Supporting Indigenous success Through Career Mentorship: The Indigenous Career Mentor Program

The Indigenous Career Mentor Program launched in the fall of 2022 as an extension of Career Services already established Carer Mentor Program. This year, the Indigenous Career Mentor Program will profile the story of one mentor each month from September to April. Interviews from our mentors will provide insight into Indigenous success, as well as how students can best prepare for navigating the transition from university to employment.

The Indigenous Career Mentor Program is an informational interviewing program that supports Indigenous students in gathering industry information. Indigenous mentors that meet with Indigenous students provide advice on how to navigate career opportunities and challenges, mentors may also share their personal experiences navigating their own career journeys.

Indigenous students can choose their mentors from the following fields of practice: Business & Administration, Health Care, Social Services & Education, Government Services, Science & Technology, Arts & Culture, and Recreation & Sports. To learn more about the Indigenous Career Mentor Program and register, please follow this hyperlink to the program home page.

March’s mentor of the month is Bailey Hendry.

What is your position title and where do you currently work?

Indigenous Student Advisor and Program Coordinator at The University of Manitoba

Briefly describe what you do in your current occupation:

Using a holistic and strength-based lens, I advise Indigenous students at UM on various experiences they encounter while pursuing their studies! I talk to students about anything and everything, such as academic successes/challenges, degree planning, course registration, navigating UM policies and procedures, personal or emotional matters that affect schooling, funding opportunities and much more! On the side, I also facilitate the Qualico Bridge to Success program and the Neechiwaken Indigenous Peer Mentor Program for first year Indigenous students to support their transition into university. The Student Advising profession falls under the larger field umbrella of Student Affairs, which is dedicated to supporting and uplifting students during their post-secondary journey.

What initially sparked your interest in the career you have chosen for yourself?

Coming into university in my first year, I wasn’t quite sure of who I was and what university was going to do for me both personally and professionally. I knew I wanted to help people, but I wasn’t sure how I wanted to help with the idea of “helping professions” being so broad. I had also just discovered that I was Métis, and I didn’t really know what that meant for me. As I was moving through school, I slowly started to reconnect with my Métis heritage to better understand who I was and how I can connect that to my work post-graduation. One day, I decided to muster up the courage to go to the Indigenous Student Centre for the first time (I was in my fifth and final year of my degree), and it was the best decision I had made! I was able to set the imposter syndrome aside and meet a very caring Student Advisor (who I’m now happy to call my colleague and good friend) who offered me some food as I was cramming for an exam. That small gesture helped me feel like I belonged there and that there was no judgement around the fact that I was a reconnecting Métis citizen. I had wanted every student to feel the way I did on that day, so I slowly I found my way back to the UM to continue the work she inspired me to do, and I love it!

What are some lesser-known duties or work outcomes your role is responsible for that people may not be aware of?

Many students may see advising as a transactional service where you go in, get the information you need and leave, but I see Student Advising as heart-work, meaning it can be emotional at times. It helped that I had peer support skills, coaching skills and spent time in the mental health field prior to joining the team because some days you talk to students who are really struggling. In my experience in helping professions and as a Métis person having received many teachings over my lifespan, I think it’s crucial that we approach our work with our heart regardless, but some days can be mentally taxing. It’s important that we care for ourselves in ways that make sense for us in those moments.

I also do a lot of tasks that work towards the bigger picture of program facilitation, like ordering food, booking rooms, purchasing supplies for workshops, and managing my program budgets. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to make programming happen!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

It sounds like a cliché, but I love spending time with the student’s the most. They are what keep me going every day, even on the particularly difficult days. I wouldn’t be in this job if it weren’t for them. This job also allows me to be super creative, which is one of my strengths. I’m able to take students out on field trips to build community, create new resources for students that will help them along their post-secondary journey’s and try new things with my programming when I feel like things need a switch.

I especially love when students stop by and share their successes with me as that is the best motivator to keep up with the good heart work… (hint, hint).

What are some changes you’ve experienced in your field, or changes you anticipate happening in the near future?

