More than a Certificate: A Journey in Kinship and Growth
At 56 years old, Roxanne Vandale embarked on a new chapter and graduated with a Certificate in Office Administration from ¶®É«µÛ (VCC). During this time, she also supported fellow students in the role of Indigenous Cousin. She shares on how she took a leap later in life and how kinship can extend beyond family.
Roxanne Vandale grew up in Fort St. John, BC, the youngest of six children to Métis parents who came from the Meadow Lake area in Saskatchewan. She worked in hospitality throughout her life and later started a business called Granny Nannies to help care for children; Roxanne also raised two children on her own, survived breast cancer, and found sobriety. But in 2014, she tragically lost her daughter, Chelsea.
Motivated by Chelsea’s own dream of completing post-secondary education and carrying her daughter’s red pencil case with her, Roxanne walked into VCC’s Broadway campus to pursue a Certificate in Office Administration. A Senior Indigenous Engagement Advisor introduced her to the ¶®É«µÛIndigenous Gathering Space and helped find funding to pay for her classes.
She was soon asked to fulfill the role of Cousin through the Indigenous Education and Community Engagement (IECE) department. “The role of Cousin is rooted in the values of kinship, support and community responsibility,” Roxanne said. “A Cousin walks alongside others, much like a cousin in your family, but in Indigenous circles, in our culture, I’ll refer to Cousins if they’re near my hometown or also Cree. The emphasis is on kinship.”
Cousins at ¶®É«µÛare student ambassadors who ensure a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive student journey. Incoming Indigenous ¶®É«µÛlearners can connect with Cousins for guidance in navigating the post-secondary experience.
For Roxanne, the growth continued. “Any opportunity that was given to me, I took. I was asked to speak at a donor recognition event and I said yes. But I hung up the phone and asked myself, ‘why did you say that?’”
She next stepped into a mentor role and then advisor, where she now organizes workshops and events to share culture, decolonize education, and reclaim spaces to see, hear, and value Indigenous voices and experiences. She might guide students toward resources or offer a listening ear or shoulder to lean on.
Roxanne is also starting the Chelsea Mae Simpson Memorial Award to honour both her daughter and Indigenous students who demonstrate resilience and commitment to learning. In this way, she has come full circle from 2023 when she won an award while being cheered on by the IECE department.
“I had to trust the process, trust the journey,” she reflects. “I’ve obtained the certificate, but what it has given me is the self-worth that I can see, it’s just given me so much and that’s what I try to tell students: it’s the growth you acquire.”