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 Trent University Appoints First Aboriginal Enrolment AdvisorFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Alumnus Adam Hopkins to Engage Directly with Aboriginal Students and their Families in New Role Monday, February 22, 2010, Peterborough Trent University has appointed alumnus Adam Hopkins to serve as its first aboriginal enrolment advisor, a new position that will make it possible for the University to more directly engage aboriginal students and their families as they consider the opportunities of Trent education. The position is made possible through a recently announced grant from the Province of Ontario which is designed to help better meet the needs of aboriginal students. Trent’s aboriginal enrolment advisor will reach out to First Nation, Métis and Inuit students in Ontario and beyond. The University has traditionally been and continues to be a meeting place for the minds of these three Nations in the context of its diverse academic community. The advisor will strengthen existing pathways and build new ones for those students seeking higher education. Working under the supervision of the associate registrar and as a part of the Trent University liaison team, the aboriginal enrolment advisor will be primarily responsible for researching, planning, and implementing Trent’s recruitment and retention strategy for aboriginal students. The advisor will establish and build relationships with prospective students, their parents and the guidance community for aboriginal students. In order to ensure students’ successful transition to university life, the advisor will communicate information regarding admissibility to all academic programs, the receipt of financial aid, scholarships, college life and residences, as well as other services available to students at Trent. The advisor will also serve as a liaison to the Aboriginal Education Council and the Department of Indigenous Studies in order to ensure integration of recruitment activities with values and resources for the strong Indigenous academic and co-curricular programming Trent offers. “This is a profoundly exciting time for Aboriginal people in Canada. I’ve seen my own language (Lenape) being revived and spoken in my community after more than 100 years. I’ve gone to school with friends who are the first people not only in their family, but in their community to obtain a university degree. I have friends who have left their communities over 5,000 kilometres away to attend this institution,” Mr. Hopkins says. “I hope that I am able to share my combined experiences as a liaison recruitment officer, a Trent student, and a Lenape/Anishnaabe person with Aboriginal students everywhere and create some positive change in my new role. I feel very humbled and privileged to be a part of what is going to be a new era in Aboriginal education”. Mr. Hopkins brings to the position outstanding professional preparation. A Trent alumnus, he graduated with an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Indigenous Studies with an emphasis in Politics. He credits Professor David Newhouse, chair of Trent’s Indigenous Studies Department, for mentoring him and inspiring him to academic success. Having served for two years as a recruitment/liaison officer at Trent, he has not only developed his business and marketing skills, but also earned a strong reputation among colleagues across the province. -30- For more information, please contact: Dr. Michael Allcott, Associate Registrar (Interim), Trent University, (705) 748-1280 |
