The start of a journalism journey

Kiona Akohseràke Deer was looking for a change in her life when she stumbled across an online post advertising Concordia University’s Kaié:ri Nikawerá:ke Indigenous Bridging Program, a pathway for Indigenous students to pursue undergraduate degrees with additional support and resources from the university.

“I just wanted to experience something new, to learn something new, and to really try to challenge myself,” Deer said.

The program offers support to Indigenous students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in engineering, science, commerce, psychology, and journalism, providing another route to entry into those programs without having to meet Concordia’s traditional admission requirements.

For Deer, the journalism program immediately stood out.

“With the current political climate in Canada and the United States, I’ve been wanting to see different peoples’ perspectives, I’ve been trying to follow this stuff to the best of my ability,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed writing, and so I realized, maybe journalism would be a really good place to start.”

Having been motivated in recent years to consume different types of journalism herself, Deer started envisioning how she could use her own passion for politics and current affairs in a potential new career path, and when the news came that she’d been accepted into the Bridging Program, she realized she was at the start of an exciting new journey.

“It was scary, I was a bit intimidated because I haven’t been in school for a long time, but I was really, really excited at the same time,” she said. “I knew it meant that things would change, and I really wanted to try this, to do something new, to see that I could do it.”

Showing up for classes on the first day was nerve-wracking, but the support of her peers and mentors eased the transition, and soon Deer found herself excelling.

“There’s a lot of support, and after a couple of weeks I really started to get into the routine and the flow of things, I started to feel more comfortable,” Deer said.

As part of the program, students are supported and given resources to succeed, including with weekly seminars focused on personal growth, and opportunities to connect with other students in their cohort. Students are also offered support from the Otsenhákta Student Centre, Concordia’s hub for Indigenous students on-campus, and the Student Success Centre, to help them navigate the transition to university life.

For Deer, the additional support offered by the program helped her succeed - she especially benefited from classes that served as introductions to navigating university spaces, such as a seminar explaining how to use library resources.

“I found those classes really, really helpful, especially in my situation where I haven’t been in school in a long time,” she said.

Her introductory journalism and multimedia classes helped her nail down the basics of recording and editing audio, compiling video clips, and taking pictures, and she was struck by how hands-on the program was.

“Right away we learned how to use the equipment, and how to render it all, it was more than just sitting there taking notes,” she said. “We were walking around the campus and interviewing people, we got to be thrown into the fire, and I found that was really helpful for me, because I’m a hands-on learner.”

Deer celebrated the completion of her Bridging Program last month, with a ceremony attended by friends, family, and other members of her cohort.

Her mother, Tara McComber-Cross, was particularly proud to see her daughter graduate from the program - and to see her be recognized with a ScotiaRISE Achievement Award, in  recognition of her maintaining a strong grade point average (GPA) throughout her studies.

“Kiona has been a gifted writer since she was a young girl, and our family has always encouraged her to follow her passion for writing. While we never doubted her talent, seeing her develop confidence in herself and her abilities has been our greatest joy,” McComber-Cross said.

“The guidance, encouragement, and support she received from both her professors and classmates played an important role in her success. We are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished and are excited to see where her journey takes her next.”

Deer’s first year of studies has left her hungry for more, and she said that she’s excited to continue pursuing her journalism degree. She hopes that in future, more community members will feel inspired to pursue higher studies, especially in journalism.

“I thought I was too old to go back to school, I thought I would struggle, but the support is really there, the opportunities are there, the resources are there, you have to go for it, and don’t let your fears hold you back,” Deer said. “It’s really important that we get to tell our own stories.”

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