Christian Samoisette has been named Supervisor of the Year for his dedication to student interns from the Security and Police Studies bachelor program at the University of Montreal.
“I was very surprised,” says Mr. Samoisette, who was given the award at the annual gala organized by the university’s School of Criminology. “For me, this award means recognition. We put in a lot of hours to help the interns.” His colleagues were equally surprised, he adds, as the award recipient is determined by the university, and not by nomination.
As a mentor, the CLSC Metro Planning, Programming and Research Officer for Emergency Measures, Civil Security meets one-on-one with his students weekly during the 15-week internship. The students must complete a project to receive course credit successfully, which is tailored both to their interests and the needs of the security department.
“The students challenge us and always bring in new ideas,” says Mr. Samoisette. “They inspire us to look at new and improved ways of doing our work. They bring in a breath of fresh air.”
Mr. Samoisette supervised his first intern in 2014 when he worked at CSSS de la Montagne. Since the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal network formed, he has mentored three additional students. One of the interns he guided filled a position in Security at CIUSSS Centre-Sud.
The award-winning supervisor aims to instill a solid work ethic in each of his students, and plans to take them under his wing for as long as the collaboration between the university and the CIUSSS is in effect.
“I hope to help them grasp how to prioritize their tasks,” he says. “In Security, anything can become urgent, but it’s important to keep cool and direct your actions towards what is most important.”
