A journey from a childhood dream to serving our community
Richard Wilmot recalls being a young child in Jamaica. His uncle, a police officer, would let Richard sit in the front seat of his police car, wearing his uniform hat. As he stretched to see over the steering wheel, Richard pictured himself as a police officer driving his cruiser. That childhood dream of becoming a police officer stayed with Richard as he grew up and came to Canada when he was nine years old.
Although Richard had been in grade five in Jamaica, he was placed in grade three when he came to Canada, with classmates two years younger than he was because of differences in the education system. Richard was shocked, adjusting not only to life in a new country, but to being the oldest student in the class. Determined to prove himself, Richard worked hard and wrote a test to be moved up to grade five.
While his dream of becoming a police officer never faded, he became discouraged after realizing how much harder he had to work to prove himself compared to his classmates. Richard decided to become a mechanic, discouraged that becoming a police officer was not attainable. After working as a mechanic and feeling unfulfilled and not passionate about his career, Richard’s childhood dream was reignited when he learned that his cousin enrolled in the Police Foundations program at Mohawk College.
“I started to think, if my cousin – a person I eat with, play with, and isn’t all that different from me – can do it, why can’t I?” Richard says. “I decided to finally pursue my dream and study Law and Security.”
After following in his cousin’s footsteps by studying Law and Security at Mohawk College, Richard decided to become a security guard to help gain real-world experience. Richard joined St. Joe’s as a Security Guard at St. Joe’s Charlton Campus, and quickly found the passion and fulfilment he had been seeking in a career. 26 years later at St. Joe’s, Richard is grateful that he took a leap of faith to study Law and Security, and for his decision to become a Security Guard.
“Being sick isn’t a matter of choice”
“When I’m walking around the hospital and monitoring the halls, seeing the same patient three or four shifts in a row, and seeing their condition improving, is very rewarding,” Richard says. “We see people at challenging times in their lives. I try to remember that in moments of difficulty, being sick isn’t a matter of choice and that it’s the patients’ condition that I’m seeing, not necessarily a reflection of the patients themselves.”
“Early in my career at St. Joe’s, we had a patient who was very upset. It was challenging, both physically and mentally. This went on for a few shifts, and eventually the patient was admitted. About a week later, I was walking through the lobby and this same patient approached me and was very apologetic for how he had behaved. We stood and talked for a while, and he shared with me some insights into his life. I came to understand that he was a good person who was going through a very difficult time. It’s a lesson that has stuck with me all these years later, and I try to keep it in mind with every challenging interaction I have.”
Richard credits his family as being his strongest support system. A father of two, Richard draws strength and encouragement from his children along with his wife, who is a Registered Nurse at St. Joe’s. Richard is also the owner of a disc jockey business, and says that music is a source of comfort.
“When I’m at work with my uniform on, I am colleagues with law enforcement officers, but I’m well aware that when I’m out in the community with my family, and I get pulled over, I can tell that I am being treated differently because of the colour of my skin,” Richard says. “I have a thick skin, but it does affect me. Drawing on the support and strength of my family, and having my music as an escape, helps me manage these situations.”
Richard is part of the planning committee at St. Joe’s for Black History Month activities, along with committee chairs Rawan Fadl, Jaleesa Bygrave and a group of fellow Black healthcare workers.
“Black History Month is an opportunity for St. Joe’s healthcare workers to gain a greater understanding of the different communities we serve,” Richard says. “Having a better understanding of our community helps provide better care for our patients.”