Kwe! Hello.

Ten years of the Indigenous Student Ambassadors (ISA) brought the Champlain community together to celebrate the people who have made the College feel like home. Created by Indigenous students from Kahnawà:ke, the program offers mentorship, support, workshops and classroom presentations.

Leading the anniversary gathering was Teioniehtathe Eli Hamelin, Champlain alumnus and Indigenous Student Life Counselor. With colleagues from the Registrar’s Office, Student Services and management present, he reflected on former students’ journeys and the peers who gave him courage and a sense of belonging.

“It helped me grow into someone who others can depend on and trust.”

Eli’s words in the alumni exhibition capture a thread running through the profiles: students finding their voice, supporting one another and carrying that experience into further studies, community work, business and language revitalization.

College Director Don reflected on that growth through the image of a sapling: we cannot know what kind of tree it will become. In Eli, he now saw a strong tree supporting the ISA and its future members.

That support continues at the Indigenous Student Community Centre, beside the faculty lounge in C-205. The space welcomes students, staff and faculty for mentorship, connection and cultural identity within the wider College community.

Visit the alumni profiles exhibited in the corridors across from the nurses’ office to read their stories in full.

Nia:wen’kó:wa — thank you for making Champlain feel like home.