Learning Specialist Support

 

First Peoples' House partners with the Academic Success Centre at the U of A to offer First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students academic support. Our Learning Specialist, Kersten Merry, is a professional learning advisor who supports our students by helping them develop and improve their academic skills. Kersten understands how your brains learn information and can teach you the most effective strategies related to learning. She can provide students with support in the following areas (and more): 

  • Time-management and scheduling
  • Textbook reading
  • Studying, note-taking, and memory
  • Exam preparation
  • Test-taking Strategies 
  • Test Anxiety
  • Communication and Presentations

Kersten is available to work with students in a group setting or individually. To connect with Kersten, email her at kmerry@ualberta.ca. Kersten is able to meet with students in person or virtually.

Meet Kersten Merry - First Peoples' House Learning Specialist

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Kersten Merry

Learning Specialist
kmerry@ualberta.ca 

My name is Kersten Merry. I am the Learning Specialist for First Peoples’ House. My pronouns are she/her. I am a settler, born in Victoria, BC, however, I was raised in Edmonton on Treaty Six territory. I am a proud ally and honoured to be working with all of our amazing First Nations, Métis and Inuit students. 

My educational background has been non-traditional, but I think that is what makes it special, it is a reminder that all of our journeys are different and our own. I failed high school my first time around, but through asking for help and hard work I was able to graduate. I went on to get my Bachelor of Science in Communication at the University of Utah, where I was on an athletic scholarship for diving. Upon graduation I moved back to Edmonton, where I worked with the Edmonton Oilers for five years. In 2020 I moved to Las Vegas where I started my Masters in Hotel Administration. However, my passion for helping students was evident through my Graduate Assistantship with the Academic Success Center working with our AANAPISI (Asian American, Native American, Pacific Islander) student population. I decided to change programs and I am in my final semester of pursuing my Master of Education - Higher Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

My role as the Learning Specialist for First Peoples​​ House’ is to meet with you through one on one appointments, small groups (SASS) and/or workshops. I am here to work on skills that you might not necessarily have been taught, but need for college and beyond. Those skills consist of: time management, motivation, textbook reading, note taking, exam preparation, test anxiety, presenting, communication strategies, and more. 

Remember, you don't have to go through your academic journey alone!