Shannon Lee Custer (Armitstead)
Hometown/Band: Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation
Program: Correctional Studies diploma
After graduating from Opawikoscikan High School in 2004, Shannon Lee Custer began working as an employment and training program worker in Pelican Narrows. “That’s where I met some amazing people who attended Sask Polytech, and they inspired me to continue my education,” Shannon says.
In 2020, Shannon moved away from her community to take the Correctional Studies program in Prince Albert. She’s part of the last graduating class. The program has been redeveloped into the new Justice Studies program, which allows students to pursue either a Correctional Studies specialty or an Indigenous Policing Foundations specialty.
During her time at Sask Polytech, Shannon used various student services, but it was the Indigenous Students’ Centre that played the most important role in her journey, especially after COVID isolated her from her community.
“Nobody was allowed in or out of the community and I got homesick,” shares the First Nations woman. “Then I found out the Indigenous Students’ Centre provided services I wasn’t aware of. I felt welcomed and no longer homesick. The activities were new and exciting, I even learned how to paint!”
We asked Shannon if she had any advice for others thinking about continuing their education. “It’s hard to leave the comfort of your home, your family, and friends to pursue your studies,” she says. “But once you’re situated in your own place, it feels wonderful, and you’ll be happy you took the step.