In the spring of 2022, Tabitha Harper was working as an assistant case manager at Kinonjeoshtegon’s Jordan’s Principle.

She had always been committed to helping her community, but she felt that she could do more – she just needed the right tools and knowledge.

Years earlier, she had applied to a social work program at a university and was rejected.

“That felt like a sign not to go down that path,” Harper recalled.

After working as an assistant case manager, she turned to Google to find some direction. She searched buzzwords like ‘Indigenous innovation,’ ‘working with people,’ and ‘social work.’

That’s when she discovered the Social Innovation and Community Development (SICD) program at RRC Polytech, and she applied that same spring.

At the time, she was using the last name Traverse, unaware that her legal surname was actually Harper – a discovery that added complexity to her application process. To qualify for the program, she had to complete entrance assessments and take an additional course. Despite the extra hurdles, she was drawn in by the program’s focus on creating change in both urban and rural communities. She could explore both the theory and practical skills she needed to engage in meaningful socioeconomic development.

When she began classes that fall, something clicked.

“One of my instructors asked, ‘What makes you angry?’” she said. “That question has been driving me ever since.”

Harper made the choice between two second-year specializations – Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship or Community Development – to pursue the path that would allow her to create change from the ground up and at leadership levels through Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship.

“I had a lot of anger,” she said. “I saw the disparities Indigenous people face in my family, in my community, and in my own life. I didn’t understand why things were the way they were. I needed to find out.”

In her first year, Harper immersed herself in the history of the land now known as Canada and its relationship with Indigenous peoples. The more she learned, the more clarity – and fury – she gained.

“This has been happening for more than 400 years, and even more intensely in the last 150,” she said. “After the treaties were signed, we were betrayed. I realized I could hold onto this anger and stay in this pit of despair, or I could apply this anger and see how I can help.”

After graduating with a specialization in Indigenous Social Entrepreneurship, Harper joined the Manitoba Museum as the Museum Advisor for Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation.

Over the past year, she has carved out a unique and influential role functioning as a liaison between the museum and Indigenous communities, governments, and the museum’s senior leadership. Her focus is on reconciliation, cultural revitalization, and historical accountability.

“When I started, I was a little intimidated to work in museum spaces,” she said. “But as I settled into the role, I realized museums are often very static, even though they’re committed to education. My role is to help shift that.”

Her first six months were spent conducting environmental scans to learn about the museum industry’s past relationships and practices with Indigenous Peoples.

One of the proudest moments in her role came when the Manitoba Museum issued a formal apology for having housed human remains for decades, and began work on repatriating the remains to their kinship communities. Harper played a key role in shaping the apology, which was shared publicly and now lives on the museum’s website, along with acknowledgments from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities.

Today, she’s leading a revolutionary project: the first natural history research initiative conducted in partnership with her home community, Kinonjeoshtegon First Nation, which is located on the west shore on the interlake of Lake Winnipeg. The research focuses on paleontology, geology, botany, and other natural sciences – all through the lens of Indigenous knowledge. Harper is guiding the consultations and engagement efforts with the community to ensure ethical practices and culturally appropriate data use.

“This work is healing. It feels like this is what I was put on this Earth to do,” she said.

She credits SICD with putting her on this path and often encourages others to consider it.

“I share this all the time with people thinking about post-secondary: consider the SICD program. The instructors are so supportive and understanding. This program got me to where I am today – where I’m doing important work, healing the anger I carry while putting it into constructive action.”

Logo created by Adele Sinclair, ECE Workplace. The image was used in a variety of ways, including in instructor-led presentations about the cohort and program, as the icon for the general Teams channel, and on invitations to the celebration evening held in December.

In January 2023, a bold and innovative journey began – one that has the potential to reshape how Early Childhood Education (ECE) Workplace training is delivered in First Nations communities across Manitoba.

The Aboriginal Head Start program, funded by Cree Nation Tribal Health and the First Nations Inuit Health Branch, was designed to provide First Nations students a fully online, workplace-based learning model tailored to their needs. What started with a cohort of 29 students soon evolved into something much more than an academic program – it became a transformative experience rooted in culture, connection, and compassion.

Following the standard ECE Workplace model, students would work at their jobs Monday through Wednesday to accumulate practicum hours, then they attended virtual classes on Thursdays and Fridays. From day one, though, it was clear that this cohort would be anything but standard.

