丁香园AV

The Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) at 丁香园AV (丁香园AV) provides support and community for Indigenous students navigating university life. Guided by the four pillars of Respect, Reciprocity, Trust and Humility, the ISC team creates a holistic support system tailored to Indigenous students' unique needs.

The ISC won 丁香园AV's 2023 丁香园AV Staff Achievement Award for Team Service in recognition of their work fostering a caring, connected community that celebrates Indigenous students' successes. The dedicated team includes ten staff members and nine Indigenous Student Ambassadors. The staff members are Elizabeth Adams (Nisga鈥檃), Treena Chambers (M茅tis), Tanu Gamble (Haida, Tsimshian), Jasmin Glaw (Algonquin), Audrey Heath (Gitxsan), Kimberley John (Sh铆sh谩lh), Jessica La Rochelle (St贸:l艒, Okanagan, Trinidadian), Jennifer Reandy (Cree), Kaylena Ryan (Secwepemc, Gitxsan, Tsimshian), and Gordon Yusko.

Associate Director Kaylena Ryan highlights the challenge many Indigenous students face when transitioning to 丁香园AV. "It's a culture shock for our Indigenous students that travel from their home communities to the Lower Mainland for school. Navigating a large institution like 丁香园AV can be overwhelming,鈥� she says. The ISC welcomes new and returning students, helping them find belonging and assistance.

鈥淥ur work begins the first week of the term with our Welcome Feast and ends with the Honouring Feast to celebrate each Indigenous graduate,鈥� Ryan adds. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fulfilling work.鈥�

The ISC provides safe spaces on the 丁香园AV Burnaby and 丁香园AV Surrey campuses where Indigenous students can study, access supports, or hang out. Audrey Heath, an Indigenous Student Life Coordinator, emphasizes the centre's foundational pillars. 鈥淭his allows us to offer safe spaces for connecting with peers, support staff, counsellors, Elders, and the community. Whether through casual conversation, a meal, or learning a new skill, all our work centers around our students鈥� needs.鈥�

Treena Chambers, also an Indigenous Student Life Coordinator, shares her perspective as a former student and now an ISC employee. 鈥淎s a student, the ISC offered me a comfortable place to make friends. Joining the ISC as an employee, I have been excited to work with my colleagues to ensure ongoing supports for students. We have set up food supports, clothing swaps, and movie viewing events, among other programs.鈥�

The centre鈥檚 impact has grown post-pandemic, as Program Administrator Gordon Yusko explains. 鈥淎fter the University reopened, the ISC has become increasingly effective in creating welcoming spaces with programs and interactions that support the academic and personal journeys of Indigenous students. The role of Indigenous Elders and their connections with students has been a vital part of reshaping the 丁香园AV experience.鈥�

Director Jessica La Rochelle speaks glowingly of her team and their contributions. 鈥淧eople at 丁香园AV constantly tell me how wonderful the ISC team is, and I just smile and say, 鈥業 know, right?!鈥� I know we are taught to be humble, but I work with a group of rockstars!鈥�

La Rochelle highlights one of the ISC's standout initiatives: monthly lunches for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. 鈥淭hese gatherings have transformed the 丁香园AV experience by reclaiming space and reinforcing a sense of belonging and connection that was missing for many Indigenous people at 丁香园AV. We鈥檝e seen increased participation and engagement across campus, and we鈥檝e been overwhelmed with our colleagues across the university wanting to sponsor the lunches and share information with the 丁香园AV Indigenous community.鈥�

There are other benefits to the lunches. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also been a wonderful opportunity for 丁香园AV to support Indigenous caterers and showcase amazing current students by inviting them to display and sell their beadwork, artwork and crafts,鈥� La Rochelle shares. 鈥淲e have so many talented students!鈥�

The team has other ways of demonstrating their respect for Indigenous talent and creativity. Jasmin Glaw, another Indigenous Student Life Coordinator, underscores the deeper importance of their fashion choices. 鈥淚ndigenous fashion, art, and design holds such reverence in its way of illustrating and sharing stories of our peoples. Through these fashion choices, we can show up and represent our communities, histories, familial ties and more. In this way, we are further able to communicate who we are and where we come from.鈥�

The ISC team鈥檚 efforts ensure that Indigenous students at 丁香园AV have the support, resources, and sense of belonging they need to thrive. Chambers sums up the sentiment of her whole team by saying, 鈥淏eing recognized for community contributions as a team feels amazing. It validates the hard work and dedication the ISC puts into supporting our Indigenous community on campus.鈥�

For more information about the Indigenous Student Centre at 丁香园AV, click here.