Native Nurses Entry Program (NNEP)
Constance Lake First Nation

After having two kids I often wondered about returning to school. I wanted to go back to school but was scared I wouldn’t succeed in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program. The Native Nurses Entry Program (NNEP) helped me recognize my strengths and weakness which has given me the courage to reach for my dreams. With the help from NNEP which has helped me prepare for my future education to pursue my BScN degree, my dreams of becoming a nurse are within reach. 

Honours Bachelor of Science (Nursing), Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Thunder Bay, ON

With a small student population, Lakehead made me feel like an individual instead of a number. Lakehead University is unconventional in the fact that it provides the framework for friendships and camaraderie, rather than competitiveness. Lakehead does this by having small class sizes and offering opportunities for students to come together in social, sporting, and academic activities. 

Lakehead University has exceptional professors and instructors who see the potential in their learners and genuinely want them to succeed. During my third year of nursing, my clinical instructor encouraged me to apply to medical school. This made a significant impact on me as a student, and was the added push I needed to pursue my dreams of becoming a doctor. 

Currently, I am completing my residency in Family Medicine in Red Deer, Alberta, and hope to work in Northern Ontario when I am finished. I am thankful that Lakehead University has helped give me strong roots in my community.

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical)
Hinton, AB

I am from western Canada, in my 3^rd year of Electrical Engineering. I choose Lakehead because of its small class size and teacher to student ratio. I knew that those two things were critical to my success in getting through Engineering. I also chose Lakehead because of its diploma program. As a mature student I didn’t know if I wanted to do my full degree in Engineering, but at the same time I wanted the option to continue on to complete it if I wanted too. I also knew that having a diploma would add to my education credentials. There is very limited financial support, other than student loans, when you’re a mature student so knowing that if you don’t complete the degree, either by choice or financial constraints, you have something when you finish your second year is a huge relief.

At first I wasn’t too keen on having to do the Common Year Applied Science because it just seemed to add time to my education process, but after competing it I was so glad I had done it. I would say that it is one of the contributors in my continued success. As a mature student, it had been awhile since I had done math at that level, especially without a calculator. It had also been a while since I had to sit in a class, take notes, do labs, do homework, etc. so it helped me get into the groove of school once again and by the time first year engineering came around, I was ready for the pace and scope of classes and knew how hard I would have to work to succeed at engineering.   

There is two times that a professor has made an impact on me. The first was when I would go to get help after class with assignments for a particular professor and he would always give me the wrong answers. I would just blindly write them down then get a bad mark on my assignments. It infuriated me at the time but it taught me to try and get the answers myself not just look for an easy way out, and if I was stuck, to ask specific pointed questions not just ask for the answer. The second greatest impact a professor had made on me is how one professor’s hand writing is illegible. It might not seem like a big thing but if half of the class is spent asking what that word is or what that line says, it starts to become a big deal. You get home and you can’t even read your own notes or just huge swaths are missing because you couldn’t read the board. It use to drive me crazy but actually I have come to accept it and view it as working with a colleague that you might not always agree with but you have to work with in order to get projects done, so it has given me some real life experience.

Crazy as it sounds, I like the remoteness of Lakehead and Thunder Bay. It’s great because you don’t have the numerous distractions like you would if you lived in a big city. You know when something is happening, like a concert you want to see, and you also know when it’s quiet.

In Electrical Engineering, our professors really try to teach us that you can’t just memorize and regurgitate. You need to understand as much as you can about the problem, think outside the box and using the knowledge we have gained, solve it. 

Honour Bachelor of Commerce
Peawanuck, ON

I chose Lakehead because of the success rate of Lakehead Business graduates in the workplace. I know that with a business degree, it will help me help others and make a difference with other Aboriginal people from home or all over Ontario. 

Two of the things that stick out to me about Lakehead are the small class sizes and open door policy that professors have here. Having those options to meet with professors helped me achieve more academically throughout the school year and years to come when professors remember you.  

