If You Want to Know How to Change the World, Talk to Sandy Falcon
This Alum Excels at Putting her Social Justice Degree to Work
"For me, public transportation is social justice in action because it meets a basic community need," Sandy Falcon says.
"Public transportation was the only way I could get to school when I was a kid growing up in a low-income neighbourhood in Toronto. Later, I used buses to commute to work, buy groceries, and take my kids to the doctor."
As a Lakehead undergraduate student, Sandy did a placement with Dress for Success, a non-profit that supports unemployed women trying to enter the workforce by providing business clothing and mentoring. Sandy also investigated the feasibility of starting a similar non-profit for unemployed men as part of a project with the MITACS research organization.
Today, Sandy is a graduate of Lakehead's Master of Social Justice Studies program and the Town of Collingwood's community transportation co-ordinator.
Her Lakehead degree gave her the tools to achieve her childhood dream of helping others.
A Transformative Social Justice Degree Comes to Orillia
Sandy went back to school as a mature student and a mother of four because she felt compelled to create positive change in her community.
After earning a Law Clerk diploma at Georgian College, she enrolled at Lakehead Orillia where she majored in criminology.
Sandy Falcon (BA'20/HBASc'20/MA'22) takes a moment to celebrate her graduation from Lakehead's Master of Social Justice Studies program in 2022.
In 2020, Sandy was getting ready to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree when she heard some exciting news.
Lakehead was considering making its Master of Social Justice Studies program available on the Orillia campus.
"They decided to pilot an online version of the program with just five students," Sandy says.
"They asked me if I wanted to join. I said, 'Sign me up.'"
It's a decision she hasn't regretted.
"I had so many different opportunities while I was doing my social justice degree.
As part of my practicum stream, I was able to start Unknown Neighbours—a non-profit that gave vulnerable migrant workers in Canada access to legal, social, and health services," she says.
"All the social justice courses I took were amazing, the program in its entirety was amazing," Sandy adds.
"Every single professor I studied with was extremely knowledgeable and supportive."
Sandy ran the Unknown Neighbours non-profit from 2020 to 2023, using COVID pandemic funding to assist Mexican and Jamaican agricultural workers. "Dr. Douglas West, a wonderful Lakehead political science professor, helped me with the funding application and the administration of Unknown Neighbours."
Sandy also underwent life-changing personal and academic growth, especially when she learned about the theory of intersectionality. It's a concept that explains how aspects of an individual's identity—like their race, class, and gender—can lead them to be treated in discriminatory or privileged ways.
"Intersectionality made so much sense to me as a woman, as an immigrant, as a BIPOC person, and as a person with a disability," she says.
"I thought, 'Oh this is who I am, it all makes sense now.'"
Why a Bus is Much More than a Vehicle
After Sandy completed her Master of Social Justice Studies, she was hired by the Simcoe-Muskoka branch of the Red Cross.
"I wanted to work for them because they're the largest humanitarian organization in the world and I wanted to help everybody that I could."
She initially oversaw their Community Connector program for seniors before becoming the assistant manager of community health and wellness programs such as Meals on Wheels, Friendly Visiting, and transportation services.
In 2024, she launched the next phase of her career as the Town of Collingwood's community transportation co-ordinator.
"Public transportation is a lifeline that makes it possible for people to go about their everyday activities," Sandy says. Photo Credit: Town of Collingwood
This role offered a new way to provide essential services and make life more equitable for Collingwood residents.
Her first order of business was to become a passenger on every single bus route to discover how to make the city easier for everyone to navigate.
"I try to experience things firsthand. It strikes me as odd to design and make decisions about a service when you've never used it."
Sandy also ensures that buses remain accessible to people with visual, hearing, and mobility challenges.
She attributes much of the success she's had helping her fellow citizens to her social justice degree.
"Social justice will give you the knowledge and understanding to see the world through a completely different lens."
Are you interested in fostering social justice and laying the foundation for a meaningful career with non-profits, governments, or community partners? Then click here to learn more about Lakehead Orillia's Master of Social Justice Studies degree.