Tanya Redford and Nettie Proulx, with an additional instructor each term, approached teaching with flexibility, empathy, and responsiveness. Although neither is Indigenous, both approached their roles with cultural humility and a commitment to walk alongside students in a spirit of respect and reciprocity. Elders were invited into virtual classrooms, Indigenous Teachings, perspective and ways of knowing were welcomed and embedded into the program, and learning extended beyond the students to include their families and communities.

For many students, their homes functioned as their classrooms – they learned in spaces they shared with children, partners, and relatives. One student even fed and cared for a newborn during class.

Redford noted the emotional challenges students faced: “In a typical classroom, maybe one or two students are going through life-changing events. In this cohort, everyone was going through something, often multiple things that compounded one another. And yet – they showed up. They succeeded.”

Sharon Hart from Fisher River Cree Nation says that what she learned in the program were things that she was already practicing in her career at the Fisher River Daycare Centre. She had cultivated skills in play and supporting children’s sensory and motor development through her career, and the program equipped her with tools to deepen her knowledge in play-based curriculum, guidance, relationships, and current child development research.

Hart says that learning online alongside other Indigenous students from different communities in similar circumstances created an environment in which everyone helped each other.

“We would talk about different situations, what’s going on in our centres, and give each other pointers and advice – we were able to address different things in our centres based on the experiences of other people in the class to see what solutions worked better than others,” said Hart.

Redford and Proulx were always conscious of ways to help students succeed. They recorded classes for those that couldn’t attend live, used feedback tools like surveys and informal discussions to shape curriculum delivery, established drop-in homework sessions in the evenings, and permitted students to resubmit assignments.

While some students were tech-savvy, others had never touched a laptop. At times, frustration with technology nearly led some to leave the program but with peer and instructor support, they adapted and persevered. Growth wasn’t just academic – it was personal, practical, and powerful, and students demonstrated that when they strived for excellence. Even students who earned 96% would resubmit assignments, aiming for 100% not for the grade, but for themselves.

Each term, the instructors hosted in-person gatherings at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame and Exchange District Campuses. Students, families, and College leaders came together to share food, stories, and community. For those unable to attend, technology like OWL ensured remote participation.

By the program’s conclusion in December 2024, 15 students had completed their training. Twelve are preparing to walk the stage at Convocation in June and were honored in the graduation Pow Wow in May. A final celebration was held at Notre Dame Campus where students and instructors celebrated their achievements alongside College leaders, family members, and even Manitoba’s Minister of Advanced Education and Training, Renée Cable. Students who didn’t complete the program came to celebrate with their peers, underscoring the deep sense of community built throughout the program.

Thanks to the program’s success, a second, expanded cohort launched in 2025. The response was overwhelming with over 60 students from 25 different communities – just over double from the first cohort.

The door remains open for those who left the program early. Students who didn’t finish the first time are welcomed to rejoin in a later term and pick up where they left off. That commitment – to meet students where they are, in the places where the students are needed – is central to this program.

Hart says that since completing the program, she’s been promoted to full-time floor supervisor at the Fisher River Daycare Centre. She’s looking forward to the new centre opening in the community in the fall and she wants to get her Early Childhood Educator Level III.

“My proudest moment was when I got my marks back for an academic paper on child development. It’s been years since I’ve been in school, and I’d never written a paper before – I got tutoring and learned how to do research and cite sources. I aced it,” said Hart.

“If I had to go in person to Winnipeg, I think I would have had a harder time. I actually miss coming to class online now.”

This program is more than a model – it’s a movement toward equitable, culturally responsive education. It’s a demonstration of intergenerational learning and adapts to students’ lives. It recognizes that success looks different for everyone. And it proves that when we prioritize connection and compassion, incredible things happen.

“We have been able to implement a strengths-based approach to our program, and we are very thankful that our department (chairs, associate dean and dean) and the College have supported us in meeting the needs of each individual student. This may have been extending a due date, not taking marks off for a late assignment, or allowing students to submit assignments in ways that best support their way of demonstrating their learning and knowledge,” said Proulx.

About the Early Childhood Education Workplace Program

This program is specifically designed for experienced child care assistants (CCAs) working in licensed childcare programs across Manitoba.

Early Childhood Education Workplace is an accelerated program that provides the specialized training and credentials needed become an early childhood educator (ECE) Level II, enhance employment potential and achieve career goals while working.

