From foster care to university graduate

Olivia Thomas credits her unwavering spirit and determination to overcome adversity with helping her finish university. 

As the daughter of a residential school survivor, her early life was shaped by the intergenerational consequences of colonialism. She spent much of her childhood in foster care, lived on her own as a young teenager and faced the challenges of being a single parent. 

Olivia conquered her self-doubt and forged a path through adversity to a university degree. She has found her purpose in helping others through the writing skills honed at VIU. 

“It felt so foreign to me,” says Olivia. “I had been in survival mode for most of my life and university was a world I’d never pictured myself in.”

Persevering through hardships and conflict 

Olivia’s experience at VIU spans 14 years, encompassing dynamic shifts in her family structure and her career goals. Through it all she persevered and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Major in Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies. This month she was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation. The award recognizes graduating students who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to inclusion, democracy or reconciliation within their campus or community. 

“I started my university journey in 2011 when I was 20. I was a single mom to my one-year-old son when I started at VIU. Classes started just a few short days after my older sister died on August 31, 2011, which made it challenging. I finished that semester and did not return until a year later. By then, I was pregnant with my second child,” says Olivia. “The days were long. I was not even on speaking terms with the father of my children after becoming pregnant for the second time, I didn’t drive yet, nor could I afford the expenses of a car at that time. I bussed my son to his childcare and myself to school and then bussed back at the end of classes to pick him up and take us home to our little apartment that I rented on my own with no outside help.”

Olivia stuck with the routine and finished the semester before her daughter was born in December 2012. She had another child two years later and delayed her return to university until 2017. 

“I earned a Medical Office Administration certificate from a local community college, but it turned out that working in the medical system wasn’t for me,” she remembers. “I was conflicted about returning to VIU because I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, and everything was chaotic after the traumatic break up with the father of my kids.”

Finding her place

But Olivia wanted more and made the tough decision to try again. As a mother of three and new stepmom to three more children, she made her way back to VIU in September of 2020 to continue her bachelor’s degree. Yet she continued to struggle with personal turmoil and needed time to process her feelings and find the inspiration to continue. 

“I took another break from school in April 2022. I felt conflicted and apprehensive about my place in the academic world. In retrospect, I think I had always suffered with imposter syndrome and the challenges that come with it. It wasn’t until I began working at the BC First Nations Justice Council in May the following year that I found my place in the world of writing Gladue reports. Writing was always my strength and passion, which is why I chose to minor in Creative Writing.”

Gladue reports are pre-sentence documents provided to the court about an Indigenous person accused of a crime. It focuses on the person’s background and history and any underlying issues that played a role in how they ended up in the judicial system. The reports aim to advance a culturally appropriate healing and restorative justice plan, reducing the need for reliance on custody as an option. 

“I knew that without finishing my degree and furthering my education, I would be hindered from being able to serve Indigenous people and communities, which I now know is what I was meant to do,” says Olivia. “I finished the last two semesters of my degree while still working full time and made it onto the Dean’s List both times. All in all, this journey took around 14 years to complete, but I’m so happy I came back again and again and finally finished it.”

Winning a prestigious award for her scholastic achievements has been a thought-provoking experience for Olivia. 

“I am conflicted somewhat. As an Indigenous person I was greatly harmed by the impacts of colonization. Now I’m being rewarded by that same system on the topics of inclusion, democracy and reconciliation. Overall, I am happy and honoured and accept it with grace and respect. Although it is interesting to navigate through the funny feelings associated with it as well. As a first-generation learner, I had no idea what this award meant or that it was such a big deal.”

Sharing knowledge

Olivia empathizes with others who struggle with the idea of navigating higher education and are experiencing a sense of displacement. She encourages people to try to find the strength to carry on.

“If you are an Indigenous student like me who felt out of place, know you’re not alone, you do belong,” she says. “You can start over again as many times as you want or need to, and that’s okay! Fourteen years later, I’ve finally done it, and I have learned so much about myself along the way.”

The next chapter

Olivia is pushing herself further on her path to a better future not just for herself and her family, but for the greater community.

“I would like to remain in the realm of the career I am in now,” she says. “I am attending UVic in the fall to start my Master of Arts in Indigenous Governance, and it remains to be seen where that takes me!”