Well… that’s a wrap!
I cannot believe my time in the BEd program at UNBC is done. Some of you may know this, some of you may not. School was never a safe space for me. I remember in my early elementary years, I felt the safest. I began to get bullied in grade 5 this continued until grade 10/11. I developed an anxiety disorder that really impacted my learning journey. I had switched schools briefly in grade 9 and after that, I struggled to attend school even with switching back to my regular school. Simply going to school was impossible for me. I missed more days than I was there, and almost failed more than all my classes (I pulled it together in exam time), I struggled to eat, drink, and even to physically move. This carried on in my post-secondary years. I struggled in university. I started my journey in 2016 – immediately after I graduated high school. But, the cycle continued – I missed more days than I was there. Some of my classes – this worked out ok, some it was awful. I utilized the A.R.C. – without them I would not have graduated – seriously. I have a lot of empathy for those who struggled when COVID-19 hit. I struggled in certain areas – but not school. For me, Covid was a blessing in disguise in terms of my academics. It was almost a reset for me, online classes/lectures, and working from home put me in a space where I was comfortable allowing me to actually focus on the work/learning that I needed to. With this, my grades increased and so did my confidence. This generally changed my entire demeanour about school. I no longer felt not capable, I felt confident, I felt smart, and I felt like I could do this.
That is how I ended up here. In the Bachelor of Education program at UNBC. I feel grateful that I was able to attend UNBC as I was born and raised here in Prince George and have always felt connected to this land and place. In the program – I felt safe, I felt comfortable but in the way that I was willing to take risks with my learning. I made so many life-long friends and a support network that I will cherish and utilize for a long time. The cohort that I was so lucky to be a part of is a group of people I will never forget. Furthermore, the instructors taught me so much about creating a holistic, experiential, transparent, safe, environment that helps us help all students with diverse learning needs be successful.
I had many journeys within this program. One of my favourites is the one I had with myself. I entered this program unable to present in front of the class rarely attending school to being there more than I wasn’t, not only standing and presenting in front of the class but having the honour to represent my cohort and present at the UNBC Experiential Learning Retreat. I have never felt more myself and confident in who I am and it feels so good. I was able to explore who I am through people, place and land during my time in the program and that is a concept I will carry with me into my classroom because I think it is critical for all learners. Every student/person will thrive more if they are allowed to learn who they are and their identity through the exploration of people, places, and land.
Sometimes I think – if I was able to attend every class, pass it, and keep going I would have finished my bachelor’s a year or 2 earlier. But, if I did that – my experience would not be the same. Everything fell into place for me in this program and I could not have asked for a better experience. I will move forward into my career holding on to those experiences and networks and I am excited to further collaborate, learn, experience and thrive in whatever this new journey holds for me.
Thank you for being a valuable part of my learning and overall experience.