Learn more on the Program Explorer.

Information technology is part of our everyday lives, but getting a career started in a technical field can be difficult.

RRC Polytech’s Pathway to Information Technology program offers a meaningful first step for Indigenous students looking to build a future in the field of technology.

Pathway to IT Programs blends foundational academic learning with a strong focus on Indigenous culture, community, and practical applications of technology in Indigenous contexts. Students are introduced to essential learning techniques and technical skills that will equip them to succeed in information technology programs.

Cathrine Van Damme took high school courses such as design drafting, graphic communication, and communication technology and in grade 10, she gained more insight into the field when she took a summer job in the IT department on her reserve. At the time, she was more interested in becoming a graphic designer and had even been accepted into a graphic design program in grade 12. However, she realized that pursuing a diploma in graphic design wasn’t the right fit for her.

Her post-secondary coordinator introduced her to the Pathway to IT Programs and despite spending most of high school preparing for a career in art and design, she discovered that IT, especially web development, offered a creative outlet that she hadn’t expected.

She says that with full-stack development, she can apply her design interests and build and manage the back-end code infrastructure that creates websites. One of her future goals is to build a website for her reserve to share employment opportunities and community news.

Van Damme’s experience in the Pathway to IT Programs is one of many students’ who weren’t entirely sure what to expect – for many, IT combines creativity with a practical application that can be used by anyone.

One experience that stood out to Van Damme was hearing multiple presenters during the Pathway to IT program emphasize the importance of building friendships and connections with peers. At first, she was focused solely on academics and didn’t think much about networking. But in her second term, she realized that having friends in the program made a big difference – not only with getting help on assignments but also with staying motivated to attend class. Making friends helped her feel more engaged, especially during times when classes were online.

Tashina Henry didn’t know what to expect when she went into the program but she knew it would improve her technical skills and in turn give her the tools to improve the skills she was already using in her job as assistant to the director at her reserve’s health centre. The content was relevant to her position where she was already troubleshooting hardware and navigating software – but beyond that, the experience became a journey of self-discovery.

“I finished the program and learned so much more than I anticipated – more about myself than anything. It really gave me the push I needed to come out of my shell. It gave me my voice back,” said Henry.

This was Henry’s first time attending college, and she described the experience as “mind-blowing.” Enrolling in a program designed specifically for Indigenous students helped her feel more comfortable and supported. Since December, she has been working part-time in IT, and she says that combining hands-on experience with her studies has been incredibly rewarding.

“We’re all connected in some way,” she said. “It made it easier to make friends, and it made me feel safe enough to be more outgoing. It’s inspiring to see other Indigenous students taking steps toward their futures. A lot of us are breaking cycles created by residential schools and the intergenerational traumas that followed.”

Henry says she can be stubborn and is drawn to challenging subjects – she prefers to focus on the things she finds most difficult, because that’s where she wants to grow. She is considering pursuing full-stack development because of the challenge it presents.

She’s also interested in programming because of how it can benefit her community. After a conversation with the IT manager at her workplace, she realized tech can have real-world applications beyond websites – like installing sensors in water tanks to measure levels and reduce the need for weekly water truck deliveries. That kind of practical, community-focused tech work encourages her.

One thing that stood out to Henry was how effective and supportive the instructors were. As a child, she moved frequently and often had to change schools, which caused her to miss key units – especially in subjects like math. When she finally settled in Portage la Prairie for high school, she found herself behind and struggling to catch up academically.

“The instructors in this program have been very patient and clear with what they were teaching,” she said. “I really appreciated that.” Their support helped her close some of those educational gaps and build confidence in her abilities.

Beyond academics, participants benefit from career-focused support networks that encourage personal, social, and financial readiness. The goal is not only to help students transition into higher education but to empower them to thrive within it.

Graduates of the pathway program are eligible to apply for reserved seats in high-demand programs such as Application Development and Delivery andIT Operations and launching into rewarding, future-forward careers in technology.

By investing in this pathway, Indigenous students can unlock new possibilities, gain confidence, and build a solid foundation for lifelong success in the tech world.

About Pathways at RRC Polytech

Pathway to Information Technology Programs prepares Indigenous students to take the lead in technology and helps to jumpstart an education in technology. Pathways are exploratory and preparatory, ensuring that Indigenous students have the foundation to start strong in their post-secondary journeys. Pathways are for Indigenous students that haven’t experienced post-secondary education yet or want to build a starting point for an education in a particular industry. Pathway to IT students qualify for the IG Wealth Empower Your Tomorrow Indigenous Scholarship, which provides financial support and mentorship opportunities throughout students’ studies.

