‘Change lives back home’: Indigenous students take part in U of M introductory health-care program

The University of Manitoba hosted Indigenous Grade 12 students at their chemistry lab, showcasing potential career paths. Joseph Bernacki has more.

Indigenous Grade 12 student Knashton Mason said he could see himself one day pursuing a pharmaceutical career as he combines calamine with other elements to make sunscreen.

“The thing that interests me the most about pharmacy is the research you could do about saving lives,” said Mason, who studies at Winnipeg’s Southeast Collegiate.

Mason and his Grade 12 classmates spent Thursday afternoon at a University of Manitoba pharmaceutical lab.

“Now that I’ve been coming here for a while for field trips, I feel like I could really change lives back home,” Mason said.

Indigenous students like Mason are taking part in the University of Manitoba’s Introduction to Health Care Careers Pathways Program.

“It’s a series of introductions to different aspects of health-care sciences in hopes that it prepares them better to enter post-secondary,” said Derek Stewner, workforce development and pathways program manager from the U of M’s Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

The Thursday afternoon hands-on lesson at the lab intrigued the class.

“I use sunscreen every day, so it’s kind of weird seeing the process of it being made,” said Radek Bee, another student participating in the program.

Stewner said a program like this gives Indigenous students a path to a scientific career in communities where education may be limited.

Students at Southeast Collegiate come from many different First Nations in northern Manitoba and stay at the school’s lodge during the school year.

“Students from rural, northern, remote, isolated communities tend to maybe lack the basic sciences coming out of high school,” Stewner said.

“We are trying to get ahead of the game.”

Stewner said they have plans to expand this program to middle schools with the aim of bringing students back each year.

Leadership from the Southeast Collegiate said the collaboration is a slam dunk.

“To get to those roles, the better that it’s going to serve their communities and help them in their future careers,” said David Brown, one of the collegiate’s principals.