She found a job she loves, even if it wasn’t the job she first trained for. Carrie Langevin is an Inuvialuit woman from Inuvik, Northwest Territories who lives in West Kelowna. She lives on the traditional territories of the Westbank First Nation. She works as an Indigenous student advocate at the local high school. It’s a role she enjoys but she had some challenges getting into her position and it wasn’t what she thought she would be doing.

Langevin started off on that career path wanting to be a certified educational teaching assistant. While she was studying to obtain that credential, she learned about the Indigenous student advocate role and was inspired. She applied for the job after she graduated only to be told she didn’t have the right qualifications to be appointed. The revelation was heartbreaking but she picked herself back up. Langevin worked as an education assistant for three years before she finally got her chance to become the advocate she hoped to become in the first place.

Coming from the North, she knows firsthand how many students have to leave to pursue their dreams. Her advice for Indigenous students who have to leave their home communities to pursue their education is, “It’s an amazing opportunity to go out, explore the world a little bit. find what makes you happy and explore different career paths and schools."

When it comes to overcoming obstacles in life, Langevin makes sure she takes care of her mental health so she can rise above the challenges she faces. She makes sure to prioritize her family often but they aren’t her only priority. “I gotta remember that I also come first, and so I make sure to take time for myself and just make sure that my mental well being is happy and healthy,” she shares. To keep herself feeling well, Langevin keeps active, moving her body, going for walks and swims.

Looking back at the advice she would give her younger self, she says, “I wish when I was younger I would have spoken my mind a little more. Now that I'm getting older, I'm learning you’ve got to speak up. You’ve got to use your voice and advocate for yourself."

Her advice for younger people now would be around the importance of education. “Get that high school diploma, because that's a big part of life and getting to where you want to be when you're an adult. Get that education…” she affirms.

Finally, to encourage Indigenous youth she shares the following observations, “I feel that Indigenous people have a little bit of a leg up, because people are always looking for Indigenous people to work and to teach. Use that skill set. Use your Indigenous culture to teach people."

When she got her first “no” pursuing her dream of becoming an Indigenous student advocate, Carrie Langevin found other opportunities until her dream came back around. It wasn’t the job she trained for and she was told her qualifications weren’t right for the role, but she knew she wanted to support Indigenous students and she persevered until she got her chance. Inspiring Indigenous youth to pursue their educational goals, she’s contributing to a brighter future with her support and encouragement every day.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.