RRC Polytech is proud to host its 25th annual Pow Wow to recognize the achievements of Indigenous students.

Please join us to celebrate our students as we send them off on their continued journeys to success. The annual Pow Wow gives our community the opportunity to dance, drum, sing, eat, connect, and participate in Ceremony.

All Indigenous students graduating in 2025 are encouraged to join us to celebrate! Full-time, part-time, students that attend regional campuses, and students graduating in Fall 2025 are welcome to register and participate in Pow Wow.

FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2025 • NOTRE DAME CAMPUS, NORTH GYM

• 10am – Pipe Ceremony
• 11am – Métis and Inuit Cultural Entertainment
• 12pm – Grand Entry
• 2pm – Honouring Indigenous Graduates
• 3pm – Feast

Graduating students can register for attendance here. Graduates don’t need to register for stoles ahead of time and can pick them up at the Registration Table at the event.

Dancers and Drums can register at the Registration Table on the morning of the event.

Indigenous makers for the Indigenous Makers Market can register here.

Attendees don’t need to register ahead of time.

The Resource Crew, or R-Crew, helps the Indigenous Student Support Team and Indigenous Support Centres with activities and events throughout the year.

R-Crew members brainstorm and implement plans with the Support Team, speak and perform at events, and help with logistical set-up and tear-down, among many other tasks and responsibilities. They also help Indigenous students, those new to the College and those that have been around the block, get settled in and navigate everything from events to classes.

If you see an R-Crew member, say hi!

My name is Sydney, and I am a Red River Métis woman born and raised in Winnipeg. I am also a mother and a first-year student in the Business Administration program. My goals are to provide a good life for my family and contribute positively to my beautiful community. I am excited to begin my journey with R-Crew and the wonderful people in Indigenous Education. 

Hi! My name is Loren Anderson. I’m a Métis woman currently residing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I am a first-year student in the Youth Recreation Program, getting back into the swing of school! I felt that joining the R-Crew would help me reconnect with and engage in my culture. The R-Crew has created a safe and welcoming space for me and many others. Come say hi if you see me around! 

Hello, my name is Robert Massan, and I am from Fox Lake Cree Nation, 1,000 km north of Winnipeg. I’m enrolled in the Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanic Program and really enjoy the process of getting to know myself and the college. 

I genuinely enjoy helping people and getting to know individuals from different areas of study. I found this to be a great opportunity to assist those who might be unaware of the many resources RRC Polytech offers. I discovered that the Indigenous Support Centre is the best place to start asking questions. So, if you have any questions and see me around, please don’t hesitate to ask! 

Aaniin, boozhoo! My name is Hevyn-Lee, but in my language, I am known as Oshkii Memengwaakwe (Bright Butterfly Woman). I’m a proud Anishinaabe woman from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and the Wolf Clan. 

I’m in the Pathway to Business, Communications, and Digital Technology Program. I plan to pursue Communications for Journalism, as well as Social Innovation and Community Development. My main goal is to use the skills, knowledge, and community I gain from RRC Polytech to better my community for future generations. 

I’m grateful for the opportunity to help as a member of the Resource Crew. I spend most of my time on campus in F-209, where I enjoy participating in ceremonies and drumming with Richard. If you see me, don’t be afraid to say hi! 

Miigwetch.

Hi, my name is Guy, aka Geese (lol). My spirit name is White Wolf, and I belong to the Turtle Clan. I am a proud Métis from Richer, MB, and currently live in Transcona. I’m in recovery, which has led me to reconnect spiritually with my culture and seek wisdom from the Creator and elders in surrounding communities and on campus. 

I’m a second-year student in the Disability and Community Support Program and can often be found in Building A or the Indigenous Student Centre. I enjoy the sense of community on campus and love helping out at most events. Feel free to say hi if we cross paths! 

Aaniin (hello)! My name is Lexie Moneyas, and my spirit name is Cedar Walking Woman. I am an Anishinaabe Ikwe from Hollow Water First Nation, currently pursuing a Business Administration diploma. 

