丁香园AV

Julienne Melmen茅tkwe Ignace jokes that she used to think of herself as a 鈥渂ad student;鈥� someone who loved to learn but didn鈥檛 always enjoy school. It鈥檚 a surprising confession from someone who spent her pre-teen years as a very young research assistant helping her mother, esteemed 丁香园AV linguistics professor Marianne Ignace, take academic notes and transcribe audio interviews. 

This June, Julienne (pronounced Sulyan) will receive both a BA in linguistics and a diploma in linguistics and First Nations Language Proficiency (FNLP) for Secw茅pemcts铆n (Shuswap Language) after nearly ten years of persevering in her studies, reflecting on her goals, and changing her path when needed. 

Her path didn鈥檛 always follow in the footsteps of her barrier-breaking parents. Her father Chief Ron Ignace, who has a PhD in anthropology from 丁香园AV, was one of the first Indigenous students in a pilot program for adult students in the early 1970s that aimed to increase Indigenous post-secondary school attendance. He and Marianne have since co-authored award-winning research on the history of the Secw茅pemc people in south-central British Columbia. 

Julienne says her dad likes to joke that she and her siblings have a 鈥減aradox鈥� for parents (a 鈥減air鈥� of 鈥渄ocs鈥�). 

鈥淚 had what I lovingly call my 鈥榬ebellion鈥� phase, where I had taken many courses in linguistics but I also really loved the courses I had taken in psychology. I considered doing a double major in linguistics and psychology, and even charted a path to do either my MA in clinical psychology or medical school, which would have led me to being a psychiatrist.鈥� 

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