When my daughter graduated from high school last year, we went to our community’s big celebration to honour all of our grads – from Grade 12 to doctorates. That day, I realized that I wanted to be one of those grads too. 

I studied every single one of MacEwan’s programs until I came across the Community Justice and Corrections diploma. It made me think of the times when I was a little girl and my family would come to Edmonton We’d always pass the big jail going out on Manning Drive. I don’t know why, but I always wanted to work there. Corrections also made me think about my late brother. He was houseless, and he did what it took to survive. He would go to jail sometimes in the winter just to get off the streets, and he’d call us to let us know he was okay. He’s definitely one of the reasons I’m doing this.

I’m not going to lie, though. My first year in the program was tough. I had a whole other career as a pharmacy tech back in Saddle Lake before coming to MacEwan, and it had been over 20 years since I was last at school. When our class toured the Remand Centre for the first time, I started to think maybe this wasn’t the right path for me. 

As we went into different pods, I kept seeing our people. It made me sad, and it also made me wonder why are we so overrepresented here? Why aren’t we using the Gladue Report? I had so many questions. That experience moved me. 

The one thing that really sparked my interest, though, was the cultural programs these institutes have. I believe that so many of our people have lost their spirit, but there are ways they can bring it back and connect again. So, for me, it’s about being there, healing as one and offering comfort by seeing their own people working for them. That’s the way I want to work – talking about our traumas and how we can be better – not just with ourselves but with everybody

Learning about and seeing some things that happen in the system still makes me angry, but my professors are so good, and I make sure to try to look at things from all angles. It’s been a big change, but it feels right.

Now I’m looking forward to my second year and two field placements – one at the Women’s Institute and another with the Buffalo Sage Wellness House Program. And if things get difficult again, I’ll be walking the trails at Rundle Park, smudging, praying and offering tobacco to the river. That’s what keeps me going. 

– Penny Delver
Penny is a Community Justice and Corrections student who received the 2024 Alberta Blue Cross Indigenous scholarship.