Creating Change through Community

Community is at the core of the Transition Year Program at the University of Alberta.

Over the past 30 years, the program has supported First Nations, Métis and Inuit students who often face barriers to pursuing post-secondary education, in their first year of university. Through building a strong university community, the program hopes to make this transition easier. 

One of the ways the Transition Year Program does this is by offering classes with reduced sizes and increased resources, due to the often overwhelming size of university classes. 

Kelsey McCallum, who started in the Transition Year Program before transferring into nursing this fall, says learning in smaller groups enabled her to connect with professors on a personal level, and that it made all the difference.

“I was able to get support when I was struggling. That learning environment helped me progress in my nursing degree. Without this programming I would not have been able to move forward in my degree.”

“We have a wonderful community of diverse students who share their knowledge, culture, lived experiences and support with one another, which is our strength,” says Suzanne Butler, director of the Transition Year Program. 

For Butler, student success is about more than just academics. The program provides multifaceted support, including social, cultural and financial resources. 

While in the program, students benefit from being full-time, open-studies students, where they can have more time to think about which field they want to pursue, as well as build confidence and skills that will help carry them through the rest of their post-secondary experiences. Additionally, they earn credits toward their chosen degree program.

Over the past three years, the impact of the Transition Year Program has been magnified by the support of EPCOR, whose community values are reflected in the program. When members of its ​​marketing and community investment team sat down with representatives of the Transition Year Program in 2019, they wanted to understand how to best help students, particularly in STEM fields: science, technology, engineering and math. 

EPCOR’s trust in Butler and her team has culminated in a strong relationship that has allowed them to take the lead on student support how they felt best. On top of providing smaller classes and more tutors, the program and First Peoples’ House have also been able to produce course materials and dedicated seminar courses designed specifically for Indigenous students. 

Special events for students have also been hosted by EPCOR, including Career Pathways, where professionals in STEM industries were able to share their experiences with students.

For presenter and EPCOR engineer, Kimberley Alcorn, ‘11 BSc ChemE, supporting future STEM leaders meant letting young women in the program know that this is a community where they belong. 

“I was very fortunate to have grown up surrounded by women in the STEM field, so it felt natural for me to want to pursue a career in engineering. If I hadn’t had those women in my life, I feel like my life would have been very different”, she shared. “A mentor can help push you to pursue those new opportunities so you can develop yourself further.”

Alcorn also emphasizes the importance of saying yes and embracing new opportunities.

“It’s important to maintain a growth mindset throughout your school and working journeys,” she explains. “Keep putting in the effort to learn new skills and experience new opportunities. Expose yourself to different experiences so that you can grow as a person and get more well-rounded experiences and perspectives.”

Embracing opportunities provided by EPCOR has proven to be invaluable for students like Jackson Reid, who took advantage of the dedicated math and stats courses last year, and is continuing to pursue a Bachelor of Science.

“I remember quite vividly how grateful I was for the additional support I received in order to help me complete these courses. I hope that future students have access to these resources as I know personally they were much appreciated, incredibly helpful, and directly resulted in my success that year.”

After EPCOR’s recent announcement of renewed commitment over the next three years, Butler is looking forward to continuing to foster the relationship with EPCOR, and continue to collaborate on student success. 

“Working with the team at EPCOR has been wonderfully supportive and engaging and we have a reciprocal relationship that works really well,” says Butler. 

“It is very rewarding to see [students] accomplish their goals, graduate with degrees and begin their professional careers.”