Career fair highlights choices

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Principal Richard Coburn calls Stu"ate LeLum Secondary School a "school with heart." This, more than anything else, sets the Chemainus First Nation's school apart from other educational institutions, he says.

At the school's career fair on May 1, Coburn addressed the student body of 130-plus during opening ceremonies.

"All our speakers and presenters today have something to offer," he said. "Hopefully one of them will plant a seed. We were all looking for careers at one time and we heard somebody or we met someone who inspired us. I hope that all of you today get inspired by somebody here and that you build on that."

Later, Coburn said that while careers are important at Stu"ate LeLum, the whole student is more important.

"We're a school with a heart. We integrate First Nations cultures and values into our school and that helps with the self-esteem and the sense of self-worth."

Students at Stu"ate LeLum range in age from 14 years to adults who have returned to complete their education.

Many First Nations students face substantially bigger challenges than non-natives, Coburn explained. When he hears a student say, "I can't do that, I'm just a stupid Indian," he knows he is hearing residual effects of the residential schools that their parents attended. Coburn and the staff, half of whom are members of First Nations, hold the students to high standards and encourage them to heal and to continue their education.

Other secondary schools put academic studies first, Coburn added. Although academic studies at Stu"ate LeLum are important, they are not the primary focus.

"Because of the intimacy of the school, it's a less sterile environment. When these students leave us we know the obstacles they've had to overcome to get where they've gotten."

Chemainus First Nation Chief Terry Sampson also addressed the student body at the opening ceremony. His message emphasized taking a positive approach to life.

"Sometimes we seem to thrive on negativity, gossip, and putdowns. That seems to be common in our lives. People seem to see someone doing well or attempting to do well and they get negative and it holds people back from doing their best. It's got to stop. That's part of healing. A lot of that negativity came from the residential school. It's residential school syndrome."

Sampson told the students it was time for them to reach out into the world and to embrace it. The school was a blessing he said, and it was a blessing that so many people from the community had turned out for the day to talk to the students about career choices they might have.

Among the presenters were representatives from the local television and radio stations, a singer/songwriter, a lawyer, a fire and rescue worker, an automobile technician, a band manager, a professional athlete and an actor. Each student attended three sessions of his or her choosing.

Roxanne Harris, a teacher in the remedial program at Stu"ate LeLum, and a cook on special days such as career day, graduated from the teaching program at the University of British Columbia and came back to Chemainus First Nation to work with her people.

"That was my goal in university, to come home and work with my own people," Harris said.

"I wanted to inspire them. If they see me in the classroom teaching, they can think, 'Well, if she can do it, I can do it.'"

Sampson said the career day at the school was invaluable, even if it makes a difference to only one person there.

"Even if one person hears one inspiring word and they take it to heart, that's enough. The more successful people we have the more it will snowball. It will get bigger and it will make everyone more positive."