Building a legacy of success

Faculty of Arts and Science students from the STEM Indigenous Academics (STEMInA) program recently celebrated their graduation from Queen’s University.

Started in 2021, the STEMInA program is an academic support and community-building program for Indigenous students enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) based undergraduate degree programs. Students are from the Faculties of Arts and Science, Engineering and Applied Science, and Health Science.

Started last year to recognize the first cohort of STEMInA graduates, the annual honour feast celebrates Indigenous graduates from the program. The event starts with a talking circle so students can reflect on their achievements.

“Collectively, the Deans and I discussed ways to honour these students,” says Melanie Howard, Director, Indigenous Futures in Engineering for Smith Engineering. “One of the ideas we landed on was the gifting of a stole, a ceremonial sash worn during graduation. The stole is a way to represent themselves as Indigenous students at convocation without being in full regalia (Indigenous students have an option to wear full regalia to convocation as opposed to a gown). This stole is now gifted to them at the STEMInA Honour Feast.”

Graduating STEMInA students also receive a beaded pin with the STEMInA logo at the centre, to visibly represent their Indigenous heritage on the convocation stole.

Howard says the Honour Feast is a chance for the students to get together one final time prior to the formal convocation ceremonies, which occur on different days for the different faculties. Each student is also welcome to invite a guest to the event, which could include their parents.

"This year’s cohort, in particular, was really close; they were a very strong, tightknit group of students,” Howard says. “During STEMInA Transition Week at the start of their time at Queen’s, they really cemented a lot of friendships. STEMInA was designed to create a community, which is a basis for student success. Academic success is certainly happening, with a high percentage of students graduating, and the cohesion of Indigenous students in the sciences is part of the foundation for this.”

Besides the Honour Feast, STEMInA students have a number of programming opportunities throughout their time at Queen’s. They are initially welcomed to the university during STEMInA Transition Week, an on-campus orientation program for Indigenous STEM students, one week prior to general move-in. It starts with a family orientation over two days and continues throughout the week to welcome first year undergraduate students to their new surroundings, academic programs, and community in Kingston.

STEMInA students have access to academic support which begins in the form of small group tutorials for first year students, as well as a planned series of events for professional development. The STEMInA Research Experience Program allows students the opportunity to explore a future in research, while conference opportunities are made available in order to broaden networks and encourage the sharing of their experiences as Indigenous students in STEM. The STEMInA series are events planned around the intersectionality of being Indigenous women in STEM, and general social events are also offered.

“Celebrating alongside these graduates and their families reminds us why building community is essential to academic success,” says James Fraser, Associate Dean (Graduate). “STEMInA creates a space where Indigenous scholars can truly thrive. As one family member put it, these students have learned to succeed in both worlds, staying grounded in their cultural traditions while navigating rigorous STEM programs, a reality mostly out of reach for his own generation. We are so proud of everything they have achieved in the Faculty of Arts and Science and wish them continued success.”