Above and Beyond with Ms. St. Onge 

When prompted, St. Onge said her favourite part of working in education was the people. She loves working with youth and family and enjoys learning about the lives and experiences of others. As a child, she imagined herself becoming a psychologist because of her love of people

Ms. St. Onge’s career started at Nipissing University, a small school in her hometown of North Bay with a tight-knit campus and many opportunities. There, Ms. St. Onge double majored in history and psychology, with a minor in English and concurrent education. 

Although she loved psychology, which led her professor to suggest grad school, she disliked the thought of spending the rest of her life in a lab, which is why she chose teachers college instead! She was also a student athlete, playing varsity Volleyball (for 1 year) and Soccer (for 5 years). 

Ms. St. Onge initially worked at White Oaks Secondary School as an English teacher. She also taught in the LEAP program, an initiative for disengaged students. Ms. St. Onge became a Special Education department head in her 5th year at White Oaks and was responsible for the Locally Developed program, along with monitoring Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). 

It’s safe to say that Ms. St. Onge has done it all!

In her free time, Ms. St. Onge loves to bake and read, her favourite book being The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. St. Onge also has a passion and taste for music. Her favourite song of all time is “This Must be the Place” by Talking Heads, and her favourite album of all time is Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. 

Although Ms. St. Onge has changed over the years, her love for athletics hasn’t. Having grown up playing soccer, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball, she remains involved in sports - playing volleyball and coaching her daughter’s volleyball team. 

While she isn’t a student anymore, Ms. St. Onge knows the stress of preparing for post-secondary all too well, as she had to settle for Nipissing University after a knee injury, which took away her chance to play sports at an American school. 

Despite the decision being heartbreaking at the time, Ms. St. Onge wants students to know that “making a decision of where you go can be stressful, but the reality is, no matter the decision, you are right, you can always change your [mind].” Additionally, she encourages students to be brave and focus on what they are excited and engaged about, rather than the interests of their friends.