Band/hometown: Cumberland House
Program: Culinary Arts
Campus: Prince Albert
“You didn’t come this far just to come this far.”
Aaliyah Settee-Bear chose to enrol in Culinary Arts after seeing several of her peers succeed in their careers as graduates of Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
She felt welcomed from day one thanks to her experience with the Summer Transition Program. “I would not have continued my studies if it weren’t for that program and the relationships that came from it,” she says.
During her studies, Aaliyah overcame several personal challenges including adjusting to a new community, financial constraints and suffering personal loss. She says the school’s supports and resources “make academic life so much easier. They add to the feeling of knowing you are not here alone and there are people here to support you.”
A turning point in Aaliyah’s academic journey came when her instructor assigned her with a large catering job as a part of her applied learning. Although she was nervous and apprehensive, the event was a tremendous success, garnering rave reviews from the patrons and her instructor. The positive feedback gave her self-esteem a boost.
Upon graduation, Aaliyah envisions an entrepreneurial path. “One of my long-term goals is to open a cafe in Prince Albert."