The following notes were prepared by a volunteer recording the session group’s conversation:
J1 Session Notes
How can you help me finish my story:
1. Wants to go to school but also wants to help support the family, family overwhelmed, fights with mom, hard, struggling, got a summer job and most of the money went to bills–proud to help family, mom disappointed she couldn’t do it. Feels nice to help.
What do you need?
Support.
– Would often rather do it on my own but I know I need to ask for help – asking for help makes things easier but I felt really bad asking for help because I feel I should be doing it on my own.
– Circle helps – leadership – can talk about whatever you want – listen and try to help. I’ve learned how to help other people, I can approach people who are upset and angry and we can talk. Everyone knows who I am, sometimes embarrassed to talk, but not everyone has the opportunity.
2. Family has problems with money, mom on disability, wants to get a job to help family, go to college to help family, still living at home, don’t get much money from disability.
Comment: came from the same background, brother gave up education to help support family, parents couldn’t speak English and struggling, can get lost in that, do you need someone to talk to and be an objective voice to talk to about more education? Went out and got a job to pay for education.
3. Parents have to move often, have problems, looked to drugs for the answer but it’s not. Depression, ADD, disability, anxiety. Dad didn’t finish high school, mom graduated from high school but got lost at college. Supposed to be on disability, but declined. Graduated from high school, planned to upgrade and get status card. Need to be 50% Aboriginal or over to get status card.
– Money is the main barrier. Money and transportation. Don’t want to get a student loan and owe more money. If I had a scholarship, I’d go in a minute, every day. I’m at school to help.
– There are kids out there who want to go to school but don’t have the money or the transportation.
– Depression makes me think I can’t do things but then I try to think of ways to make it better.
– Keep things bottled up.
There are programs through the Board of Education to get high school credits.
There are courses at Mohawk where you can upgrade high school.
– Hope to learn something today to get some help to get to Mohawk without waiting for status card.
Mohawk has an office that helps people work through problems.
Does Mohawk have a program for video games?
– Animation.
– Mohawk is in my hometown. I can take courses there to become what I love. I want to be a social worker and help people who’ve gone through things.
– Social workers don’t always help people … my brother and I have experienced that.
– Want to get into Mohawk but I have money problems that are keeping me behind. Need to help my family. Don’t have social insurance number yet to get a job and save up for college.
– Want to make sure I find the right college to do what I want to do. Most of the schools that teach videogame development are in Toronto and I don’t want to go there.
– Trying to think of things to do to be able to move out.
What is your next step if you had the money?
– Would go to classes and take courses and maybe go to university.
How do you feel about student loans.
– Prices have increased. Could take a lifetime to pay back. Get screwed to payback.
Do you know how much tuition is?
– Technology courses are likely more expensive.
Are you so worried about getting into debt that you wouldn’t go to school?
– Don’t want to get in debt because you may be struggling and you need to pay off the loan… need the extra money to pay off debts.
– I always thought I’d be able to make the money to pay off my debts.
If you had more information about loans and how to pay them back, would that look a little bit less scarier?
– Father has passed away. Don’t have a house, we live in housing. Live in bad neighbourhoods.
– I write every night. I have anxiety attacks. It helps me now bottle things up. We have the weight of the world on us. Depression is a huge issue. Use depression to help write songs.
What about lyrics?
– Write poems … they’re like songs. Get the words.
– The reason I came to this circle is because I had times when I felt all my options were closed. Money was a huge thing. Every time I thought there were no options left, I would find in the end I was never without one option. It always took me somewhere a little better than where I was.
– Don’t be stopped … look for supports …
What are your next steps … identify the problem … have you thought of next steps?
– My next step is getting a full job, I can help my family and save. When I get enough money, I can go to college.
– I want to upgrade to go to college.
Summary:
The dream is important.
Money is a big barrier.
Need to be able to understand about loans, payback periods and tuition.
There are bursaries.
Money is a key stressor.
Access to help (accepting help, supports).
There are opportunities at Mohawk
– you can get OSAP,
– you can work part time,
– you can do academic upgrading,
– Mohawk can help you make connections,
– Talk to financial aid.
– There are going to be lots of questions we can help you answer
– we have College and Career Prep
Next step … need to have the courage to take it.
Thanks for sharing your stories and the burden you feel to take care of your family.
Build the Dream: Education Beyond High School 