Oshki-Wenjack celebrates first graduating class of social work program
Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute held a graduation ceremony on Friday for its first-ever bachelor of social work (BSW) cohort.
Oshki-Wenjack’s BSW program is organized in collaboration with Algoma University, which issues the credentials.
Students of the two-year program travelled to Thunder Bay’s Best Western Plus NorWester Hotel & Conference Centre to celebrate the occasion.
“There’s something very unique and special about when you’re working with and for your own people,” says class valedictorian Shannon Courchene, “as well as at the same time trying to get all those academic accomplishments.”
Courchene says that everyone in the BSW program was working in the field of social work while pursuing their education.
“As challenging as it was, that’s how rewarding it was too,” Courchene adds.
Ontario New Democratic Party Deputy Leader and MPP for Kiiwetinoong Sol Mamakwa made a surprise appearance at the event.
“There’s so much trauma we see in First Nations, and at all levels there seems to be this constant or perpetual crisis in our communities,” says Mamakwa. “It took generations to be there, and it’s going to take generations to get out of that.”
Referring to the graduating students, Mamakwa says “that’s part of the work that they’re studying, to be able to help First Nations become healthy, become well.”
Courchene believes that in addition to the knowledge she gained, the BSW program helped her and her classmates gain confidence in themselves.
“Being in a classroom with all Indigenous women, that’s just so special in itself,” she says. “Who we are and why we do the work that we do is just as important as showing up in the classroom every day.”
