For Joye Walkus, having the opportunity to finish her education as an adult has turned out to be life-changing.
Three years ago, Joye Walkus had no idea how much change a few upgrading courses could bring.
She had spent most of her life working with her father in the fishing industry, earning her first paycheque at the age of eight. She worked for 30 years until a shoulder injury forced her off the job and left her facing an uncertain future. Heading back to school to prepare for a new career seemed like a daunting task.
鈥淚 loved school but I never thought I was good at it so I questioned going back,鈥� she said. 鈥淓ventually, I got sick of thinking about it. I knew I had to do something and just did it. Walking through that door, I felt fearful and fearless at the same time.鈥�
She found math and English less intimidating than she remembered, and when a friend phoned about new Kwak鈥檞ala language classes, she was eager to keep learning.
鈥淚 said sign me up 鈥� I totally wanted to learn to speak my ancestral language,鈥� Walkus said.
She soon realized the classes were part of UVic鈥檚 Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization program, in partnership between the Kwakwaka鈥檞akw First Nation and UVic.
The program consists of intensive, four-month courses, to be completed one at a time, that send instructors north on weekends while students learn from elders, known locally as wise ones, in the community during the week.
Having the opportunity to finish her education as an adult has turned out to be life-changing.
鈥淚鈥檓 not the same person I was then,鈥� Walkus said. 鈥淪chool is different now because I鈥檓 different. These are my choices. It means something to me now and it didn鈥檛 then.鈥�
Now, Walkus is considering new educational avenues by pursuing a masters of speech pathology or audiology 鈥� education she can use to serve her community.
鈥淭hese are resources Port Hardy definitely needs,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to bring it home to serve the North Island.鈥�
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