Tag: firstpeoplesindigenouscentre

Finding community, connection and a career path at Durham College

Posted on September 28, 2026 at 12:51 pm.

Jazmyn Romano’s time as a student at Durham College (DC) was meaningful both personally and professionally.

A two-time DC graduate who grew up in Bowmanville, she completed the Paralegal program in 2024 and Law Clerk – Advanced in 2025.

Now she’s found her way back to DC as a new member of the Durham College Alumni Association (DCAA) Board of Directors.

“I thought that once I graduated, my time at DC was done,” she said. “But it’s great to be able to get involved as an alumnus. I had a great experience here, and it’s nice to have the opportunity to give back to a campus that gave so much to me.”

The education she received at DC started her down the path towards a career in law, and her schooling has continued remotely as she works towards an international law degree at the University of London.

“I have an interest in justice because it’s an area where you have the ability to help people and make actionable change,” said Romano.

She’s already been able to make use of some of the lessons she learned in her DC programs. During her studies, she launched her own successful company – Romano Remote Virtual Assistant Services – providing business process outsourcing for a number of clients. Its success has kept her busy since she crossed the stage at Convocation.

“The bulk of my clients are realtors, and I studied real estate law in the Law Clerk program,” she explained. “That was a good foundation in figuring out the real estate market, how to work with realtors, and especially drafting the various forms that are needed.”

But her most valuable time at DC may have been the hours she spent at the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC), in the company of Dr. Kayla Murphy, Director, Indigenous Initiatives.

“My family is Métis. My grandma was adopted, so there’s a little bit of an intergenerational disconnect there. Going into college, I had a hard time with my own identity,” said Romano. “With my upbringing and that disconnect in mind, and because I look European, my connection to my Indigenous identity has sometimes felt complicated. My lived experiences are different from those of many other Indigenous people, and I acknowledge that. In turn, sometimes it’s a little difficult to connect with other people in the Indigenous community.”

Through discussions with Dr. Murphy, and simply spending time in the friendly confines of FPIC, she developed a new understanding of her Indigenous background.

“She taught me a lot. Through talking with Kayla and learning from her, it definitely helped me feel like I belong.”

She’ll continue to embrace her Indigeneity by attending events like DC’s Orange Shirt Day Mini Powwow on Wednesday, September 30, where the campus community will gather in recognition of the day as well as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. And in her role with the DCAA, she will stay connected to her post-secondary home and serve as a voice for her fellow alumni.

“I’m excited to see where it goes, and how I can help.”

Indigenous artist shares meaningful art with Durham College

Posted on April 29, 2025 at 9:30 am.

Artistic expression has always been a passion for Emma Whiteye, and her creativity is leaving a mark outside of the classroom.

The Fine Arts – Advanced student and proud member of Walpole Island First Nation arrived at Durham College (DC) last fall. Having worked in a variety of artistic disciplines since childhood, she has spent her first year in the program honing and developing her already impressive skills.

“I like all the arts,” she said. “It’s fun to try something new for each little thing.”

When an assignment tasked her with producing a scroll-style painting, she decided to create a painted representation of the 13 Moons, a teaching from Anishinaabe tradition. Each of the moons represents a new teaching, a change in nature and a cultural tradition.

After working hard for two weeks, she completed a beautiful piece that caught the eye of Dr. Kayla Murphy, Director of Indigenous Initiatives at DC.

It impressed DC leadership as well and now reproductions of the artwork are displayed at both the Oshawa and Whitby campuses.

“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it,” she said of learning her piece would be hung on the walls for all to see. “I’m really excited that it’s there.”

With the art now unveiled, Dr. Murphy, also a member of Walpole Island First Nation, is pleased to see a profound interpretation of Indigenous teachings featured so prominently on campus.

“It’s important to see that reflection of self and voice, and to have that representation within the institutions where students can see themselves within academia,” said Dr. Murphy.

While everyone at DC can appreciate the art for its colour and craft, Whiteye is confident that her fellow Indigenous students will find particular meaning in it.

“Even if they know nothing about the 13 Moons, they’ll see it and be like, ‘that’s part of my culture,’” said Whiteye. “It’s just something new that they can learn.”

The artwork is on display in Oshawa’s Gordon Willey Building, South Wing across from the Learning Commons, and in the main entrance of Whitby’s Don Lovisa Building. You can learn more about the 13 Moons online.

Explore Indigenous spaces on the Durham College campus

Posted on September 27, 2024 at 10:44 am.

Durham College (DC) is committed to providing a warm and welcoming environment for Indigenous students and employees and providing space for meaningful conversations and reflection to take meaningful steps towards reconciliation.

Providing these spaces for Indigenous students – and making them visible for all to see – is paramount, according to Sherry Miller, Indigenous Student Success Coordinator.

“Growing up in Toronto, there was no representation or signs of Indigenous life anywhere,” she said. With landmarks like the Medicine Wheel and the Weeping Willow tree, as well as the beautiful Indigenous art displayed throughout the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC), she’s proud that’s not the case at DC.

“For Native people, being in a space and seeing those symbols is huge. It’s proof that you belong here, that you live here.”

Here are three places at our Oshawa campus where you can pause for reflection and learning.

Suswaaning Endaajig – First Peoples Indigenous Centre
The doors of the First Peoples Indigenous Centre (FPIC) are open to all at DC, and the space can accommodate a number of uses. It’s located in the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE), Room 141, and students are free to stop in for a respite from campus life, grab some coffee or a snack, and enjoy a quiet spot to study. They can also utilize the Elder’s Room to reflect or perform a smudging, a sacred ceremony in which traditional medicines like sage, cedar and sweetgrass are burned to purify body, mind, heart and Spirit.

A number of resources are available to help Indigenous students learn more about their culture and communities. The FPIC team - Dr. Kayla Murphy, Director of Indigenous Initiatives; Kiana Cress, Indigenous Communities Outreach Coordinator; and Sherry Miller, Indigenous Student Success Coordinator – is always happy to connect with students, share their wisdom and provide guidance, or just have a friendly chat.

Naanaagide’endamowin Courtyard
The courtyard next to the CFCE is a great place to enjoy fresh air and sunshine, but it’s also an Indigenous learning space gifted an Anishinaabemowin name, Naanaagide’endamowin (The Art of Thinking), by Elder, Dr. Shirley Williams. Observant visitors will find six QR codes to scan, which will take them directly to information about Land Acknowledgements, the Indigenous Histories Modules, 13 Moons, Sacred Medicines, upcoming events, and the Weeping Willow at the centre of the courtyard.

The tree was planted in 2021 in memory of the Indigenous children who did not make it home from residential schools. A willow was chosen for its ability to bend without breaking, a trait also found in the resilient Indigenous communities of Canada.

Medicine Wheel
The Oshawa bus loop is home to a Medicine Wheel rock garden. Installed in 2014, it is fittingly located on the bus loop island, where it can serve as a spot for quiet reflection in the middle of our bustling campus.

Used as a teaching and learning tool in Indigenous cultures, the Medicine Wheel represents the interconnectedness that exists in ourselves and the world around us. The wheel’s four quadrants - spiritual, physical, mental and emotional – promote balance in one’s life and living in harmony with all creation.