On the surface, Indigenous Student Services (ISS) at Mohawk College delivers workshops, programs and resources that promote academic, social and personal success for Indigenous learners. In reality, it is much more than that: a vibrant hub where Indigenous students form a community of staff and peers who listen, encourage and foster a sense of belonging.
“ISS offers a lot of support,” says Maggie, an Early Childhood Education student. “There’s a team member for anything that you would need guidance with. I would recommend connecting with ISS before you even apply.”
Academic excellence: College support for Indigenous students
It’s advice that perfectly reflects Keywayden’s experience with ISS. Long before he became a Motive Power Technician student, Keywayden met Kayla, the Indigenous Student Success and Retention Advisor, who helps students manage their course loads and access resources, at the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre.
“Most of the people in ISS have known me since I was like a little kid,” says Keywayden. “It gives a really good sense of community. Kayla has had a big impact on me. She’s helped me in the program with homework, writing essays, and just being there.”
Others build relationships with the ISS team before starting at Mohawk College through Pathfinder. The three-week summer program introduces Indigenous youth to college life while immersing them in land-based learning and cultural teachings right on campus. That’s how Maggie first became familiar with ISS.
“Pathfinder was when I got my foot into campus,” says Maggie. “Back when I did Pathfinder in 2017, I first met Amanda, who is our Indigenous Awareness Programmer. It was great to start my program and still see her and other ISS staff in their roles. They’ve all made a great impact on me.”
Once students begin attending classes, ISS continues to guide them every step of the way. When Shane Jezioro, an experienced ironworker, returned to school to pursue a career in architectural technology, he turned to ISS to get oriented and settle into college life. The department’s college-wide connections ensured that Shane’s questions were answered quickly while ISS supported him in the areas where he needed it most.
“Time management is one of the biggest keys to succeeding in school, and ISS helped me figure out how to prioritize things,” Shane says. “Abbey, the Outreach and Education Advisor, and Elizabeth, the Indigenous Counsellor, were both awesome in helping me navigate getting started.”
Funding opportunities: Scholarships for Indigenous Peoples in Ontario
College support for Indigenous students goes beyond the classroom. Students also benefit from assistance in accessing scholarships, bursaries and paid on-campus positions as ISS peer tutors, all of which make education more attainable. By providing personalized financial advice and employment options that allow students to work where they study, ISS enables learners to focus on excelling academically.
This combination of guidance and on-campus work has made a tangible difference for Maggie, an ISS student employee who gives back as an ISS peer tutor.
“Caroline, our Student Services Coach, is always letting us know about scholarship and bursary opportunities,” she says. “ISS will even write us reference letters for scholarships. Kayla’s been a huge help on that. The funding has been a great support throughout my time here.”
Community and identity: Indigenous Student Services offers support beyond the classroom
Beyond academic and financial guidance, ISS fosters cultural identity and belonging on campus.
The Indigenous Centre and Lounge, for instance, provides a welcoming space to meet, study, and share experiences. Cultural programming includes guest speakers, craft workshops and opportunities to engage with Elders. A monthly ISS newsletter keeps students informed and involved.
“Anything to do with crafting always makes it onto my calendar,” Maggie says. “I also always keep an eye out for the Tea and Talks because I get co-curricular hours for attending. We do those with Elizabeth. She makes some cedar tea, and we hang out for a couple of hours.”
For Keywayden, crafting workshops have introduced new skills. Dreamcatcher-making, for example, quickly became a creative outlet. A few of his creations have even found homes with buyers. Shane, meanwhile, has discovered that ISS social events make it easy to build relationships with his peers.
By adapting to meet students where they are, ISS takes on a unique meaning for every learner. Yet the common thread is unmistakable: students leave feeling connected, empowered, and ready to succeed in college and beyond.
“Indigenous students have a great support system in place here. It’s top-notch, really,” Shane sums up. “I don’t know how someone could pick such a great group of people, but they did.”
