Oshki-Pimache-O-Win graduate Sandra Carpenter is looking to add to the skills she learned in First Nations Business Administration by continuing her education in Aboriginal Financial & Economic Planning.

“I wanted to do something related to accounting,” says the Wabesemoong Independent Nation Band Manager’s Assistant who received an Aboriginal Institutes Consortium Award 2007 and a Cambrian College President’s Roll of Honour award for her academic achievements and 3.93 GPA in First Nations Business Administration. “I just completed the first semester of Aboriginal Financial & Economic Planning, and I’ll be doing the second semester this fall.”

Carpenter, who credits all the questions she asked during her classes and support from other students and staff as the reason for her high GPA, graduated from the one-year First Nations Business Administration Certificate Program in Sept. 2007 and is currently studying in Oshki-Pimache-O-Win’s two-year Aboriginal Financial & Economic Planning Program.

Carpenter appreciates Oshki-Pimache-O-Win’s distance education model; she had been looking for a program that would allow her to pursue post-secondary education while working in her home community and jumped at the opportunity when she heard about Oshki-Pimache-O-Win’s First Nations Business Administration Certificate Program.

“This program was perfect for me,” Carpenter says. “Oshki-Pimache-O-Win is a First Nations Institute and they understand what First Nations students are going through.”

Carpenter had enrolled in a college band administration program after high school, but she only completed one year before returning home to take on a number of roles over the past decade and a half, including labourer, finance clerk and her current position. After her successes at Oshki-Pimache-O-Win, Carpenter is now considering a career as a certified accountant. She plans to continue on with a part-time accounting program at Confederation College after she finishes the Aboriginal Financial & Economic Planning Program.

“Oshki-Pimache-O-Win gave me a chance to broaden my horizons,” Carpenter says. “I like the staff - they are very supportive. They are a good liaison between the college and the students.”

Carpenter also built close relationships with other students in her programs as they often helped each other with class assignments. She finds that it is easier to relate to the other students because they all come from similar backgrounds.

“I got to know a few quite well,” she says. “We try to help each other as best we can.”

Carpenter feels that Oshki-Pimache-O-Win provides many benefits to the communities, as their community-based distance education post-secondary programs are developing skills and resources within the communities.

“As we get more people educated, the better off we will be,” Carpenter says. “We can contribute to the community by developing and utilizing our own resources here in the community.”