Each year we see an increase in Indigenous students starting their post-secondary journeys at UM for the first time. I think this speaks to the demand and need for transition programming! This also means that our larger office, the Office of the Vice President Indigenous, is ever growing, and we will need more people to help our mission of supporting students. The opportunities in Indigenous Student Affairs won’t come to an end any time soon.

What are some strengths, specialties, and characteristics that are considered assets in your field?

Students who are interested in becoming an Indigenous Student Advisor should have a strong sense of organization, the ability to adapt quickly to changing workflows, the ability to put on various hats (advisor, program planner, facilitator, supportive listener, etc.), a creative outlook on student support and success, and a willingness to try new things! I think having trainings such as Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, Mental Health First Aid, program planning and project management, and case management could be an asset to the previously mentioned strengths. I feel it also helps to be comfortable being vulnerable. I share my story of navigating imposter syndrome, cultural reconnection and the challenges I faced during my undergraduate degree with students all the time because it often provides comfort to those students looking for support. Your story is worth sharing (within reason of course).

What is a piece of advice you would offer to Indigenous students interested entering your field?

I have come to peace with knowing that it’s impossible to know everything. As a Student Advisor at ISC, we tend to advise students in all kinds of faculties and programs, so we need to know the resources to support them in program planning, course selection, policy navigation, and more. I remember during some of my first advising appointments, I struggled because there were questions I didn’t know the answer to. I put a lot of pressure on myself to know everything. This is unrealistic! In helping professions, we tend to put unrealistic expectations on ourselves to do the best of the best because we think nothing else will be good enough or the folks we work with won’t feel supported if we aren’t the best. I say that’s baloney! Imposter syndrome can really get the best of us, and it will help you to challenge those thoughts and take it one step at a time. You are the best you can be in this moment, and you belong here just like anyone else. Some of these lessons came to me early on in my volunteer work, and some of them came yesterday! We are lifelong learners, and I think we should honour that part of the human experience.

Are there any resources you feel could support Indigenous students interested in this career path?

In my undergraduate years, I joined groups that helped me learn peer support and program planning skills. Joining teams such as the Neechiwaken Indigenous Peer Mentor Program or HealthyU are great first steps. Lead Neechiwakens (Mentors) in the Neechiwaken program learn about all things mentoring and how to support first year Indigenous students in various realms of their education. It also provides you with experiencing working one-on-one in a supportive capacity, which can be valuable for someone interested in pursuing a helping profession. Programs like Neechiwaken and HealthyU will also give you an understanding on what students are needing support for, and it helped me understand where I could fit my strengths and talents in to best support students.

Within your industry or field, what are some related occupations that you interact with and/or find interesting?

As a Student Advisor, I liaise with many different staff positions at UM, like Indigenous Student Recruitment Officers, other advisors in different Faculties, student counsellors, case managers, student advocates, program coordinators and career consultants! We are all in the business of supporting students, so I enjoy being able to work alongside them in that goal.

During your career journey what support(s), resource(s), and/or event(s) influenced your decision-making process?

After working in the Mental Health field for a couple years, I honestly think I realized that I missed the UM community after I graduated. It was a shock to leave that community and have to rebuild what community meant for me in the workforce. I was also burnt out from being in the mental health field, so I needed a change of pace. I was pulled back to UM thanks to the strong relationships I built within the UM Métis community in particular, especially when the UM Métis women’s sharing circle was happening during the pandemic. The strong Métis women I had gotten to know drove me to come back to a familiar space and place that I felt safe to be who I was. I am forever thankful of the experience I had working in mental health as it allowed me to reconnect with ceremony and build more skills through my roles, but I am very happy where I am now. I think it’s important for us to trust our gut and embrace change, no matter how scary it can be.

To meet with mentors like Bailey Hendry, register for the Indigenous Career Mentor Program. Explore, connect and build confidence as you proceed in your career journey!

If you are an Indigenous professional interested in sharing your story and connecting with students, consider volunteering as a mentor in the Indigenous Career Mentor Program.

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