Growing up, he didn’t always love school, but surrounded by learners is where he’s found he’s thriving.  Shawn Mollons was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and his maternal grandmother is from Fairford First Nation. He works at the Center for Aboriginal Human Resource Development as the Executive Operations Assistant to the Co-Executive Director who is also the Director of Education and Training. He helps with the Adult Learning Center and the college.

Mollons has a Bachelor of Business degree, and he started working as a bank teller and then as a financial advisor with Scotiabank during the pandemic. He didn’t feel like he doing what was best for people at the time and he was unhappy so he left and his mom suggested he meet with an employment counsellor at 181 Higgins Avenue. That was his first interaction with the Center and while he was job searching he applied for a job there. His meeting led to an interview and then he became an employment counsellor himself and then started working in the adult learning centre. He knew he wanted to work in the community but it ended up happening a lot sooner than he expected.

As part of his education journey, Mollons went to elementary, junior high school and a private school. He went to the University of Winnipeg, preferring the smaller class sizes. He started in a psychology program but switched to business. It took him eight years but he eventually got his bachelor’s degree. Because he had funding from his band, he didn’t need to get a student loan, As far as his informal learning went, he listened to his mother’s stories as she was a social worker in the school system. She inspired him to push himself and make a difference for himself and his community.

If he could give advice to Indigenous students considering leaving their home community it would be to consider that educating themselves isn’t just helping themselves but also showing others what’s possible and being a role model. He also reassures, “You can always come back and who knows what your life experiences, but it's always going to be hard… you just gotta take that leap, and that's all we can really do. No one really knows kind of what the future holds. You just gotta kind of just dive into that darkness and then go to the light at the end.” He encourages seeking out supports from organizations and asking for help when needed.

When it comes to obstacles, Mollons had to overcome his own educational laziness, as he describes it. He wasn’t one to take initiative in school or study and his grades suffered as a result in both high school and university. If he wants to go for his master’s he’s going to have to take some more courses to boost his grades enough to qualify. In his job, he multi-tasks a lot and he has to be very organized to stay on top of things. While he hasn’t normally been the most organized person, he has developed routines to maintain the standards his boss has for his work. He’s found he can be his own worst enemy and he’s had to rise above that.

He’s learned important lessons along the way outside of taking initiative and getting organized. “It's never too late to change. You're always learning, you're always growing. You never really stop. You’ve gotta keep trying,” he explains.

If he could give a message to his younger self it would be, "You don't know everything. Listen to the people who are trying to help you…. Study in school and don't be afraid to ask for help. School is important because you don't want to close doors for yourself." He wishes he had paid attention, established routines and good habits early on to better prepare for university and changed his ways. Finally, he would say, "Don't goof around. There's time and a place to be the class clown, and you just gotta focus on your education."

To maintain his wellness, Mollons goes to bed early and gets up at the same time consistently. He tries to read every night, listens to podcasts, tries to find ideas about how other people juggle everything in their lives and he goes to the gym early every morning. He sticks to a routine as best he can and holds himself accountable.

When it comes to inspiration, Mollons looks to his mom who raised two kids as a single mom. When life seems hard he thinks about what she went through going to school, getting a job, caring for two toddlers and it helps him maintain his perspective. “I feel like what I'm going through is nothing compared to what she had to go through to give me the life that I have now and all the opportunities that I have. I just look at her, and then I just keep pushing forward,” he muses.

His advice to someone struggling on their path is not to give up and to push through, to look for support, ask for help and talk to people in their support network. He recommends taking a step back and reflecting when trying to solve problems and often the answer will surface. Talking through problems is something he suggests, even if it’s with someone you don’t know very well.

Even though he didn’t love school growing up, he’s found a place to thrive professionally surrounded by adult learners. Inspired by his mother and on his own journey of personal growth, he knows it’s never too late to change and you’ve got to keep trying. Building healthy habits and routines in his work and his wellness, he’s learning and growing every day.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.