Dr. Gerri Dickson Leadership in Reconciliation Award Winner Announced
Before Dr. Gerri Dickson passed away in 2016, she and her husband Dr. Murray Dickson wanted to make sure the University of Saskatchewan Community of Aboriginal Nursing (UCAN) program had funds to continue support for aboriginal nursing students.
As part of their $25,000 donation, a five year award was created called the Dr. Gerri Dickson Leadership in Reconciliation Award. This $2,500 annual award will continue to have a positive impact on nursing education and the Aboriginal community by supporting student leadership in furthering reconciliation initiatives in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action.
The Dr. Gerri Dickson Leadership in Reconciliation Award is open to continuing students in the College of Nursing. Students applying for the award must be in good academic standing and submit a letter describing their leadership activities and contributions to the area of reconciliation. We are proud to announce undergraduate student Jennifer McGillivary from the Saskatoon Campus has been selected as the 2017 award recipient.
McGillivary, a Plains Cree First Nations woman and a mother, chose to study nursing to challenge the stereotypes First Nations people are often faced with and to actively work towards changing some of the social determinants of health for herself and her family. “I never expected that during my time so far at the University of Saskatchewan I would become ignited with such passion for First Nations health and working towards reconciliation,” said McGillivary. “When I started as a nursing student, I was aware of the disparities in health between Indigenous and non-indigenous people and I wanted to change this by role modeling a healthy, active, drug, smoke and alcohol free lifestyle to challenge the stereotypes. I am the first in my family to work towards a health care degree; therefore, I have no role models or mentors to look up to, so I am trailblazing a new path for other Indigenous youth and family to follow. This was my way of taking personal responsibility to help create an interdependent and fair society.”
Jennifer has served as the Indigenous Advocacy Committee Chair on the Canadian Nursing Students Association, is the Vice President of the Indigenous Students Council at the University of Saskatchewan and a member of the College of Nursing’s Reconciliation Working Group. She has helped to drive the creation of Christmas food hampers for students in need and organized a domestic violence workshop on the Saskatoon Campus. She has attended reconciliation events in Saskatoon and at the Truth and Reconciliation event at the University of Saskatchewan held earlier this year, Jennifer performed a women’s fancy shawl dance and spoke briefly on behalf of the Indigenous Students Council.
One of the best ways to raise awareness regarding reconciliation is to speak about it. Jennifer has presented at national nursing conferences over the past year on the impacts of colonization and residential schools on First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, as well as the importance of including cultural safety and cultural competency in the curriculum for nursing students.
McGillivary plans to continue her leadership activities into the future. “I hope to do more to work towards building reconciliation in my last year as a nursing student and in my future career as a Registered Nurse. My heart is in my community, so I am confident I will be successful in making a change.”
Congratulations Jennifer. The College of Nursing would like to thank you once again for your commitment to building reconciliation and addressing some of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action that pertain to nursing students.