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Rebecca Simms

Alumni Profile: Rebecca Simms Currently, an activity director for retirement community. Education experience: 2017, business administration diploma at Loyalist College. 2024, B.A. in Psychology at Queen’s University. 2025, M.A. in counselling psychology at Yorkville University. Career timeline: 2025, activity director for retirement community. What made you choose this path? In this career path, I am able to utilize my background in Psychology by working with our aging seniors in Canada to ensure an enhanced quality of life and a greater sense of well-being for many who are in the last chapter of their lives. The passion I have for human dignity and respect is what led me to pursue this field, and I enjoy it more each day. My work with individuals with Alzheimer's and Dementia is frequently tied back to the foundational learning I built when obtaining my Undergraduate degree at Queen's. Do you have advice for students interested in pursuing a similar path? My advice for anyone interested in following a career path like this is to lead with confidence! Earning your degree is no small feat, and you deserve the professional opportunities you are curating for yourself. Remember to use your educational roots and keep your eye on what you are most passionate about and find ways to entertwine that into your work. What has been the biggest challenge on your career path so far, and how have you navigated it? My biggest challenge so far has definitely been imposter syndrome. When you are charged with the care of so many wonderful people, it can feel like a massive weight on your shoulders because you want to do the best possible job you can. When I'm feeling like this, I try to remind myself that I am capable of doing this job well and that the fact that I have these anxieties means I care a lot about the role! Self trust, determination, and self-care are all things that have helped me overcome these challenges. What has been the biggest joy on your career path so far? Seeing the improved quality of life in so many who suffer from neurodegenerative brain diseases like dementia. It is clear to me that the body has a physiological memory of whether or not someone is enjoying their day, and being able to bring joy to the surface for someone who is feeling isolated by their own mind has been an absolutely incredible part of my career journey so far and feels like a gift every day.

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