Continuing Education with Samantha

Transcript

Just because you’ve been to college already doesn’t mean education comes to an end and FPCC knows that better than most. Meet Samantha who grew up in Poplar before going out of state to college and is now back working hand in hand with FPCC on a project that through education, has a huge impact on this community. Take it away, Samantha.

– Thanks, Alex and hey, everyone. I was born and raised in Poplar, and while I haven’t attended Fort Peck Community College as a full-time student, I do attend a lot of the college’s community workshops and trainings. My introduction to the college was as a high school student in their Summer Bridge Program before then attending Stanford. Now living here, I see how much the community benefits from the continuing education units offered by FPCC. Bringing these essential trainings like Indian Education, mental health and Wellness, and environmental sciences to the community plays a huge role supporting professional development in our region. Library is a great resource, not only for college students, but it’s open to the public and for many, it’s the only access to computers or the internet available and also provides programming for local families. We also have a wellness center, providing access to fitness equipment and classes for people of all ages to encourage physical and mental wellbeing. I now work for the Traditional Practices for Wellness project, one of the college’s several community outreach efforts. We provide workshops that foster a closer relationship with our traditional plants and foods, including conversations on ethical harvesting and hands-on demonstrations for preserving and bringing these foods into our everyday lives. By bringing people together around our foods, we encourage not just a sustainable way of life, but also an opportunity for community members to share their own stories, recipes and knowledge, which we know is crucial to our social and cultural wellbeing. My hope is that people see Fort Peck Community College as a wonderful resource to continue educating ourselves throughout our entire lives. Thanks for listening, and back to you, Alex.

– Thank you, Samantha, for sharing your story. It’s incredible to see how people like you return to Poplar and FPCC to share their knowledge, and we love hearing how by continuing to educate the community, you are fostering continued resilience and wellbeing. Thanks again.