Back to Search
Meet Divya Massilamani, Clinical Administrative Assistant in Genetics
As a high school student, Divya dreamed of going into medicine, specifically pediatrics. To complete her mandatory volunteer hours, she volunteered at CHEO and quickly realized that there was more to this hospital than she thought. With so many ways she could get involved with kids, Divya realized there was no better place to work than CHEO.
While getting her Bachelor of Science, Divya got a short contract as a project assistant at the Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre (OCTC) before they amalgamated with CHEO. Her exceptional work led to multiple contract renewals. When CHEO and OCTC merged, she discovered the preschool program and eagerly applied to their autism weekend respite program. Divya soon became a program assistant at the OCTC Preschool, where she found immense fulfillment. The joy of making a difference in the lives of so many children made her realize she had found her true career path.
“It was an extra bonus going home each day and knowing I changed a child’s life in some way today. Whether it was helping them with verbal or therapy exercises, I got a lot of gratification and that’s what made me stay as long as I have.”
It was at this point that Divya realized she didn’t need to become a pediatrician to work with children in the medical field. So, she changed career pathways to become an early childhood educator (ECE) and completed a Bachelor of Psychology.
Like many young adults, Divya got married and started looking for more permanent positions. Knowing she didn’t want to go anywhere else other than CHEO, she saw a position available in the genetics laboratory for an administrative assistant. This interested her as she had worked with children with rare disorders before and this would give her an opportunity to learn more about that. And that’s where she’s been ever since.
Over the years, Divya has seen CHEO’s preschoolers graduate, learned ASL to help communicate with kids and seen countless kids improve thanks to CHEO’s care. She still holds on to many thank-you gifts given to her by kids, a reminder of why she does what she does.
“In some way or another, you’re making a different in someone’s life. No matter what department or your position, even if it doesn’t feel like it, you are.”
CHEO is filled with hardworking and helpful like Divya. Join us.