SD73-TRU Annual Indigenous Transitions Day to Post-secondary

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Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

On Tuesday November 19, 2014, approximately 88 Indigenous Grade 10 students from secondary schools across the District gathered at TRU for the SD73-TRU Annual Indigenous Transitions Day to Post-secondary.

The 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan outlines our commitment as a District to supporting students in achieving their career, continuing education, and life goals (Career Development Priority) while also ensuring that every learner feels safe and thrives personally and culturally (Cultural and Identity Development Priority). This annual event is just one way we can support these value commitments for Indigenous students.

Each year, the Indigenous Transitions to Post-secondary Day offers Grade 10 Indigenous students the opportunity to learn more about post-secondary options available in both academics and trades. Students get access to information about the supports and mentors available for post-secondary Indigenous learners and listen to stories and experiences from current post-secondary learners.

This year’s event started with a welcome and opening prayer from Elder Doe Thomas. Following the opening prayer, she welcomed each school individually encouraging students to cheer for each other.

TRU Indigenous Education Supervisor Jason Blair welcomed the students to TRU and talked about what a welcoming place TRU is. He also encouraged students to try things outside their comfort zones.

Mike Bowden, District Principal of Indigenous Education, encouraged students to take full advantage of the Transitions Day activities in order to starting thinking and planning for their future: “Grade 10 is a really important year, this is when you need to think about your future and what you’re taking in school and how you are engaging in your studies so that you have an opportunity to attend post-secondary, if you choose, and take all the knowledge to help with the future of the land, your peoples, and your communities. This is an important and formative year which is why you’re here today. You are here today to connect with TRU and to experience a post-secondary campus. The choices you make now will impact your choices when you graduate in three years.”

Before moving into the day’s agenda MC Drew Rose encouraged students to be brave and ask lots of questions, sharing, “You are the future, this is a big step for you, learn as much as you can today.”

Following the opening and welcome, students had a quick snack break before participating in a TRU Faculty Mixer. Booths were set up around the room with TRU faculty and staff ready to share information and opportunity in various fields of study. Students had a passport card that encouraged them to visit all the booths to learn about the variety of opportunities available. 

Student had the opportunity to meet and talk to Carolyn Anderson (Nuxalk), Coordinator Indigenous B.Ed Coordinator from the Faculty of Education and Social Work; Adam Florence (Metis), Assistant Teaching Professor from the Culinary Arts Program; Murray Sholty, Assistant Teaching Professor from the Faculty of Law; Meghan Low, Women in Trades Office Coordinator from the School of Trades and Technology; Dr. Elizabeth Reimer, Associate Dean of Arts from the Faculty of Arts; Lex Edwards, Ts’kw’aylaxw Indigenous Mentor and Communications Coordinator from Indigenous Student Development; Gwen Campbell MacArthur, a Metis Elder with the Faculty of Nursing; Tiffany Adams, Indigenous PLAR Developer from Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition; Sammie Hanson, Qelmúcw (Indigenous) Future Students Advisor from the Future Students Office; Dr. Jess Allingham, Assistant Teaching Professor from the Faculty of Science; and Kerry Gairdner and Sheila Brown from the District’s Career Development Department; as well as current students, student advisors, and student mentors from several faculties and programs.

Following the Faculty Mixer, student could join one of two campus tours: a Future Student Academic Tour with Sammie Hanson or a School of Trades and Technology Tour with Dwayne Geiger

Following lunch, District students heard stories and advice from a TRU Student Panel. The panel included current TRU students: Kassidy Porlier and Lexi Grisenthwaite from the Indigenous B.Ed Teaching Program, Women in Trades student Paisley Cadarette, Faculty Adventure, Culinary, Tourism student Emma Gottfriedson, Masters of Human Rights and Social Justice student Wynona Edwards, Faculty of Business studentXeni Lulua, and a member of the  Indigenous Law Students Association.

The TRU student panellists shared about their post-secondary experiences and advice for future students. They encourages future students explore and take advantage of resources available on campus (“there’s lots of resources that can support students at TRU”), work hard in their courses (“you have to show up and put in the work to succeed”), and search out and find a support system to help when you are struggling. They are shared that students will need to be adaptable in their post-secondary experiences, many on the panellists expressed that figuring out what you want to be is an ongoing process and your plans will likely change (“It’s okay if your plan changes, it will all come together in the end, don’t stress out”). When asked what their favourite things at TRU are, several students on the panel shared appreciation for their instructors and the support systems they’ve built on campus, others talked about taking part in cultural activities, House 5 (Cplul'kw'ten) being an important gathering place, and small class sizes making it earlier to learn, make connections and friends, and get to know your professors.

Paisley Cadarette from the student panel is a current SD73 Grade 12 student at Sa-Hali Secondary. After participating in the District’s Trades Sampler Program, Paisley finished all her required secondary courses early and is now spending her Grade 12 year at TRU in the Heavy Mechanical Foundation Program.

When asked about her experience at the Transition Day, Valleyview Secondary student Elli Ross shared, “This offers students a chance to find a sense of community and realize that there are other like-minded people around them, not just in your own school you can find them spread out in the community. Not everybody knows what they want to be, it's honestly very difficult because there are so many jobs that you can do. Going to things like this definitely helps let you know what's out there and then you can decide what you’re interested in. My hope is that everybody here today got that sense of community and a feeling of more assurance in what they want to do. I hope more events like this can happen because it really helps.”

Addison, a Grade 10 student, shared what she was taking away from the event, saying the day reminded her “how important it is to be Indigenous and how it can affect your upbringing.” She also shared how the day’s activities helped her think about her future, “After exploring the nursing building, I think I might want to go into nursing now because I think it’s really cool. I learned today to be comfortable in my own skin. I think this was a valuable experience.”

The day wrapped up with closing remarks from Jason Blair who thanked everyone for helping organize the day and thanked the students for participating wholeheartedly. He shared, “A really good symbol of what we’re doing here is the round dance that we did where we were all in a circle together – moving forward, helping each other, caring for one another, lifting each other up – to me that's the essence of what we’re doing here today. It’s about bettering ourselves and in turn bettering each other.”