Hometown: Yellow Quill, SK
Band: Yellow Quill First Nation
Program: Civil Engineering Technologies diploma
Graduating with distinction in the winter of 2017, Anastasia says she worked hard to achieve success while also balancing family life.
"I was awarded many student awards, which really helped me support my family and feel financially independent," says Anastasia, a First Nations woman. "If I did not receive any scholarships, I probably would not have been able to see my parents as much as I did, nor would I have been able to have family members come to help when my kids were sick. This support allowed me to attend important classes and ultimately complete my course."
While at Sask Polytech, Anastasia was a student representative on the Moose Jaw campus Indigenous Strategy Committee, working to help other Indigenous students achieve their educational and career goals.
"I try to encourage others and tell them to dedicate themselves, to do whatever they can to finish their work and understand the information," she says. "There are people here to help and we can help each other. When we share knowledge, we all succeed."
Looking ahead, Anastasia says she wants to go back to school to get her Civil Engineering degree and become a professional structural engineer.
She adds, "For now this program gives me a very broad array of engineering employment opportunities. All are applied, which I really like."