Hometown: North Battleford, SK
Program: Industrial Mechanics apprenticeship
Hometown: Meadow Lake, SK
Program: Hotel & Restaurant Management diploma
Craig and Carmen Jack were never study buddies at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, as their time as students didn't overlap. What the father-daughter duo does share, though, is a commitment to lifelong learning, along with optimism for a future filled with opportunity. Carmen is a food and beverage supervisor, while Craig is an industrial mechanic. Both are members of the Big River First Nation.
"I met the same people he knew at the Aboriginal centre," says Carmen of her father. "We talked about school all the time – my Dad's all for school." Craig gives this advice: "A brain will never stop learning till it dies. Once you're done and get a trade, continue learning. Only you can put a limit on yourself."
Getting an education was not without challenges. They speak of financial struggles, as just one example. Craig says, "To travel home on weekends was sometimes hard due to the cost of gas." Adds Carmen, "I thought it would be a lot easier to go from making good money to making next to nothing, but it taught me how to budget."
"Only you can put a limit on yourself." - Craig
"We talked about school all the time." - Carmen