KAHBAMIUE KUE/COLVILLE LAKE
She's only in Grade 7, but Michelle Orlias says she already knows what her ideal job would be.
Michelle Orlias, a Grade 7 student at Colville Lake School, sets a rabbit snare during a traditional skills activity with her class. Orlias said she wants to become a fashion designer using traditional materials. - photo courtesy of Fraser Downie |
"A fashion designer," said the Colville Lake School student.
Orlias said she wants to learn how to design clothing using traditional materials, such as caribou hide.
"I don't know how to make them, but I want to," she said. "I want to learn."
Orlias said she hopes to learn sewing techniques from her mother, she also needs to study the various aspects of fashion design.
She said she knows learning all she can at school now will help her if she decides to take a design program at college.
Her teacher, Fraser Downie, said Orlias is well on her way to making her goals a reality.
"She goes for it," he said. "Whatever she wants, she goes for it."
Downie said Orlias's hard work at school keeps her on top of even the most difficult subjects.
He said she is a talented artist, especially when drawing, and is good at science, math and storytelling.
"She sets an example for the other students to follow," he said.
Orlias also helps other students to develop their own talents by lending a hand to her classmates.
"If they don't know how to do their math work, I help them," she said.
Orlias volunteers her time to help with school fundraisers as well, especially the school's recycling program, Downie said.
Community members bring beverage containers to the school where students sort them before they are shipped to recycling centres. The money raised pays for the school's sports teams, including the ski team and the track and field team, to travel to events throughout the territory.
It also helps pay for students to visit colleges and universities, allowing them to make better-informed decisions about post-secondary education, said Downie.
Orlias said she enjoys helping with the program.
"I like to because it's fun," she said.
Orlias also knows the old adage that 90 per cent of success is showing up. She said in order to achieve her goals, she needs to give it her all.
That's why she also has one of the best attendance records in the school, Downie said.
"She doesn't miss a day," he said. "She is the first one through the door every day."
For Orlias, school is a stepping stone on the path to her future. When asked why she thinks it's important to go to school every day, her answer was simple.
"To learn," she said.
