Ştefana’s path to working at Maison St-Raphaël was anything but straightforward and logical! Some career paths, like hers, are shaped by the whims of destiny. Ştefana Victoria Netea (her full name), is the Executive and HR Coordinator of Maison St-Raphaël and is part of the small administrative team that works Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. She likes to think that she didn’t find Maison St-Raphaël, it found her.
Originally from Romania, Ştefana arrived in Quebec with an impressive academic and professional background. She holds a bachelor’s degree in administration with a specialization in marketing, a teaching diploma in economics and a master’s degree in human resources from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, in Romania. She also took a specialized secondary-level course in computer science, the equivalent of a CEGEP course here. Interestingly, she also studied plastic arts for a year.
Ştefana came to Maison St-Raphaël in a very unique context. After a particularly intense period that included resuming her studies, the pandemic, mourning her mother’s passing and caring for her son, she decided to return to work.
So she activated the “Open to work” status on her LinkedIn profile. It was then that serendipity, or perhaps the hand of fate, set her on the path to Maison St-Raphaël, because believe it or not, just three hours after putting her desire for work out into the world, someone at Maison St-Raphaël contacted her. This marked a career renewal for her, while evoking, in its own way, a return home.
Before joining Maison St-Raphaël, Ştefana worked for the Canadian Cancer Society from 2010 to 2017. This led her to develop solid expertise in providing support, an essential skill that she puts to full use in her current role. A pillar of the team, she is responsible for welcoming and integrating new employees, thereby actively helping create a work environment that is both warm and organized. Committed and attentive to detail, Ştefana also manages employment contracts, oversees the recruitment process and coordinates interviews and administrative follow-up for management and the board of directors. She is also in charge of coordinating the Canada Summer Jobs program.
What does she love most about her work? “Nearly everything,” she said. What she especially enjoys is the atmosphere at Maison St-Raphaël, which she describes as welcoming, open, non-judgmental, supportive and full of light. She feels that she has a purpose, that she belongs and that she’s contributing to something greater than herself.
Incidentally, she was truly delighted to take on the role of interpreter for the care team, to facilitate communication with the relatives of a Romanian patient recently admitted to Maison St-Raphaël. The family members, who were not fluent in either French or English, were able to rely on Ştefana. Thanks to her help, the patient and her loved ones were able to settle in peacefully and develop a relationship of trust with the medical staff. This was a meaningful moment for Ştefana, but it perfectly sums up what she brings to Maison St-Raphaël.
Outside work—I think many of you already know—Ştefana loves to sing. She has been singing since the age of seven, and even today, despite her familial and professional responsibilities, she devotes considerable time to this passion. For her, singing is a form of therapy, a second life. “Singing gives me wings,” she said. Through music, she expresses as much emotion as she takes in. Since 2010, she has been a member of the Chœur philharmonique du Nouveau Monde, an ensemble of 150 singers that has given many concerts throughout Canada and Europe.
On the theme of end of life, when asked about a creative work that left an impression on her, she mentioned the movie The Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, a story of two men with an incurable disease who decide to pursue their dreams before dying. Ştefana was touched by the bond forged between the two protagonists, their courage and the humour with which they faced this difficult passage.
If she could change one thing in society, it would be to create a world in harmony, where children live healthy, happy lives, safe within their family circle. Ştefana Victoria Netea radiates gentleness, resilience and authenticity in everything she does. She’s proud of her Romanian heritage, of her rugged country with its rich history and mild climes. She hopes to go back one day.
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