I’m passionate about creating a welcoming, supportive space for Indigenous students at RRC Polytech. I’m always here for others—whether it’s offering guidance, support, or simply being a friendly face. 

In high school, I was involved in fundraising, community events, sports, school band, and outdoor activities near the water and the bush, which fueled my love for helping others and staying connected to my culture. Now, I enjoy expressing my creativity through painting, beading, drawing, and makeup while staying active and working toward my educational goals. 

My hope is to use the skills I’m learning to give back to my community, inspire others, and always be a source of support. As an R-Crew member, I’m excited to represent the Indigenous Support Centre and help foster a sense of belonging for all students. If you see me around, feel free to say hello—I’m here for you! 

Miigwech! 

The Mínwastánikéwin Award, named for the Cree word that means ‘to set it right’, was created in 2019 in partnership with RRC Polytech’s Campus Store during the first Truth and Reconciliation Week. Applicants were asked to write a one-page essay on what Truth and Reconciliation means to them as Residential and Day School Survivors and children of Survivors.

To this day, you might hear the words ‘Residential School legacy.’

‘Legacy’ is a Western concept, which means: ‘something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.’

Countless Indigenous people have inherited the impacts that Residential Schools have had on parents, grandparents and great-grandparents – a legacy that none of them asked for.

Indigenous men, women, and Two Spirit people are uprooting the intergenerational cycles that were planted by the Residential School system.

Indigenous people are reclaiming their places in power.

Families are creating bright futures for their children.

Indigenous students are achieving their goals and finding ways to give back to their communities. They are creating new legacies for themselves, their children, and their communities.

The Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award is named for the Ininimowin word that means “to set it right.”

As a post-secondary educational institution, RRC Polytech recognizes the role it plays in righting those wrongs. Every year, the Mínwastánikéwin Truth and Reconciliation Award is offered to Indigenous students who are willing to relate their experiences to Truth and Reconciliation and what it means to them.

Thanks to the generous support of the RRC Polytech community, funds for the Mínwastánikéwin Award are sourced from sales of original RRC Polytech Orange and Red shirts at the Campus Store.  Enough shirts were sold last year to support the award going to two students.

Peggy Guimond, a recent graduate of the Business Accounting and Management program, says she was motivated to apply for the award by the memory of her late grandfather, whom was a Residential School Survivor and witnessed the government’s apology issued in Ottawa in 2008.

“It still makes me emotional, thinking of my late grandfather being a Survivor. If he wasn’t one, I wouldn’t be here today,” said Guimond.

The impacts of colonial systems have affected her family for generations. From her grandfather’s experience in Residential School, to her mother attending day school, and her dad, a 60s Scoop Survivor, many people in her family did not get to grow up with their families in their own culture and teachings – something she is committed to changing.

Guimond says that she fostered several children and adopted her niece and nephew out of the Child and Family Services system – the same system which she had grown up in and aged out of. Though she calls herself a success story coming out of the system, she is familiar with the support young people need today and is determined to give back to her community by supporting them in an environment where they are loved and their culture is welcomed and celebrated.

She says being able to grow and get educated in her community was the greatest experience she had – one that was not afforded to her relatives, but one she wants to ensure younger generations would be able to experience once again.

Finding out she was a recipient of the Mínwastánikéwin Award pulled at her heartstrings, she said. Because of the award, she was able to complete her program with no financial barriers and she could focus on her family – something she is extremely grateful for.

These systems have shaped Guimond’s family for a long time, including her own experiences in the child welfare system, but she is breaking that cycle and finding ways to support the young people in her family so those impacts, and that legacy, don’t continue any further.

Camille Munro is a Nursing student from Winnipeg with status in Fox Lake Cree Nation and familial roots in Churchill, Manitoba. Her own family has been deeply impacted by the 60’s Scoop – of her thirteen aunties and uncles, twelve were taken and placed in foster care or adopted out to white families. Some of them had run away from those homes and they eventually found each other, which Munro credits to their resilience and determination.

Because of their will to find each other again, Munro grew up with her cousins – an opportunity she says she wouldn’t have had otherwise. Today, her own children are growing up alongside their cousins and relatives in a big, tight-knit family, which Munro says is something the whole family takes pride in.

As she got older, she began to truly understand the impacts that Residential and Day Schools had on her family and the way those impacts affected their experiences. When she started learning about her family and her culture later in her life, she came to know the extent of the impacts of the unresolved trauma in her family. She herself attended several different schools as a child, including a Christian private school and a Catholic private school, and later struggled with substance abuse as an adult.

