Adine Shuchuk, Early Childhood and Development ’88, has dedicated her life to advocating for children, their families and early education. The 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient shares her lifelong love of learning alongside children, her path into leadership and her work growing the field to benefit future childhood educators.

You clearly have a passion for early childhood education and providing helpful resources for families. Was there an experience that sparked that interest?

You'll hear people say, “Oh, I love kids.” For me, it was always more than that. It truly is a fascination. Before I even started babysitting, I was listening to two-year-olds and just amazed at what children that age already know. With that grew an interest in families, and how families form communities. When I discovered that you could go to post-secondary specifically for early childhood education, that was it for me.

Any unexpected challenges when you first turned that interest into a career?

The field of early childhood education is definitely fraught with burnout. It is physically and emotionally demanding work that is also physically and emotionally rewarding. It's not a lucrative career financially; it's a career that people choose because they have a passion and want to make a difference in the lives of children and families. So with that, as my career has grown over time, I've stepped more into advocating for the field and for what children deserve. 

How did mentorship play a role in you becoming the first program director of Parent Link?

I've been at Jasper Place Family Resource Centre for 31 years now – I'm kind of a creature of habit. I started here as an early childhood educator, worked with children with special needs, did some family support, then worked with pregnant and parenting teens, and then as a coordinator for West Edmonton Parent Link. As our executive director prepared for retirement after 40 years, she began to mentor me to take on the role.

Now that you’re the one in the leadership position, is mentorship a priority?

Absolutely, yes. Creating spaces that support other people to be the absolute best they can be is leadership to me. As I learn new skills or make new discoveries about leading and leadership, I share them. I meet with people one-on-one. Sometimes we might have a little book club or a reflective conversation, but it always ties back into early childhood and supporting families. It's the seed of everything.

Is there a particular accomplishment or initiative you've launched in your time at Jasper Place that you're particularly proud of?

Our work with the implementation of Flight, Alberta's early learning and care framework that was researched, developed and created by professors at MacEwan. Having a framework like that to implement for educators for young children and for families is fantastic. There's a Flight course that's offered now through MacEwan online, and I facilitate that course alongside professors. It is a neat way to tie back into MacEwan and to support the field. 

You also mentor students in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Curriculum Studies?

Participating on the program’s Advisory Council puts me in the role of advocate, and a spokesperson for the field. We share trends and insight on what things look like on the ground, and what the university should be looking for to prepare students. 

Do you have a favourite memory of your time at MacEwan?

I had a child in between my first and second year of school, and my favourite memory is how everyone in the program helped me be successful in that second year – whether it was bringing my child to class or rearranging my schedule. I got to be both a successful student and a parent at the same time.

What does receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award mean to you?

It’s such an honour. It helped me to realize my ongoing connection with MacEwan, and how my years as a student shaped who I became as an adult. The culture of MacEwan when I was a student was small, and the way I knew my professors and the way people looked out for each other, set me on a journey. I I knew I wanted more of that. I’ve always been proud to tell people where I went to school, and now I'm even more proud.