Jennifer Gauthier (BA ’09) is dedicated to ensuring Niagara’s most vulnerable members are provided with inclusive, accessible survivor-centred support.

“Regardless of the social concern, I want to make a difference,” says the 2025 Faculty of Social Sciences Distinguished Graduate award winner.

A tireless advocate and community leader, Gauthier may be best known for her current role as Executive Director of Birchway Niagara, formerly known as Women’s Place.

Over the past few years, Birchway Niagara has been recognized for its focus on inclusion, diversity, equity and access. In 2025, the organization was named Employer of the Year by Bridges Niagara Immigrant and Refugee Services.

When she began studying Psychology at Brock, Gauthier believed her future would involve clinical practice. But a combination of courses, experiential learning and volunteer opportunities helped uncover a different path forward.

Classes on intimate partner relationships and criminal behaviour and training in risk assessment led her to volunteer with the John Howard Society, where she conducted risk assessments for individuals on probation or parole who had been charged with domestic violence offences.

She became passionate about the field and started working as a counsellor for women and children at a local women’s shelter soon after completing her degree. She also provided support as a crisis counsellor, mental health facilitator and child protection worker.

From 2011, Gauthier managed programs and shelter operations for Women’s Place, becoming its Executive Director by 2018. Women’s Place was rebranded in 2023 as Birchway Niagara with Gauthier at the helm and continues to provide essential, compassionate support for women and children facing abuse.

But Gauthier says she also saw an opportunity to effect change by furthering her education. Alongside her career achievements, she has pursued additional post-graduate studies in human resources management and harm reduction.

“Harm reduction was not that popular when I first started in my sector, so I wanted to make sure we were implementing harm reduction practices within the shelter in an educated and informed way,” she says. “A passion of mine is making sure that regardless of an individual’s circumstances, everyone can get access to safety, so we make sure we’re able to support every individual entering the shelter, whether they’re new to Canada, they use substances or have mental health concerns.”

This advanced training, as well as her soon-to-be completed MBA from Brock’s Goodman School of Business, has not only resulted in improved service delivery for Birchway clients, but also allowed her to equip future leaders as an adjunct instructor in Niagara College’s Human Resources program.

Beyond these professional roles, Gauthier serves as Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network, a Board Member with A Child’s World and a member of the Coalition to End Violence Against Women. She has also worked with Niagara Recycling and Kawartha Polymers, the United Way Executive Director’s Committee and the Niagara Region’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee to support many aspects of community service.

In 2019, she received a Top 40 Under 40 Business Achievement Award from Business Link Media Group.

Looking back on her own career, Gauthier says that students gain perspective on potential career paths by volunteering.

“Don’t be afraid to explore opportunities that are outside the scope of your degree,” she says. “Some of the experiences I tried helped me realize what wasn’t right for me, and that clarity was just as valuable. So, take those chances — it’s how you discover where your true passions are and what you really care about.”