I am excited for all of the opportunities ahead and for creating a strong educational background for my children just as my dad did for my brother and me when he attended Lakehead. I can't imagine myself any where other than Lakehead University.

Honours Bachelor of Commerce
Peawanuck, ON

I chose Lakehead because of the success rate of Business graduates in the workplace. I know that with a business degree, it will help me help others and make a difference with other Aboriginal people from home or all over Ontario.

Two of the things that stick out to me about Lakehead are the small class sizes and open door policy that professors have here. Having those options to meet with professors helped me to improve more academically throughout the school year and years to come when professors remember you. 

I am excited for all of the opportunities ahead and for creating a strong educational background for my kids just as my dad did for my brother and me when he attended Lakehead. I can't imagine myself any where other than Lakehead University.

Applied Bio-Molecular Science
Thunder Bay 

"As a citizen of Thunder Bay, choosing Lakehead University made my undergraduate experience significantly easier. Lakehead University also offered me a scholarship that I could not refuse. It wasn't until I began my studies that I realized I had made the right choice. The accessibility of the instructors and the effort they put into teaching really makes a difference and became a vital part of my education.

A major influence on my interest in research is the quality of the teaching from the faculty members. At Lakehead, a lot of opportunities are present for students. For instance, I started research in my second year of my undergraduate degree and have been working summers in research ever since. Lakehead has helped me by providing the necessary training and experience that will carry me through my graduate studies.

In my final year, I decided that I wanted to participate more with student clubs. As an ABMS major, I decided to join LABS and LUSC.  These two clubs made up the bulk of my recreational time during the school year and helped to keep me sane when the school year got rough."

Bacehlor of Arts and Science, Interdisciplinary studies
Clarkson, ON

"I was an alcoholic and drug addict who had barely survived seven years of homelessness, 16 years of being in and out of jail, and dangerous associations with organized crime. My transformation journey began the day I checked myself into a detox centre, which led to a three-month stay at the Seven South Treatment Centre in Orillia, which was a life-altering learning process.

Today, I am a successful author, award-winning community volunteer, sought-after public speaker, and the first Lakehead University student to create a student scholarship award while enrolled in full-time studies.I’m in my second year of the Honours Bachelor of Social Work (HBSW) program at the Orillia campus, and I recently celebrated six years of sobriety since turning my life around in September 2005.

My experience at Lakehead University has been very positive. I’m getting valuable experience and will gain the qualifications I need to accomplish my goals. The staff and faculty here really do want to help students succeed – I’m a prime example. I never thought in my life that I’d get my Grade 12, and here I am with a couple of diplomas, a book, accepted into university, and passing!"

Honours Bachelor of Environmental Studies
Thunder Bay, ON

I choose to attend Lakehead University because I was raised in Thunder Bay. I enjoy the lifestyle of living in this city and have always called the northwest my home. Lakehead University was a great opportunity for me to get a great education in my field of choice. During the information sessions that I attended regarding Lakehead it showed me that it fit with what I was looking for in a university.

The Environmental Studies and Geography program was a great cross-curricular program and I really enjoyed the opportunity to take numerous classes in different fields. Being able to experience not only science and geography courses but sociology and classes in additional fields helped me to gain a well-rounded education, while still maintaining a focus on my major. The majority of courses that I took had smaller class sizes, which helped get the most out of the course and also made professors more available outside of the classroom for extra assistance.

 Lakehead was an integral part of preparing me for my future career. When I graduated I had been exposed to many career opportunities in my field and knew the types of jobs that I could try and get. Currently, I am working in Thunder Bay for Arbora Management Services Inc., a small consulting company, as a Junior Consultant and my background at Lakehead has helped me on many projects. Lakehead prepared me to be a learner, researcher, and writer, these skills are integral to my job as I continue to learn and use the knowledge I gained at Lakehead.