Bachelor of Arts Degree 2020
After enrolling at TRU in the fall of 2015 I successfully achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree with double concentrated studies. One in Anthropology, and the other in English.
This was a great honor for me in my life. I had tried to do post-secondary studies right out of high school in 2005, but with no direction I did not get too far. Being able to come back to school 10 years later with a clear direction, and to achieve a double concentrated study was more than I could have dreamed of. It showed me that with proper guidance and motivation we truly can achieve things that we may believe to be out of our reach. I did not have that kind of guidance when I was young, which is one of the reasons why I want to teach. I would love to pass this feeling of pride and gratitude onto future students. To help give them the self-confidence and motivation that they need to give themselves the best chance to succeed in their future would be a truly humbling experience.
IMG_0734-1Aboriginal Studies Certificate 2020
In the fall of 2019 I successfully achieved the Aboriginal Studies Certificate. I was able to plan my BA around this certificate by enrolling primarily in courses that revolved around Aboriginal content. This played a large part in the reason why I came back to school in the first place. I could see the suffering, and the fight on social media surrounding Indigenous history in Canada. I knew that I could not affect change by arguing with people on social media, so I came back to school with a renewed sense of purpose; to educate. To be someone who can confidently teach people in a good way. I have so much hope for where we are going, and what the future brings. I have hope in the next generation. I would love to be a part of their growth, and I believe that education and awareness is the way to do that.
IMG_0730Dean’s List – Fall 2020
The fall semester of 2020 was the first semester that was required to be done completely online due to COVID. During this time I was finishing my last year of my BA studies, and was enrolled in four upper level English courses; including, Advanced Poetry Writing, Poetics of Indigenous Drama, Queer Identities and Sexualities, and Empathy in Literature.
This was truly my last semester in my BA, it was a full circle moment for me because it was the end of my BA, but the start of my journey towards teaching. In the last two years of my BA studies I had started to branch out and take classes that encompassed more than just Aboriginal disparity. I started taking classes on the disparity of woman, and the strength of the LQBTQ2S+ community. This was me truly trying to diversify the way I thought about inclusivity. Being aware of my Indigenous students, and wanting to bring awareness to their history is only one piece of the puzzle for me. I want to be sensitive and aware to the needs of all my students. I want them to feel safe, and I want to understand the reasons why they have not felt safe historically. To be able to take these classes and finish them with excellence shows me that my commitment to learning all ways of knowing and being was not a superficial endeavor.
Deans-List-Fall-2020Dean’s List – Fall 2019
In the fall of 2019 I was enrolled in a mixture of upper level Anthropology and English courses; including, Indigenous Peoples Comparative Perspectives, Ethnography of the Plateau, Children’s Literature, and Studies in Canadian Literature.
This was the last semester that I had to do to fill the requirements for a concentrated study in Anthropology. Making the Dean’s list, for me, signified a strong finish to the end of the first leg of my journey. It showed me that I did not sell myself short in the end. It is an amazing feeling to be recognized for your hard work; especially when you are not expecting it. I was not working hard to get these little recognitions, I just wanted to learn how to effect some change around me. This was a lesson for me. A lesson that said, I see you. That is what I want for my future students. To let them know that they are seen, and that they are appreciated.
Deans-List-Fall-2019English and Modern Languages Department Award for Excellence in Indigenous Learning
In the Fall 2019 I was enrolled in an upper level English course centred around literature from the BC interior; which, focused heavily on Indigenous content. The essay I wrote was on George Bowering’s book “Shoot!”. It is a historical fiction read about the McLean gang, and it takes place on Chilcotin territory in the later 1870s. The McLean’s had both, Indigenous and non-Indigenous blood, so my thesis was on colonizing the soul and the difficulty of living in two worlds when you do not feel accepted by either or.
I feel like this issue infects our youth all too often. For myself, I know that writing this essay felt very familiar. My father is Greek, Ukrainian, and my mother is Dakelh and Swedish. I had a difficult time trying to figure out where I fit into society. I feel like persevering through those times has placed me into a position where I can try and help kids deal with those same struggles with identity, whatever their background may be.
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