She started her sobriety journey eight years ago when she began learning more about her culture, and she practiced the knowledge her mom gave her – she participated in Ceremony, learned teachings from Elders, and engaged in a lot of self-reflection on how to move her life forward in a good way.

Her biological mother passed away in January of this year when Munro had been recovering from her own major surgery in December – she was managing funeral expenses and the sacred fire for her mother all while juggling assignments and exams at school during her recovery period. Finances were tighter for her than they ever were. She says the award came to her at a time when she really needed support.

Munro is a single parent to four children and became a young mom at 18. She’s the sole provider for her children, so any financial support she earns goes to her family. She says funds like these are what keep the lights on in her home and food in the cupboard while she’s attending school full time.

Munro says her family has been invaluable to her journey. Her kids have been huge supports for her academic journey – her eldest daughter is her right hand and Munro says there’s no way she could have done it without her help. Her father passed away in June, and she says it’s been challenging to deal with the grief, but she pushes through it all with the support of her family.

Munro is chasing her dream of becoming a nurse and says she made a lot of connections during her time at the College. She gravitated towards her Indigenous peers who had shared a lot of common experiences, and her instructors were incredibly supportive of their academic journeys.

“We need to take up more space in these places – we have to fight, but it doesn’t mean we don’t belong there. I have my ancestors behind me. I want people to know that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. Use medicine, take care of yourself, go to Sweats. Learn about your family, your traditions – learn to be proud of your heritage and culture, take back your identity and learn your truth. You don’t have to wait,” said Munro.

Guimond and Munro, and many other Indigenous students, have faced barriers that so many others don’t even have to think about when they decide to go to school. That is why awards like this exist. It is an acknowledgement of those barriers and a response to “set it right.”

Getting an education on their terms and taking power back is how Guimond and Munro are ensuring that the future is better for themselves and their communities, their young people and their loved ones.

RRC Polytech recognizes its role as an education institution to advance Truth and Reconciliation and is honoured to support these two recipients and all Indigenous learners in their academic journeys.

To learn more about the Mínwastánikéwin Award, see the Awards, Bursaries and Scholarships catalogue.

Matthew Paul sewed his third ribbon shirt with his peers in the Indigenous Support Centre as part of the course curriculum in College Transition. Being able to immerse himself in his culture has been essential in his educational journey, and he says he’s looking forward to graduating from his first post-secondary program this spring.

A few years ago, Paul was encouraging his daughter Joanna to graduate from school after he noticed that she was struggling to find motivation to complete assignments and participate in class.

Joanna responded with: “Why? You didn’t graduate. So, why should I?”

Her question had a resounding impact on Paul, and he realized that he needed to set an example for his daughter if he truly wanted to encourage her to pursue education. He enrolled at Urban Circle to obtain his grade 12 credentials, and the emphasis on Indigenous wellness and ways helped him to engage with the coursework far better than he could when he was in public school.

After he graduated, he could finally answer her question:

“Look – if I can do it, you can do it, too.”

That same year, Paul intended to continue his education through post-secondary. However, he encountered issues with his funding which delayed his launch into college for a year, and again was delayed the following year when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

In fall 2024, Paul was finally able to enter College Transition to help him get accustomed to a post-secondary learning environment.

At first, he was scared. He was intimidated coming into a learning environment as a mature student when many of his peers were in their early twenties and still learning how to navigate the world as adults.

Now, he’s in the Indigenous Support Centre at Notre Dame Campus almost every day, chatting with students and staff. He feels confident in cracking the first joke with somebody, breaking the ice with new people – Paul says a lot of younger people he meets in the centre are shy, and he feels responsible for helping them feel more comfortable and helping them learn that it’s okay to laugh, joke and talk.

Now that he’s a high school graduate and a current college student, Paul says he’s proud to see Joanna still working hard in her own high school. The encouragement he gives her now is the same encouragement he learned himself: for him, it’s not about getting the best grades.

“Sometimes, you only get 50 per cent but as long as you tried, that’s what matters. Sometimes something won’t click right then and there, but you learn to figure it out. If you try your hardest and you still fail, well – that’s just life. With failure comes greater achievements in life later,” said Paul.

Prior to his return to school, Paul was living on assistance to support himself as a single parent caring for his daughter. He says it was a hard cycle to get out of because of the caveats that come with using social assistance programs.

