After a career as a legal assistant in York Region , and life-long commitment to working as a figure skating coach, Katherine made the decision to attend university for the first time. Through coaching, Katherine was introduced to the idea of pursuing postsecondary studies at Laurentian.
“One of the skaters that I was working with was attending Laurentian, and he was sharing incredible stories and interesting learning experiences,” Katherine recalls. “It inspired me to look into the possibility for myself.”
At 60 years old, Katherine began her Bachelor's of Sociology online. Through that program, she became interested in further exploring Indigenous cultures. After completing her undergraduate degree with honours, she decided she would continue her academic journey with a master’s program, making Indigenous perspectives her area of focus. She describes her decision to commit to her master’s as an unexpected leap of faith.
“University, to me, is not about learning what you want to do, but rather who you want to be,” Katherine says. “Throughout life, I’ve found that I have continued to grow and learn who I want to be. I see my Master’s of Indigenous Relations as a reflection of that journey.”
Katherine narrowed in on Indigenous storytelling, studying 14 different Indigenous stories from Turtle Island. From newer reads like Waubgeshig Rice's Moon of the Crusted Snow to veteran author Thomson Highway's, The Kiss of the Fur Queen, Katherine dove into titles that would challenge her Western understanding. She aimed to learn more about Indigenous perspectives through storytelling and to develop her Two-Eyed Seeing perspective (the concept of applying both an Indigenous and Western lens to understanding issues for the benefit of all). As a non-Indigenous person, her undergraduate classes pushed her to realize that her previous education had lacked inclusion of Indigenous voices while her graduate program brought her deeper understanding.
“My time at Laurentian has expanded my thinking as a whole, my critical thinking, and my understanding of social justice. I’m still navigating where this degree might take me career-wise, because while I have so many ideas and further interests, I’m currently more focused on enjoying the process of learning.”
Katherine appreciated Laurentian’s small class sizes, saying they have allowed her to build connections with other students and professors. She describes finding “really amazing people, young and old, in the Laurentian community,” and feeling welcomed by all. Having moved to Sudbury for her master’s, she fell in love with the area and now plans to put down roots and stay long-term.
Katherine sees herself working with young people again in the future. For now, her path remains unwritten though she hopes to take the PhD in Human Studies and Interdisciplinary program next. Katherine will defend her master’s thesis on August 23rd, 2024.