Success Stories

“Going through Rupertsland certainly helped saving a few dollars on student expenditures each year. Having that extra financial assistance was a very nice thing, whether it went straight to my books or to allow me to do outside activities, I’m very thankful for them.”

“My post-secondary journey was made possible by Rupertsland Institute because they paid for my final two years. I did a Bachelors of Social Work which meant I was on a practicum for my last two semesters, which meant I couldn’t work…They were able to support me with living costs, which was kind of important during that time.

And then I successfully was able to graduate with a 4.0 and got the gold medal for Social Work at the Faculty of Education at the University of Calgary. That was because I could focus on my practicum and my schoolwork, which was amazing. And through that, I was then able to go on and do my Masters. And this past year, I was selected as one of the Métis Scholars for my Masters of Social Work…

As a mature student who came back to education later in life, they really allowed me to chart my own path in a way that I felt was meaningful and that I could give back both to the Métis community, but to a larger community as a whole. I really appreciate that, marsi, thank you.”

“My post-secondary education journey helped me have a successful career in the Government of Alberta. I have been there for 20 years, and it was a blessing to have the funding, the support of the Métis Nation to help me achieve my personal goal in law, towards a stable career.”

“I received funding from Rupertsland back in 2008. I completed the Environmental Monitoring course, and I received my certificate… [now] I’m working for the Otipemisiwak Métis Government in the consultation department.”

“Originally, when I was finishing my last year of university at the University of Alberta, they [Rupertsland] helped fund my last year. I was a teacher for about nine years before I transitioned over into insurance.

Once I transferred into insurance, I started to quickly realize that I should be able to do this on my own as a business, but I had nowhere to know where to start. I did reach out to Rupertsland again, and they had an Entrepreneur series. I took that and luckily, was able to start up my own business, with their help and their training.

So now I do business insurance for those same Métis Entrepreneur businesses…So be sure to look them up…and see what they can do for you, if you’d like to start up your own business, or if you require funding for your post-secondary studies. Marsi.”

“Because of Rupertsland, I was able to pursue a degree in English and Media Studies at the University of Alberta. The financial assistance through Rupertsland allowed me to fully immerse myself into my studies, fully focus all my energy onto what I was learning, what I was doing. That alleviated a great amount of stress, and I was able to succeed a lot more in school than I would have without the funding.

I also created a community of other like minded students and alumni… I want future Métis students to know that these resources are available and they are so, so helpful. Again, I wouldn’t be here without it. I wouldn’t be getting to work now with the Nation, to serve my Nation… And with it, you’ll get to go so so far, which is super exciting and it creates a more educated Nation…”

“With the support of Rupertsland, I was able to study abroad for Luxury Marketing and Photojournalism in Italy. The highlight of my studies was test driving a Lamborghini through the wine vineyards under the bright blue sky. What a dream.

This international experience helped me to imagine what is possible. It affirmed the value of self-determination and economic sovereignty. In 2023, I founded The Good Place with a mission to strengthen the Indigenous community and empower others on their healing journey. This is achieved with my ribbon skirt workshops, cooking classes, and kayak tours.

My aspiration is to see more Indigenous women in business leadership roles. The fuel to be excellent is the prayers of my ancestors and hope of a bright future for my children and the generations to come. Thank you so much Rupertsland for your incredible support.”

“I’m studying Criminology at the U of A at the moment, and Rupertsland has helped me [with] the resume help program…I got a job [after] almost a year and a half just applying for jobs and applying for jobs and getting nothing back. And once I got my resume tweaked there, I got an interview at three places right away, and I’m still working the job that I got from the one of those three interviews today.

Another thing that’s really helped me is the the En Roo website, which is very, very nice, easy to use, very accessible. I think it works well on mobile too, which is really helpful. I don’t have to go on my computer every time I want to look for stuff. But I’ve applied for maybe seven or eight scholarships and bursaries, and hopefully I will hear something back. But either way, it’s made it really easy to keep track of all those awards that I’ve been applying for.”

“Rupertsland supported me in my education journey. I started school in 2012 and they helped me with my funding. The funding was so crucial to my growth as a person. I had the opportunity to go through school and to be able to leave without debt, which is such a benefit for any student.

I was so grateful to have the Nation itself and Rupertsland support me through my journey over the last 12 years of my life, not just in school. I’ve worked for the Métis Nation for many years, both at the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and the Métis National Council. Because of the support that I was given by the Nation and by Rupertsland, I’ve had the opportunity to support Métis women and Métis youth across not just Canada, but also internationally as well. I had the opportunity to go to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York twice, and support and advocate for Métis women and youth 2SLGBTQIA+ people. I’ve also had the opportunity to write a book called Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me, where I had the chance to promote the stories of our women throughout the Nation, and none of that could have been done without the support that Rupertsland and the entire Métis Nation gave me throughout my life, especially as a youth, so I’m really thankful for that.”

“I just want to say a huge thank you to Rupertsland for the opportunity that I had to continue my education. I wouldn’t have been able to continue my education if it was not for the supports that I had. It allowed me to continue my journey as a Métis citizen, and to also contribute back to our Community. So currently, as person that works for Métis Housing, it helps everything I do on a daily basis….

I encourage other people to make sure that they look into that (RLI), to contribute to their future.”

“Because of Rupertsland Institute and their post-secondary funding and all that they were able to do, I was able to pretty much go through school and to focus on my studies and not have to worry about anything more than that. That allowed me to excel, and I was fortunate enough to graduate one of the highest in my class, which really opened the door for me in the future.

And I’ve since been credited with a lot of firsts. Being the first Métis person to photograph Connor McDavid, the first Métis person to work [photography at] Elks games, and a lot I do owe to Rupertsland Institute.

That was a quick doorway that it opened for me…I have a feeling that if I wasn’t given that, I probably would have been working a struggling job and not been able to give my all in school. So I definitely owe a lot to Rupertsland and what they were able to do for me.”

“I presently take Northern and Heritage Michif courses. I am married to a Métis man, I follow the culture. I have learned all about the culture, and I am passing it on to my grandchildren, so that they know who they are and where they come from….I’m an ELECT alumni, and I also teach classes in District 12 for Northern Michif.”