Hometown: Stanley Mission/ Amachewespimawin First Nation
Band: Lac La Ronge Indian Band
Program: Automotive Service Technician certificate
Mitchel Roberts decided to enroll in the Automotive Service Technician program because he had heard a lot of positive feedback from friends who were apprentice technicians in the automotive trade. His older brother was also a Sask Polytech grad. Still, it was a big move from Stanley Mission to Saskatoon.
“Moving from my hometown to the city to pursue post-secondary education was a culture shock for me,” the First Nations student says. “I mostly grew up on a reserve and had the comfort of knowing I was in a small town with people I knew. One of the major barriers I had to overcome as an Indigenous student in the city was adapting to the environment around me, where everything was different, while engaging in my studies.”
Small class sizes and personal instruction helped Mitchel find his balance. When he wasn’t in class or in the shop, Mitchel was studying in the library or hanging out with friends in the Indigenous Students’ Centre. “The environment at Sask Polytech let me be myself. I could make friends with my classmates and ask questions directly to my instructors,” he says.
Mitchel has learned a lot at Sask Polytech, about his trade, and about life. “You learn that life isn’t always going to be sunshine and rainbows. There are going to be dark times. Sometimes, you can feel defeated,” he says.
“Use the supports around you, talk to your friends and family. Remember why you wanted to better yourself, and your thoughts will become clear again.”