Christine’s professional journey has been anything but linear. It’s been shaped by a wide range of experiences that led to her confirming her true passion and purpose. “One day, I found myself in an office with no windows and two large screens full of Excel spreadsheets, a headset on my head, thinking, ‘How did I get here?’ I’d gone from working directly with people to no longer having face-to-face contact with them,” she says. “So, I left and went back to school.”
Walter’s commitment to helping others led to a return to university at age 38 to complete both a bachelor’s and master’s, and again at 55 to start a second master’s. Her decision meant having to spend time in classrooms filled mostly with younger classmates, but more than that, it meant needing a large dose of courage to start again.
During the pandemic, Christine’s internship ended earlier than expected and she graduated without a traditional ceremony. The milestone was marked quietly, but it stood as a powerful testament to her resilience and resolve.
Less than a year after completing her studies, Christine started a private psychotherapy practice. Today, she works primarily with adults and seniors, as well as young people who are navigating transitions, uncertainty and identity.
One of the most powerful lessons Christine took from her earlier work with Alzheimer’s patients is simple yet profound: don’t wait to start. “Plan for the future, but don’t postpone what matters most. Whatever you’re passionate about or what’s important to you, do it now,” she says. A philosophy she’s turned into action.
While updating her will, Christine asked herself a fundamental question: What matters most to me? The answer was her clients, her education, her accomplishments and the values that guided her return to school.
Accordingly, she and her husband have confirmed a future gift to the University of Ottawa to create a scholarship fund in counselling psychology in their names, specifically for women pursuing their studies as mature students.
Going back to university later in life isn’t a small decision. Many returning students delay their dreams because of family responsibilities, finances, life situations or self doubt. Christine saw classmates who had delayed their return for years before the circumstances were right. “My intention is important to me, because I was not a young woman when I went back. I know how hard it is,” she says.
While it has its challenges, Christine also knows that maturity brings benefits and strengths: perspective, discipline, resilience and clarity of purpose. Mature students often arrive with lived experience that enriches classroom discussions and deepens professional practice.
Christine hopes to support women who, just like herself, have decided to fulfil their ambition even at a later stage in life. “I want to lift women up to positions that they deserve to have, that they want to have and that they dream of having,” she says.
And as for the high school teachers who once told her she’d never make it to university, Christine smiles at the thought. “I have news for you,” she’d tell them. “I did it.”
Christine’s journey demonstrates that timelines are personal, that detours are part of growth and that courage can emerge at any point in life. Through her work and future scholarship, Christine is helping others, especially women brave enough to start again, to hear a more empowering message than the one she once received: You can.
Many University of Ottawa alumni have included a gift to the University and its students in their estate plans. It’s important to inform the University of your intentions, so that our planned giving team can validate the designation of your future gift with you. To learn more about this type of philanthropic project, email us at [email protected].