Hello! My name is Carolyn Awa. 

I’m one of the NYA Next participants, and I’m from Igloolik, Nunavut. The meaning of Igloolik quite literally means “there is a house here.” So I guess I could say that I do live in an Igloo.

I’m rooted in a community that’s passionate about preserving Inuit culture, language, and traditional knowledge. I’m sooo grateful to stand on the shoulders of my ancestors. <3

My favourite hobbies back home include arts and crafts with my lovely nieces, as well as beading, sewing, and crocheting. I also appreciate going out for drives, taking care of errands, and I love fishing trips!

The NYA Next program is here to support you every step of the way as you prepare for post-secondary education. You’ll learn essential life skills, like navigating public transportation and understanding university or college life.

This program has been an exciting adventure, for fun activities we’ve went to beach trips, museum visits, shopping at malls, bowling, watched a soccer game and many more unforgettable experiences!

My favourite activities were the trampoline park, going out to the beach, visiting museums, and many more!

We also get to participate in workshops with amazing instructors who share their knowledge like cooking, baking, carpentry, welding, finance, and many more. Some of these workshops are held around the college campus, providing an opportunity to explore possible future career options and get a feel for what you might enjoy.

One of my many favourite workshops were carpentry, welding, acting workshop and printmaking! 

Along with the fun activities come challenges that you might face, such as feeling homesick, longing for someone you know closely, and feeling overwhelmed by crowded places.

To overcome these challenges, I found journaling, video chatting with friends and family to be really helpful. I was also lucky to have made some good friendships during the program, which made things easier, and trying new hobbies with them was a great experience!

I highly recommend this program, even if you’re not planning to go to post-secondary. You’ll discover new interests and learn more about yourself, just like I did with NYA Next.  

Qujannamiik, Carolyn 🙂