As the team at St. Matthew's House prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the organization wanted more than a party, it wanted to showcase its inspiring story where it came from and the impact it makes today.
Godwin "Delali" Degbey and Jacob Maduka, both class of 2025 graduates of Mohawk College's Photography - Still and Motion program, were eager to bring that story to life.
In spring 2025, members of St. Matthew's House 50th anniversary planning committee connected with Mohawk College's Centre for Entrepreneurship. The Hamilton-based non-profit multi-service agency was seeking students to work on a short documentary to be shared at an event they were hosting in November.
The opportunity emerged as Delali and Jacob were wrapping up their program. The project was facilitated through the college's Student Enterprise, a fee-for-service program run by the Centre for Entrepreneurship that connects students and recent graduates with real clients.
Taking on a 50-year story
Working closely with producers Tim McKenna, Sue Prestedge, and Jane Allison from St. Matthew's House, Delali and Jacob eagerly took on the challenge of visually telling a complex story spanning five decades. "They told us the direction to go, which is the story they wanted to tell," Jacob said. "Our part was to visually tell the story." As international students, Delali from Ghana and Jacob from Nigeria, the project allowed them to demonstrate the skills they've built over the two-year program in Canada.
From the producers' perspective, the collaboration exceeded expectations. Both Tim and Sue shared how impressed they were with the students as collaborators. "Professional, creative, open to suggestions, great with the St. Matt's clients and always available for a demanding shooting schedule. We could not have done this without them," said Tim.
The students worked as freelancers throughout the project, managing footage, b-roll, and edits while collaborating closely with the producers. "Overall, the students did a fantastic job running this project as freelancers, seeking out support from our team when they needed it," Natalie said. "This was a great example of how [the college] can offer entrepreneurial experiences to students and recent grads while still providing them with the necessary guidance as young freelancers and entrepreneurs."
The final documentary follows a clear narrative arc, from the founding of St. Matthew's House, through decades of community service, to its vision for the future.
That sense of purpose resonated deeply in the finished film. "Their belief in the St. Matt's programs is evident in the final edit," Tim said.
Jane Allison added, "The final film is a beautiful story and exactly what we were hoping for. It may have exceeded what we were hoping for, to be honest."
The completed 16-minute documentary premiered at St. Matthew's House's anniversary celebration in November.
"I attended the gala, and the documentary our students created was truly the highlight of the evening," said Program Coordinator and Professor Scott Kenney. "I couldn't be prouder of how professionally Delali and Jacob represented our program."
For Delali and Jacob, the project reinforced the value of experiential learning. "You learn a whole lot that you don't get to learn in the classroom," Delali said. "This was real-world experience."
As St. Matthew's House looks ahead to its next 50 years, the documentary stands as a powerful example of how community partnerships, entrepreneurial learning, and student talent can come together to create work that truly matters.
