WINNIPEG, MAN.
Touring a university campus for the first time and participating in a career conference has assured two Fort Liard students that they are on the right educational track.

Julianne Norn, left, and Brent Kotchea of Fort Liard took a tour of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg as part of Soaring, an indigenous youth career conference March 20. - photo courtesy of Karlene Isaiah

Brent Kotchea and Julianne Norn took part in Soaring, an indigenous youth career conference, in Winnipeg on March 20.

They were among 683 students from Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, B.C. and the NWT who descended on the city.

The group was divided between the University of Winnipeg, Red River College and the University of Manitoba where Kotchea and Norn went.

"It was pretty cool," Kotchea said.

"It kind of inspired me to keep on going."

Both Kotchea and Norn said going to the conference, organized by Indspire, convinced them that their existing goals of attending college or university are the right things to pursue.

The students took a tour of the university, took part in a mini-marketing competition at the Asper School of Business, a hands-on workshop at the hydraulics lab and kinesiology exercises in the gym.

They also visited the aboriginal student building where they learned about the support they could receive as students.

"(It was) pretty cool," Kotchea said.

For Kotchea, 18, the trades show was the best part of the conference. There were lots of different booths that highlighted a variety of careers including some in banking and the oil and gas industry.

Kotchea liked a computerized 3-D station that simulated welding tasks and told participants how well they did.

"That was pretty fun," he said.

For Norn the day after the conference was the highlight.

Indspire holds one of their three youth conferences each year in conjunction with the annual Indspire Awards that recognize the achievements of indigenous Canadians.

This years' awards took place on March 21 in the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg.

"It was very encouraging," Norn, 17, said.

"I like the way they inspired other Canadians."

Although she wasn't familiar with many of the 14 award recipients, Norn knew one of the performers, Inez Jasper. The awards ceremony also inspired Kotchea.

"You can be one of those people too," he said about the recipients.

Kotchea also came away from the conference with a new laptop that he won in a draw.

He said the conference made him want to start applying to colleges and universities right away.

The Grade 12 student is considering a career in the field of engineering, possibly related to oil and gas.

Norn, who's in Grade 11, is thinking about becoming a lawyer.

The trip to Soaring was sponsored by Apache Corporation, who also sent four students from Fort Nelson.

It was a great opportunity for them to explore opportunities and the programs they could take, said William Gowans, the principal of Echo Dene School.