My name is Marissa Ditoro and I am a third year social work student, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, but now a local of Milton, Ontario.

I’m very involved in the Algoma community – which happened more by accident than on purpose. There are so many groups to be a part of and it would be a loss of opportunity not to get involved. Getting involved has helped me find people who care about and are interested in the same areas as myself. I knew the small school size would be great for getting involved, but I had no idea I would be able to get involved at the level that I have been, actually taking leadership roles, seeing groups and programs take the direction I want, and being able to make a mark on Algoma.

I am a residence advisor, member of the cross-country running and Nordic skiing team, and an incoming member of the student union. In addition to these things, I am an avid outdoors enthusiast, aspiring ski bum, and hopeful wilderness activist. I actually found this direction after coming to Algoma through the opportunities I had to spend so much of my time outside. Whether it’s canoeing on Lake Superior, riding my bike to Hiawatha to run a few hills, exploring ice caves with friends or snowboarding for hours at Searchmont Ski Resort – I’ve spent far more time learning and growing outdoors than indoors!

I’ve always loved the outdoors. Being outside as much as I have has shown me that I need to be able to have a future career in the outdoors. I know I want to combine social work and the outdoors to work in wilderness adventure therapy and environmental activism. My identity has been shaped by the environment I am in as well as the environment I am absent from. Algoma’s environment has shaped me in terms of finding what I want to do with the rest of my life, while being absent from my country for some time has made me realize I need to go back in order to make changes with environmental protections and social activism. I want to be able to share my love of the outdoors with others, whether that be fellow students, faculty, friends, or family, and Sault Ste. Marie is the perfect place to start.

Stay tuned for more updates from the ski hill, bike lanes, and hiking trails!

Written by: Marissa Ditoro

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