“If you’re in school or you make any income, you get cut off, even though you might need that little extra support,” said Paul.

Paul says that College Transition helped him find the confidence he has in himself now, and he can identify his strengths and celebrate his own accomplishments.

“Before I came here, it felt so weird being able to say something good about myself. I always got told, ‘you can do it,’ and ‘why are you stopping yourself?’. It was like there was another me stopping myself,” said Paul.

Paul says that after College Transition, he’s considering the Pathway to Business, Creative Communications and Digital Technology Programs to learn how to run a business.

For a long time, Paul wanted to help others through his work, but wasn’t sure what that might look like. He says that he can see himself pursuing solutions to food shortages and the costs of groceries in northern communities.

Now that Paul’s a student again, he is not only encouraging his daughter to pursue education, but others that might be considering returning to school as well.

“Just do it – I was so scared to come here at first, but there was no reason to be. I grew from that. No matter how old you are, you still have a lot to learn,” said Paul.

The Indigenous Culinary Skills students are putting their newly-acquired skills into action!

The annual pop-up Wiisinin Diner will be serving delicious breakfast and lunch for staff and students between Tuesday and Friday from March 12 until April 19 in Prairie Lights Dining Room at Notre Dame Campus. Pick up your vouchers from the Campus Store and check out the menu on our website.

Colton Gadoury grew up immersed in the Internet.

Today, his favourite hobby is settling in and logging onto Red Dead Redemption, or connecting with friends over the occasional virtual sports game.

At 24-years-old, with post-secondary certification in Electrical Applications and after a lot of consideration, Gadoury enrolled in the first Pathway to IT cohort in January 2023. 

He says the program was a logical fit for his circumstances: with a tuition of just $500 thanks to RBC Future Launch, the program didn’t strain his budget as much as launching directly into a diploma or bachelor program might have, and was the best way to change his job title from electrician to software developer.

“The Pathway program gave me the confidence to make the jump between industries. I wasn’t sure where I would fit in the information technology industry because it’s so huge, but the Pathway helped me explore options and figure out where I wanted to go… It helped introduce me to a lot of opportunities in tech for a Métis person such as myself,” said Gadoury.

Despite his affinity for technology, Gadoury initially hadn’t considered a career in IT before attending RRC Polytech. From a young age, he thought he would be a tradesperson and pursued that path.

“Since I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and there was some expectation to attend post-secondary, I rushed into a trade I thought I might like,” Gadoury said.

After experiencing that frustration as an electrician, Gadoury reflected on what it was that did make him happy. As an avid gamer that grew up with the evolution of the internet, he’d acquired technical skills from his hobbies that he hadn’t realized he could transfer to a career. He used that foundational knowledge of computer systems and coding that he’d gleaned over the years as inspiration for a new career trajectory: information technology. It’s a constantly-growing, goliath industry with plenty of opportunity to carve a new path. He just needed to know where and how he could gain the skills to take the plunge.

The biggest challenge for Gadoury’s career change was the uncertainty. Making the choice to pursue a different profession meant that his established and steady income would become temporarily unstable, and he wouldn’t know for how long. The Pathway program eased his hesitation and he says he’s glad he went for it.

Gadoury recalls his favourite experience being the Sprint to Innovate course. He and his classmates broke up into groups to generate concepts for improving the user experience, or UX, on RRC Polytech’s internal staff HUB site in three areas: filling out expense reports, obtaining keycard access, and booking rooms. The first group designed a wizard to calculate and populate spaces based on information users provided; the second group proposed a virtual assistant chat box to provide users with advice and direction; and Gadoury’s group constructed an interactive booking map to engage users.

At the beginning of the term, Gadoury says he was nervous at the prospect of their project. It felt like a lot of work loomed over them, especially during the planning stages to determine the best path forward. Each group figured out how to work with the existing site structure to integrate their solutions and by the end of the term, they presented prototypes to mock clients. Gadoury says the collaboration transformed his reservations into confidence, and he was proud to apply the skills and knowledge he had acquired through the program.

The experience with Sprint to Innovate and the support he received in the Pathway to IT program confirmed for him that taking a leap to the new career – one he finds rewarding with endless opportunity – was the right decision. Through the Pathway program, he’d made connections with other Indigenous IT professionals making technological progress for a variety of Indigenous organizations.

