Finding a Home Away from Home at U of T

When Stephanie Chartrand arrived at the University of Toronto, she already knew that First Nations House existed. What she didn’t know was how important it would become to her experience as a student.

Now a third-year PhD student in Adult Education and Community Development at OISE, Stephanie has followed a winding educational path that brought her from Manitoba to Thunder Bay and eventually to U of T. Along the way, she learned the value of finding spaces where you can truly belong.

For Stephanie, that space was First Nations House.

She first visited through a workshop and quickly discovered that it offered much more than student services.

“First Nations House isn’t just to access services,” she says. “It is actually like a home for Indigenous students.”

As a Red River Métis student who grew up between Winnipeg and the Métis community of St. Laurent, Manitoba, Stephanie was struck by how familiar the atmosphere felt.

“It really feels like a home there,” she says. “You can go there for even just getting a cup of coffee in the morning and chat with folks”.

What makes the space special is that students can show up exactly as they are.

That feeling of belonging inspired Stephanie to become more involved. After attending workshops, she applied for a role as SAGE Coordinator, supporting Indigenous graduate students through the Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement program. Today, she helps create opportunities for peer connection through orientations, writing circles, retreats and community-building events.

One lesson she’s learned through this work is that community doesn’t happen by accident.

“It does take time to develop relationships with people,” she says. “It’s about just establishing that first kind of contact and going in.”

That’s why her advice for new students is simple: get involved early.

“Don’t wait to go and access these things,” she says. “You don’t need something to always have to access it.”