Native students explore careers

Editor, football player, MLA encourage youth

By RENATO GANDIA
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

But even though her mind is set to pursue a particular career, she wants to explore all the options available for her.

That's why she attended this year's Braided Journeys Career Expo at Chateau Louis, sponsored by Edmonton Catholic Schools (ECS) Aboriginal Learning Centre, Feb. 26.

This program is designed to introduce aboriginal students to careers they might never have considered before.

Aboriginal youth are the fastest growing segment of the Canadian population and by introducing them to professionals from the community, the learning centre hopes that doors will open for them to obtain meaningful employment.

"We put together this program as an opportunity for our youth to meet some of the great aboriginal role models in the community," Pam Sparklingeyes told the WCR in an interview.

"It's an oral tradition, an oral way of passing down the teachings." - Pam Sparklingeyes

"It's also a way of getting back to what we used to do for thousands of years. Aboriginal people learn from each other through sharing their stories. It's an oral tradition, an oral way of passing down the teachings."

"We really believe that by introducing these role models to our students, they will be inspired and motivated to stay in school and to look at careers that they may never have considered before," said Sparklingeyes, Braided Journeys' program manager.

At the expo, more than 130 students were exposed to employment options presented by a variety of aboriginal and non-aboriginal workshop leaders.

Highlights of the events included presentations from Mike Cardinal, member of Alberta Legislature; Edmonton Eskimo's Jed Roberts, one of the few aboriginal players in the Canadian Football League; and Ruth Kelly, publisher and editor of Alberta Venture Magazine.

There were 25 workshops presented by professionals such as entrepreneurs, engineers, social workers, a nurse, lawyer, police officer, public relations manager.

But missing were possibilities for religious life and careers leading towards faith enrichment, such as becoming a professional catechist, a pastoral worker in hospital, pastoral worker in a parish and the likes.

Fifteen-year old Fletcher said, "I'm thinking of pursuing a career in acting, but being here gives me a lot of information."

She thinks this project is really great because it presents her multiple options instead of settling for just one thing.

"There are so many things that I did not know before but because of media people, I learned about them."

Elizabeth Harrison has a different career path. She wants to be a social worker. "I really enjoy working with children and youth," said the Grade 12 student from St. Joseph's High School.

Many helped her since she was a child, so she wants to give back by being a social worker and work for the community.

Student participants at the expo were from Archbishop O'Leary High School, Ben Calf Robe - St. Clare' School, Freshstart West, St. Alphonsus' School, St. Elizabeth Seton's School, St. Francis Xavier's School and St. Joseph's High School.

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