While Grade 12 students of R.D. Parker Collegiate are just now transitioning into graduation season, David Outchikat and Henry Fortin have already set their post-secondary plans in stone.
After completing a rigorous application process, the pair will travel to Kingston, Ontario in early August, where they will be attending the Royal Military College of Canada as part of the Aboriginal Leadership Opportunities Year (ALOY) program.
According to Master Warrant Officer Paul Lucas, who hand picks every member of this program, Outchikat and Fortin will have access to the rigorous military training and leadership development activities that the Canadian Armed Forces are known for. At the same time, they will also be given the chance to enrol in what basically amounts to some first-year university courses, with a financial assistance package worth $24,000 a piece.
“It’s going to give them the safety in knowing that, for this time period when they’re at military college, their tuition is paid for, their books are paid for, their student fees are paid for, and they’re going to receive a salary,” said Lucas.
Outside of the obvious financial incentives, Outchikat and Fortin told the Thompson Citizen that they had their own reasons for applying.
Outchikat already has his sights set on a career in the military, having previously participated in the government’s Bold Eagle program last summer, which gives Indigenous youth a six-week crash course in military training.
Beyond that, Outchikat said he also wants to use ALOY and the career that follows as a springboard into the world of politics, with hopes of becoming a Member of Parliament one day.
Meanwhile, Fortin’s goals are broader in nature, since he’s hoping that ALOY will help open him up to new opportunities and experiences.
“I applied to this program because I found that if I got out of Thompson I would be able to experience other things outside of Manitoba,” he said.
With only 30 spots available for this nation-wide program every year, Lucas said that Outchikat and Fortin definitely earned this opportunity and he predicts big things for their future.
“These are two fine young men and I think they’re going to do really well,” he said. “They both have aspirations, they both have goals and I know they both have a good amount of drive and focus.”
When their time at ALOY comes to a close in May of 2019, Lucas said both students will be given the choice to either stay under the Canadian Forces’ tutelage, be transferred to a civilian university or pursue another path of their choosing.
While Outchikat and Fortin will be contending with a lot of big decisions in the coming year, RDPC support staff member Marie Highway, who’s been with the pair every step of their journey, is just happy to see that all their hard work is finally paying off.
“The school is very proud of them,” she said. “I mean, it’s going to open doors for them and give them leadership skills. They’ll be role models for our other Aboriginal youth.”
