she works with.
Now, her dedication has been recognized at the national level. Laci is the recipient of this year’s Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL) Emery-Dufault Student of the Year Award, which recognizes exceptional dedication, professionalism and performance in a work-integrated learning experience.
She was previously named the top winner in VIU’s Work-Integrated-Learning awards, which led to nominations for the national CEWIL Canada award and the provincial ACE-WIL BC award, which she also won.
“Being nominated was an honour, but to actually win, I don’t really have words,” she says. “There are probably hundreds of extremely talented students who were also nominated, so to be put in the same category as them is massively meaningful and rewarding. I want to thank CEWIL and VIU for having work-integrated-learning opportunities and my professors and mentors who have helped me with my academic and career goals.”
Laci will be honoured alongside other VIU WIL award recipients at VIU on April 9.
Next up for Laci is graduate school, in either a counselling psychology or clinical psychology program.
“The practicum confirmed my career direction into counselling psychology, while sharpening my professional skills and collaboration, adaptability and ethical practice,” she says.
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