Meet some "NEW" people: Youth Employment Specialist Gersom Rodriguez
Gersom Rodriguez joined Newcomer Women's Services in 2016. He was the first male to be hired in the agency since it opened in 1983. His philosophy of life is inspired by this quote from Maya Angelou. "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Gersom Rodriguez is one of those people who exudes charisma. He has a curious and questioning mind, an infectious laugh and a great sense of style. When Gersom's in the room, you sense his genuine enthusiasm to advocate for social change and to make meaningful connections.
In his role as a Youth Employment Specialist at Newcomer Women's Services, he works with multi-barriered clients. It's a vulnerability he understands as he's had his own challenges when he was a teen growing up in Toronto.
"I did have a difficult life," Gersom shares. "There were dark and sad periods. Growing up with a single mom on a low income in the city was a struggle. I eventually had to drop out of high school to provide for myself and was exposed to a world I wasn’t prepared for.
"Losing friends to substance abuse, to the criminal justice system and to gun violence as a young man impacts you and changes your life forever. But I've come a long way with my lived experiences."
Gersom Rodriguez
Gersom says these experiences have given him the insight and drive to excel. For the past 15 years he’s worked in different roles and engaged with local and international communities in different capacities. Some highlights include participating in a humanitarian trip to El Salvador to deliver decommissioned City of Toronto ambulances to the country’s President. Another is when he returned to school as a mature student at Ryerson University and went on to win second place at the university's Social Xchange event for an app that gives Canadian youth an opportunity to be more politically engaged.
Gersom credits his personal and professional growth to the connections he’s cultivated with diverse individuals and communities. "I hope that through my lived experiences, I can give my clients hope to overcome their struggles in life and help them become the great people they are destined to be."
Back in the day…. Gersom with friends.
The turning point in Gersom's life came after he lost a close friend to substance abuse. He describes his friend as a person who had a magnetic personality who was also a vibrant and kind soul—someone who would split his last $5 with you.
"Before he died, I used to be very shy, and I wasn't very articulate," explains Gersom. "When he passed away, he inspired me to be more confident and more engaged with people. I was sad to know that the world was unable to meet such a great human being. In honour of his memory, I decided to celebrate his amazing qualities and adapt them into my daily life, make it a part of me so that the world can have the opportunity to know and connect with such a great personality. It's all my lived and professional experiences that brought me to work at NEW and to be there for my clients."
The young people—between the ages of 15 and 29—who work with Gersom are unemployed, and some may be houseless. They are coping with mental and physical challenges, and they may identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and/or indigenous or racialized people.
"I work with young people that are struggling, and because I once had a similar life myself growing up as young man, it's given me this gift of connecting with my clients in a meaningful and empowering way."
Gersom Rodriguez
Gersom says that he feels fortunate and, at times, flabbergasted by the positive influence he's able to have on the lives of the people he works with. He says he’s always deeply touched when they share their most sensitive moments with him. "I am thankful for the trust they have invested in me," he adds “When people share vulnerable details about their life with me—when they didn't have to, yet they felt comfortable to do so—is truly humbling."
If Gersom had the power to solve one problem in the world—and only one—it would be to do away with greed. "Greed is the source of all evil."
Looking ahead—because Gersom is driven to live an examined and full life—he wants to become an executive director of an agency dedicated to improving people's lives or the environment. He also wants to encourage everyone to become politically engaged.
“I have worked on campaigns and advised politicians about the disadvantaged communities they serve and what needs to be done,” he notes. "I talk to them about the difference between ethnocentrism and racism. It's ignorant for anyone to say they're not racist when there are policies, practices and multiple manifestations of microaggression that are targeting and impacting racialized Canadians at all levels within their lives on a daily basis. It's something that's socially constructed and embedded deeply in our social fabric and in all of us whether we realize it or not."
Learn more about the Youth Job Connection Program and how you can get involved. Plus, meet Gersom’s co-worker Latoya Dell.