Kristiana Bailey: 2015 BC Aboriginal Teacher Education Award

Kristiana Bailey is in the final leg of a long and challenging path to receiving her Bachelor of Education. Enrolled in the Alaska Highway Consortium on Teacher Education at Northern Lights College, Bailey received a $5,000 Aboriginal Student Award from the Irving K Barber BC Scholarship Society in 2015. With only four courses remaining, the end is in sight. But it hasn't been easy.

Bailey has two young children (Winter, 2, and Wilder, 7) and has been balancing work, school, being a mom and life's other demands for nearly five years. To her, however, there was no other choice.

"I was willing to sacrifice - I want to be in the classroom," says Bailey.

Bailey sees providing education as the single most significant contribution she can make to her community and her children and she sees providing Aboriginal education to young students
especially crucial.

"There needs to be more aboriginal education in the classroom. So many children have no idea what it is. It's in the curriculum but it's not always taught and I'm going to make sure it's present in my classroom," says Bailey.

One way that Bailey stays healthy and strong in order to juggle everything is to prioritize health. She runs every day, goes to the gym most days and makes healthy eating a big priority for her family.

"If you want to do it, you will do it... you will find a way. I'm a mother, I study and get my stuff done," says Bailey.

With tuition, living expenses and daycare, the Aboriginal Award has helped alleviate some of the financial and time pressures of pursuing her education. Being away from home, she doesn't have the same support network so being able to afford daycare allows Bailey to take that time to focus on school.

Later this year, Bailey will be finishing her studies online from Fort Nelson and is hoping to get on the substitute list for a few days per week until she can take a full-time position as a teacher in her community.