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| Karen Hall. |
The right connection can make all the difference. Karen Hall is a case in point. Ms. Hall, originally from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, is graduating with her degree in health promotions.
鈥淚鈥檝e connected with my professors and established strong bonds,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 learned I am extremely capable doing whatever I want, I found my confidence and now things are falling into place perfectly.鈥�
One聽 of these 鈥榩rofessor connections鈥� was with Susan Tirone, Ms. Hall鈥檚 cultural research supervisor. Dr. Tirone was incredibly supportive, understood the importance of work-life balance and trusted her students. That support was very important to Hall who was juggling school commitments while raising her newborn.
Another 鈥榩rofessor connection鈥� was with Charlotte Loppie, a former professor with the department now at the University of Victoria, who made a lasting impression on Ms. Hall. Dr. Loppie told her early in her first year that she鈥檇 go on to do her doctorate degree and Ms. Hall reflects,鈥� I didn鈥檛 know if I鈥檇 even complete the year.鈥� However, 鈥渟he trusted me and connected me to the aboriginal community. She treated me like I was her daughter.鈥�
Ms. Hall came to 黑料吃瓜网in part because her father and stepmother relocated to the area.
鈥淒al connected me back to my culture, my history and showed me where I came from. I always pushed culture away but being here changed me,鈥� she says. During her degree, Ms. Hall did an internship with Healing Our Nations, an organization that provides resources and support to First Nations communities dealing with HIV, AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and substance abuse and provides cross cultural training. As part of her internship, she had the opportunity to travel across the Atlantic provinces and investigate her research area 鈥� aboriginal health focusing on providing traditional healing services that connect the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.
This spring, Ms. Hall is moving to Victoria with her fiance and their three-year-old son. She鈥檒l begin her master鈥檚 degree at the University of Victoria and has her sights on that PhD program. She will continue to study policy and practice in health and social services and, in an interesting turn of fate, her supervisor will be Dr. Loppie.