Getting from Big Trout Lake to Hamilton is no easy journey. The remote fly-in community in Northwestern Ontario is more than 1,200 kilometres away, and travelling south usually requires three flights. Brooke Meekis, from Big Trout Lake First Nation, had already made the trek once when she went to high school in Uxbridge, Ontario.
Starting college in Hamilton felt different. For Brooke, Mohawk College wasn’t simply another move—it was a leap into a bustling city, far from the quiet community where she grew up.
At first, Brooke wondered how she would fit in or if she would find her place at Mohawk College. She soon discovered that sense of belonging through Indigenous Student Services (ISS), a community offering connection, support, and the confidence to thrive.
“At ISS, I definitely gained a second family, a family away from home, which is really valuable to me,” says Brooke, a Practical Nursing student. “Even after I graduate, they’re not going to get rid of me. They’re stuck with me.”
Where belonging begins
Designed as a welcoming and culturally grounded community, ISS helps students build relationships with peers, staff, and Elders. It also provides academic, social, and personal support. Brooke first heard about ISS at Mohawk College from a high school guidance counsellor, but her first visit was only to use the Centre’s printing services. Even then, the staff made sure she saw that ISS offered far more than printing.
“When I first got to Mohawk, I only went straight to my classes and left,” Brooke recalls. “But there are two people who really helped me push myself: Caroline, one of the Indigenous Student Services Coaches, and Kayla, the Indigenous Student Success and Retention Advisor. They went above and beyond for me and helped me so much that I sometimes forget it’s part of their job.”
Making cultural connections
Once Brooke felt at home at Mohawk College, she started diving into something that really mattered to her: exploring her culture and connecting with other Indigenous students. She participated in ISS’s cultural activities and workshops, which include guest speakers, crafts, and the Elder as a Resource program. From beading workshops to creating her own ribbon skirt, Brooke says these experiences strengthened her sense of identity.
ISS also gave Brooke pathways to engage with other Indigenous cultures. After learning about Mohawk College’s Global Learning Opportunities (GLO), an international learning program for full-time students, Brooke applied for a trip abroad.
“A bunch of us Indigenous students went to Hawaii,” says Brooke. “We learned a lot about their culture and they learned about ours. We even brought stuff from home to give them, which was really nice. We also got to volunteer and visit museums and other sites to learn more about their culture and their history as Indigenous Hawaiians.”
Fostering academic excellence
While ISS has helped Brooke grow closer to her culture, it has also supported her academic success. With the staff’s guidance in completing bursary and scholarship applications, Brooke received funding that let her focus on her studies and what comes next.
She is also the recipient of ISS’s 2024 Perseverance Award, which recognizes students who keep going with a positive attitude, even when they face challenges in pursuing post-secondary education.
“The bursaries definitely helped a lot with my studies because they eased my mind from financial worries,” Brooke says. “After I finish at Mohawk College, I want to gain more experience as a nurse so I can travel between First Nations communities and provide care. If I was younger and I went to the clinic and saw someone Indigenous, it would have made me feel safer. I want to provide that comfort to other Indigenous people.”
The long journey from Big Trout Lake to Hamilton has given Brooke more than an education. It has given her a second home at Mohawk College —and the confidence to bring the same sense of safety and belonging into her future career as a nurse.
Posted September 17, 2025
