Iskatewizaagegan #39 – Whether you want to work for NASA, work in government, be the next model for Sephora or be an athlete, you can do it, regardless of where you come from, said local basketball star.
Emily Mandamin, basketball player at the University of Manitoba, visited her home community, Iskatewizaagegan #39 Independent First Nation, on Monday and spoke at her old school, in hopes to inspire youth.
“If you identify your passion early on and you really enjoy something, you have to really advocate for yourself. I had to consistently advocate for myself because there's not a lot of resources and opportunities for kids to play high-level sports.
“I had a great support system that helped me find different resources to chase my dream, but not every kid has that. That's why I recognize my own obligation as I get older, to the youth to help them achieve their dreams.”
Even if it’s the most absurd thing you want to accomplish, write it down, Mandamin said.
“That's really powerful within itself, because it shows how serious you are about your dream.”
Mandamin was invited by her old principal to talk about her life, her journey and her career through sports, and what being a student-athlete means.
The school is “doing a lot - trying to give the youth certain career ideas or choices and opening up their minds to things that they could possibly be when they're older.
“She wanted me to come in and share my experiences and a little bit of what I do, and what I've had the opportunity to do, like sports and education,” Mandamin said.
Mandamin spoke to a Grade 5/6 and a Grade 7/8 class.
“I think sometimes they get caught up with having a guest speaker come, a lot of them were sitting there listening, just quiet, not really paying too much attention.
“Once I started telling them how I graduated from this school, I sat in the same seats as them, and a lot of the teachers that are still there taught me, I think a lot of them started to get more engaged and they looked at me a little bit funny, like, ‘oh, you actually went to school here.’”
After telling the youth more about her experiences of being on the reserve, Mandamin said they began getting more interested.
It's important to have that representation of where you come from, Mandamin said.
“Seeing somebody that went through the same things as you, knowing that you can make it to wherever you want to be in life, there is endless possibilities here, and having that representation of it not mattering where you come from.
“If you have a dream, you have to chase it. Showing the kids that anything is possible if you really work hard and dream big. Who cares if people call you crazy or not. I think that's the biggest thing, really believe in yourself wholeheartedly in your dream and chase it no matter what it is,” she said.
Manadamin said when she attended that school, they used to attend the Anishnawbe Games at Grassy Narrows, where one year she played floor hockey.
“An older figure had made a comment about how I should play hockey, and I kind of laughed and I was like, no, basketball player. They looked at me really confused and laughed at me and said, ‘well, basketball, what are you going to do with that?’
“I just remember looking at them like, I'm going to show you.”
Mandamin said she thinks about her younger self, and if she would have listened to the gentlemen, she wouldn’t be where she is today.
“It doesn't matter who calls you crazy or who doesn't think it's possible. If you have that belief and if you have that dream, you have to chase it for a reason,” she said.
Mandamin told the youth about her experiences in basketball, but also that if you have dream, go chase it.
“I discussed about what being a student-athlete really means and my journey of playing basketball in the states for three years and coming back home to play at the University of Manitoba.
“I also discussed different opportunities I've had through the sport of basketball. I got to talk about how opportunities came to fruition, and how my dreams happened and goal setting and things like that. I think the biggest thing is, I told the kids when I ended the presentation that if you have a dream, that dream is placed in your heart for a reason because the universe knows you can make it happen if you work for it.”
