She’s recently changed positions within the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, but Kelly Johnsen’s goal is still to help Nuu-chah-nulth students achieve success.
Johnsen was hired in 1995 as the post-secondary counsellor in the Education department at the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, a job she was hired for on graduation from Vancouver Island University (then Malaspina College).
“I’m starting my 19th year here,” she said. Johnsen has recently moved from Post-Secondary to her new position as the Elementary School Cultural Supervisor.
A member of Toquaht First Nation, she is a granddaughter of the late Ha’wilth Bert Mack and wife Lillian. After graduating from Ucluelet Secondary School in 1988, she went directly to Malaspina.
“I studied Fine Arts and Psychology and ended up with a BA in Liberal Studies with a minor in Psychology.”
Based on her own undergraduate experience, Johnsen counseled her clients to seek a more specific academic path.
“Things have changed out there. Nowadays, general arts degrees are not as useful as they once were. Now, employers are looking for specialized degrees and certificates.”
“The NTC provides post-secondary funding and advising to students in college, universities or other technical programs. We provide living allowances, tuition and book support, as well as counselling and advice on career planning and education planning.”
As part of her duties, Johnsen also went into the high schools in Nuu-chah-nulth territories to advise First Nations students how to qualify for post-secondary funding.
“We try to help the students with long-term goals and with what is going on in the marketplace and where the jobs are and try to help students make choices that will help them find employment. We also deal with students who have been out in the workforce for years, and perhaps underemployed. We look at re-training options.”
Johnsen said the focus is on community needs, and what sorts of skills are needed by each nation. Students are then encouraged to select a career path that fills those needs.
Currently, Nursing, Health Sciences, Education and Resource Management and Tourism offer solid employment opportunities for students, allowing them to practice their skills in their own communities.
The NTC uses a multi-pronged outreach to attract students from across the spectrum. Johnsen’s colleagues attend numerous career fairs, setting up booths where prospective students can seek them out.
There are also direct visits to the schools in which Nuu-chah-nulth students are brought from class to meet with the NTC counsellors.
“Our counsellors also go to the communities. We will set up in the community for people who may not necessarily be in high school but who are interested in accessing our funds. We have students of all ages.”
For mature students seeking education funding, the NTC calls for applications twice a year, with notices in Ha-Shilth-Sa advising of deadlines.
“People who are interested can then phone in or e-mail us, and we can direct them to the information on the NTC website. We also have a Facebook site that is popular.”
In June, the NTC hosted a graduation ceremony for both high-school and post-secondary students, which also includes a scholarship presentation.
“We also host a lunch at VIU for our students. The majority of our students attend VIU and NIC, but we do have students as far away as Ontario who are attending university.”
Johnsen sets a personal example in her own pursuit of continuing education. In 2005, while continuing to work full-time, she completed a Masters degree in Education. Her thesis explored ways to encourage more students to go into the sciences.
She is currently halfway through a PhD Ed through the University of Victoria. Her thesis focuses on Nuu-chah-nulth assessment practices, and flows from her ongoing work with Nuu-chah-nulth students.
Johnsen said she does not currently plan to parlay her future doctorate into a career in academia.
“It does give me a better understanding of the academic world, though,” she said.
Johnsen said conditions for aboriginal students in B.C. post-secondary institutions have improved markedly, even since her undergraduate days at Malaspina College.
“The institutions have implemented a lot of good things, such as First Nations Gathering Places, having aboriginal advisors to help students access resources. There’s a lot of aboriginal programming and indigenization of courses – First Nations content, which is really exciting. I’m looking, through my PhD program, at implementing Nuu-chah-nulth assessment practices into the college classrooms.
“So I think the institutions are a friendlier place for aboriginal students just in the 20 years since I was a student. I think that helps overcome some of the fear First Nations people may have about going into that institution. Having an aboriginal face, when you walk in that door, is really important.”
And that is becoming even more critical as the employment market evolves, Johnsen said.
