Mentorships to bridge gap for RRC Indigenous students

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This article was published 30/06/2023 (849 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new Indigenous-led program, called Circle of Friends, will create opportunities for students to navigate post-secondary experiences and job prospects while studying at RRC Polytech.

“Many of us have developed a level of comfort and competence on the campus, but graduating presents a brand new, bigger hurdle of going out into the workplace on our own,” said Sharon Rose Bear, an RRC student at the Exchange District Campus.

“The cushion of college is taken away and this can be intimidating.”

Bear is working on her second graduate diploma, in social innovation and community development, by pursuing Indigenous social entrepreneurship.

She said she chose to pursue post- secondary education because she wanted to learn, challenge herself, succeed at something and create a better life for her children.

The mentorship program will prepare new students for what it takes to be successful in college, increase their confidence and encourage them to believe in themselves, she said.

While Bear looks forward to helping students adjust to the demands of a full course load, she would like to connect with a mentor to develop essential communication skills to ease her transition into the workplace.

The Circle of Friends program will help students apply for grants, scholarships and bursaries, form connections within the Indigenous community, and be connected with social supports.

Bear said it’s easier for students to have open discussions about their challenges and she wishes she’d had access to a mentorship program during her first year of education.

Manitoba Grand Chief Cathy Merrick said First Nations students represent one of the fastest-growing populations of students in the province, and student mental health and community supports are essential to their success.

“Education is the buffalo of our people,” said Merrick, “In the time of our ancestors, the buffalo provided for our people in terms of their clothing and their transportation. Now, education is going to provide that for our people.”

Mentors can help Indigenous students who have left their communities to pursue an education to feel comfortable and get a sense of belonging in the college community.

Indigenous students often experience culture shock, a lack of housing and funding, racism from other students and faculty members, and a disconnection from their culture and families, said Merrick.

Canada Life is giving $500,000 to the program.

“Today’s announcement goes a long way in furthering our commitment to truth and reconciliation,” said Fred Meier, president and CEO of RRC Polytech.

“Reconciliation is an ongoing process, one that requires both individual and collective action.”

The announcement was marked by a traditional smudging ceremony, representing a moment for prayer, cleansing and blessings.

tessa.adamski@freepress.mb.ca