Journeys of discovery
Thriving in an academic setting with support from Camosun
Before coming to Camosun College, Trevor Good (Snuneymuxw) never imagined he could thrive in an academic setting. Today, Trevor holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with an Indigenous specialization and an exciting position at the new First People’s House at the University of Victoria, where he is Coordinator for Indigenous Student Support. “I enjoy coming to work,” he says. “The hardest part of my day is waking up, and the rest of it is all good. The time flies at my job.”
As an advisor for current and prospective students, Trevor often recommends Indigenous Studies at Camosun as groundwork for a solid academic career. “I always tell students, you need a foundation to build a house, and if you build a house with a shaky foundation, your house is going to collapse,” he laughs. “I felt that the foundation built at Camosun was more than enough to get me through my degree. Only positive things can come from doing that program.”
Finding a safe place to learn
Trevor is in his element on campus now, but remembers finding school alienating. High school frustrated him, as he was angered by curriculum that celebrated colonialism and ignored Aboriginal experience. After smoothing out his uneven high school record by taking upgrading that Camosun offers in partnership with the Victoria Friendship Centre and Songhees Learning Centre, Trevor entered Camosun’s First Nations Community Studies program (now Indigenous Studies). He found a strong support network in the faculty, staff, and students in the Aboriginal Education & Community Connections department. “It was a safe place to learn,” he recalls. In high school, Trevor did not feel comfortable approaching his teachers for support, but at Camosun he found the staff and faculty warm and understanding. “There was a lot of mentorship going on,” he reflects. “A lot of teachers would kind of take you under their wing.”
Trevor particularly welcomed the value the Indigenous Studies program placed on community. “I’ve come to learn that that’s an Indigenous value, an Indigenous Way,” he explains. “I’ve always learned in community and been most comfortable in community.”
Taking further educational steps and leadership roles
After completing the Indigenous Studies program, Trevor transferred into the BSW program at UVic. “Indigenous Studies worked as a perfect bridge to Social Work,” he says. While at UVic, Trevor had the opportunity to be part of LE,NONET, a unique five-year pilot project designed to develop research opportunities and support services for Aboriginal students. Trevor also worked in youth programs and volunteered for a mini-university camp while maintaining his studies. When he graduated from the BSW program in the fall, Trevor was part of the first-ever Indigenous convocation at the First People’s House. “I was definitely humbled and really grateful to be a part of it,” he says, beaming. “It was awesome.”
Trevor feels that creating space for Indigenous identity in academic environments is one of the AECC’s key roles. “I don’t think a day goes by when our identities aren’t in question,” he says. “We’re generally told we’re not capable of going to college or university, just through underlying messages in mainstream media. It is a different world up in college and university.” The knowledge and tools Trevor developed in the program helped him to articulate his own perspective in other classes. After taking Indigenous Studies, he explains, “then you go into a mainstream program, but you bring this Indigenous knowledge to it, and you create a space for Indigenous knowledge. You just need to get in there, learn a few of these Western tools, and start writing, start reading. And being able to challenge things in a healthy way.”
Trevor’s career is off to a promising start. His work at the First People’s House is not only rewarding for him and beneficial for other students, but also builds his sense of professional confidence and connects him with others in his field. “The opportunities that are available to me now – it’s amazing,” he says. “I’m constantly in dialogue with professional people here, and I’m networking all across the province. It was a really weird shift for me to come here and be a peer with a lot of the people I still look up to at Camosun, and here. It’s been an amazing ride.”
(Trevor is continuing his education by enrolling in the University of Victoria's Masters of Social Work with an Indigenous specialization.)
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