Weyt-kp xwexweytep (hello everyone),
I am an Indigenous student, in my final year of the Bachelor of Natural Resource Science program at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. I have learned so much over the course of my academic journey. In my second year, I was a future students ambassador for TRU and became an Indigenous mentor for Cplul’kw’ten (a centre for Indigenous students at TRU) in my third year.
I love snowboarding, hiking (aka IDing plants), and spending time with friends and family. My culture has recently become a priority in my life; slowly reconnecting with my Syilx (Okanagan) roots. I currently sit on an Indigenous youth advisory council for former youth in care and often volunteer my spare time with whatever projects need help on.
Growing up, I was raised to respect the land: we never hunted more than we needed, and grew our own food with vegetable gardens and fruit-bearing trees. Canning fruits and vegetables for the winter, food was never wasted; even our scraps were composted and used for soil. Living sustainably was never hard, it was just a way of life.
My goal is to return to community and share my knowledge – I hope to inspire Indigenous youth into continuing their education and to follow their dreams.
Kukwstsétsemc,
Sadie Lawrence