Hometown/Band: Ahtahkakoop First Nation
Program: Business Diploma, Human Resources specialty
Kimowan Ahenakew’s first class at Sask Polytech was a free math class she took to improve her high school grade. That was the beginning of several years of upgrading her high school marks. Her goal was to enter the Business diploma program, and that’s where the First Nation student is now.
“I am learning how to utilize and promote my talents so I can operate a business in a professional manner,” Kimowan says. “I am working to become my own boss.”
Kimowan is keenly aware of the cultural impact of her choice to attend Sask Polytech. “Sask Polytech acknowledges Treaty 4, Treaty 6, and Métis Territory. Since the introduction of education to my family line, my senses are the first to witness that acknowledgment. I appreciate being a part of changing times and witnessing the growth of society,” she says.
“When I was a child, I wanted to be a mother because I understood the residential school legacy and I wanted to be a part of the change in my bloodline. Now, my children are growing up watching me go to Sask Polytech. They are seeing me centre my life around my education. I have conversations with them about how much focus a person must set in place to accomplish healthy independence.”
As a mature student, Kimowan has had to work with extra exuberance. “Learning how to learn online was the greatest barrier I had to overcome. I worked hard to learn new software,” she says. “I also learned to be patient. When I get frustrated, I tell myself, ‘I belong here’.”