Hometown: Prince Albert, SK
Band: James Smith Cree Nation
Program: Office Administration certificate
Jessie Constant had been interested in the Office Administration program for a while but hadn’t pushed herself to go for it until her daughter was born.
“That’s when I decided it was time to get myself back into school and make a career change,” says the First Nations woman. “I had fears about whether I could do it financially, but I knew I had to do it for my family. I wanted a better paying job and to have advancement options.”
Jessie’s journey through Sask Polytech was a virtual experience thanks to the COVID pandemic, but she gives it an enthusiastic thumbs up. “My online learning experience allowed me to get to know classmates and instructors from across the world,” she says. “My cohort of students and instructors was amazing and supportive, and we had many laughs over Zoom.”
Jessie was nervous when she logged in to her first class. It had been years since she was in a learning environment. By using student support and receiving timely guidance from her Indigenous student advisor on applying for student funding, Jessie found herself thriving in class. Over the year, she also learned something important about herself.
“It’s never too late to pursue something you’re passionate about,” Jessie says. “It took me 15 years to figure out what I wanted to do, and I went for it. Having post-secondary will open many doors and create amazing opportunities that will benefit you in the future.”