THUNDER BAY – Confederation college invited prospective Indigenous students and their families to campus on Saturday to give them an opportunity to talk to program coordinators, and recruitment officers, and they also had the chance to apply right on the spot.
Hosted by Negahneewin Student Services, the event focused on Indigenous Student Services, such as applying for funding and guests had the opportunity to explore the college with a specific focus on Indigenous supports, such as Apiwin and the Smudge Room.
Emily Mackenzie, Indigenous Student Navigator said the open house was a great way to allow prospective students to get the feel of the community at the college.
“I'll be highlighting some of the services here on campus, whether that is our student success, where students get accessibility services and counseling services, as well as some of our lab spaces,” she said. “So, whether that's police, foundations or our mock jail cells or some of our nursing labs as well.”
Macknzie said that it can be overwhelming for some students to begin planning to attend post-secondary education, especially when coming from northern communities and remote communities.
“I know my myself, I moved from southern Ontario to Northern Ontario and that was a big adjustment on its own, even though coming from a big city, I kind of moved from something big to small, but it was still an investment, a little bit of culture shock,” she said.
“So, I just want people to know that the college is welcome, it's open, it's a community, we all come together and support each other. There are tons of indigenous services on campus, and we just wanted the opportunity to highlight our amazing staff and we have so many great services for our indigenous students.”
In addition to learning about programs and services, students and their families were invited for lunch featuring a traditional meal of bison chili and bannock.
