Brooklyn Frank, a Biomedical major at the University of Northern B.C. and former student of Caledonia Secondary School, finished up her first-year at the university and shared reflections on what she has learned so far.
Frank chose to attend UNBC after receiving UNBC's Scholars Award. Their scholarship program recognizes northern B.C. and Yukon high school students for their outstanding achievements and offers a full tuition waiver for a Bachelor's degree.
“My parents raised me to believe that I am capable of anything that I’m willing to work hard enough for,” said the 18-year-old, who is Nisga’a and Tahltan. “As an Indigenous woman, I think it’s very important for all Indigenous children to know their dreams and aspirations can become reality and I hope to model that for others.”
Frank is Ganada (Raven tribe) through her mother's side and belongs to the Wilp Ksim Xsaan House. Her childhood consisted of spending time visiting her parents' home communities of Gitlaxt’aamiks and Telegraph Creek, where she experienced their cultural practices and seasonal food harvesting.
“I did find that it took some time to adjust to new ways of learning, but I have enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the changes and persevering to maintain good grades,” she said. “A highlight has been seeing the results of my hard work pay off with A’s in my first semester courses."
She is pursuing a major in Biomedical studies and has set her sights on becoming a physician.
“As the eldest child and grandchild in my family, I have always found joy in caring for and looking after others, and in high school I discovered a passion for medicine,” Frank said. “I am currently interested in practicing family medicine, although sports medicine and women’s health are also areas of interest for me. Supporting myself and giving back to my family has always been very important to me and becoming a physician is part of realizing that goal.”
Going to a university in northern B.C. gave her insight on her long-term plans as well.
“When I first decided that I wanted to become a doctor, I originally wanted to go south to a bigger city to study and pursue my career. Coming to UNBC quickly made me realize I love living in northern B.C.,” she said.
“My plan now is to stay local – the shortage of healthcare professionals, the difficulty retaining physicians in the North and the new Ksyen Regional Hospital in Terrace have all made me realize I want to return home after medical school to be with my family and provide care to my community members.”
