Pandemic Reflections - Lelita Bailey

Meet Lelita. Lelita is one of our Program Managers at UWinnipeg PACE. She has a host of responsibilities at PACE including overseeing our Financial Management Diploma. We asked her to reflect on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her work life.

“Finding silver linings in these unprecedented times has been easier than one might think. People are coming together and supporting each other more than ever. We hear stories daily about the depth of the human spirit and compassion demonstrated in a hundred different ways.

During this time, I have witnessed more adaptability, innovation and resilience than ever before. In our fast PACEd work environment, adapting to industry trends and providing a top notch learning environment was an everyday occurrence. Then, the pandemic hit. Our workplace culture had positioned us well to adapt to the current situation and respond quickly to maintain our high quality programs. The PACE team hit the ground running and did not look back. The priority was our students and the goal was to continue to provide the highest quality programming.

Adapting to the new normal has had its challenges; getting used to virtual meetings, remote technology and more emails than ever. Thankfully, the PACE team has made this transition a breeze. Connection (virtual) has been one of the keys to the successful transition.

Just before our office closed, I remembered seeing the quote by Charles Darwin:

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” (But we’re smart and strong too!)

Although working remotely has its challenges, I am thankful every day for my friends at PACE, the group of outstanding instructors and students who have shown much resiliency over the last couple of months. The PACE team is second to none, providing support to each other, instructors and students alike.”