Gadoury is looking forward to focusing his portfolio in RRC Polytech’s Business Information Technology (BIT) program in Fall 2023. He says he can see himself applying his skills to front-end development to innovate user experience by streamlining digital interfaces, or contributing to the programmatic structural integrity of software through back-end development—both areas have wide applications out of which Gadoury says he could carve a rewarding career.

Pathways at RRC Polytech

Pathway to Information Technology Programs prepares Indigenous students to take the lead in technology and helps to jumpstart an education in technology. Pathways are exploratory and preparatory, ensuring that Indigenous students have the foundation to start strong in their post-secondary journeys. Pathways are for Indigenous students that haven’t experienced post-secondary education yet or want to build a starting point for an education in a particular industry—which includes career-changers like Gadoury.

The Pathway to Information Technology is generously supported by RBC Future Launch, which has reduced the program’s tuition to $500 for each intake until 2024. For more information about the Pathway to IT Programs and to get your application started for Fall 2023, check out the Program Explorer.

Usually, students look forward to a break in the summer between classes.

They look forward to time relaxing and decompressing, forgetting the pressure of deadlines and obligations, maybe stretching out on the sand at the beach or trudging mountain trails.

Tessa Cochrane’s respite from class lasted barely a week. She finished the 10-month College Transition program and intended to apply for Introduction to Trades to eventually secure her spot in the Welding program but when Women of Steel™ presented a tuition-free, fast-tracking option starting in May, she jumped at the opportunity – sacrificing some summer fun to effectively cut down her time in post-secondary by a whole year.

Cochrane graduated high school in 2018 and bounced around various fields from retail, to construction, to peacekeeping. At first, she didn’t see the importance of post-secondary education, but after experiencing employment competition in multiple industries, she decided upgrading would be beneficial.

After high school, she describes her academic level as fairly moderate, but College Transition helped boost her faith in her abilities and her straight ‘A’ grades in the first term reflected her drive and potential. By adding experience to her earnestness, Cochrane was confident she’d find employment but still wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do – for her, the best approach was taking it one day at a time to find her passion.

Growing up, Cochrane recalls, she set her sights on becoming a doctor, a veterinarian, a natural resource officer, a firefighter – and countless other things that a kid’s attention might latch onto. She came from a line of firefighters and grew up on a farm, so handiness was inherent in her family. She’d seen her father and grandfather welding on the farm but said she hadn’t considered the trades until she met some influential tradeswomen at the College and was inspired by their success.

“I’ve picked and settled on so many things over the years, my parents ask, ‘Is she going to stick with welding?” Tessa said with a laugh. “Yeah, I think I’ll stick with welding.”

In the College Transition program, one of Cochrane’s assignments was to conduct a career exploration in preparation for the January 2023 Indigenous Career Fair. While researching fields and careers that interested her, Cochrane realized that most of her previous pursuits were influenced by the things she thought people needed her to be – to fill a role that needed filling.

College Transition allowed her to really tap into her potential and discover things that would not only challenge her and put her skills to use, but that she could love doing and be good at. At the Indigenous Career Fair, Cochrane had the chance to explore different opportunities around the province and connected with several employers. She was eventually offered a job placement with an organization closer to home in the Interlake Region.

Cochrane intended to take the summer position at that point but when RRC Polytech posted the Women of Steel™: Forging Forward Program in January, she was among the first in line to apply – taking advantage of the immediate opportunity served up on a ‘stainless steel’ platter by the CWB Welding Foundation, using Federal funding to attract more women to the trades.

When she completes the intensive 15-week program and two-week job placement Cochrane is hoping to have earned four Canadian Welding Bureau qualification tickets making her readily employable for basic manufacturing and prepared for additional post-secondary training or apprenticeship.

Cochrane credits identifying her passion and establishing her career path to the growth she experienced while in College Transition. Although she grew up in a Christian family, the program provided a safe space for her to learn more about her ancestors’ traditional ways and gave her perspective on cultures and the many similarities between Indigenous people all around the world.

Her favourite part, she says, was the fact that support was everywhere for everything. As an aspiring welder she appreciates the bonds that she’s created with classmates and instructors at RRC Polytech and hopes she inspires others to invest in themselves and pursue education.  

“There’s no judgment, there’s a strong purpose here that students find, and that foundation really helps you find what it is you want to do,” said Cochrane.