Paige Straf
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“Many staff members from GDI will support you throughout your journey, not only financially but also emotionally where possible.”
Individual Sponorship Program - Bachelor of Science Graduate
Paige Straf became a Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI) Training and Employment client in 2018 during her second last year of post-secondary at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources. GDI is well-known in the Straf family, as Paige’s mother completed her Bachelor of Education degree through the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) in Prince Albert, SK. As family and friends are her biggest supporters, they encouraged her to reach out to GDI for support in her education journey. With that, Paige was paired with GDI employment counsellors Sheena Yew and Charity Chaboyer and was able to have her tuition and books completely funded for her last year of university. Paige states that “both counsellors were very supportive and interested in what my program entailed and continued to encourage me.”
She was happy that she could also find additional scholarships through GDI that would help directly with her student loan. On top of funding and scholarships, GDI was able to help Paige find employment as a summer student with the City of Saskatoon. Paige continues, “I think it is really important to have a Métis organization like GDI out there to help Métis people pursue and further their educations. For many, financial troubles can be a large barrier to attaining an education, but GDI is there to help lighten the load.”
This year, Paige graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Her major is Applied Plant Ecology. Paige is currently an Intern Extension Agrologist with the Ministry of Agriculture. While learning from experienced agrologists, Paige helps crop and forage specialists with research projects. She also performs field calls, writes grazing management plans, and plans extension events which are used to get current research and relevant information out to farmers and producers. Paige hopes to be a part of the Ministry of Agriculture for a long time and states, “the best thing about my job is that I can continue learning while I work. It is also a great feeling to be able to help others. My coworkers have doubled as my mentors, and I’m able to work with a wonderful group of people while learning new things.”
Paige’s future goals in the industry are to attain a full-time permanent agrologist position in the agriculture industry. She hopes to narrow her specific areas of interest to helping grain farmers and ranchers. She wants to have a positive influence on producers and their operations as well as the environment. Paige’s advice to future students is that “if anyone were debating receiving an education, I would always encourage them to pursue it, even if they were not sure what to specialize in. It is hard to know what your passions are when you first leave high school but diving into post-secondary schooling is a great way to find out! By enrolling in different classes and various clubs, you will find your passions and create a strong network. Many staff members from GDI will support you throughout your journey, not only financially but also emotionally where possible. They are interested in what you are doing!”
