Makayla Trepania

Boozhoo!

I am a proud first-generation Indigenous student! My path through college has been shaped with discovery, community, and healing. When I first started at Normandale, I was a PSEO student, and I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take. I only knew that I wanted to do something meaningful.

Everything began to change when I started taking Psychology courses. I found myself being so excited and intrigued to get to those classes. What I found in those classrooms, within the conversations with peers and professors, has opened my eyes in ways I didn’t expect. Psychology has helped me realize that the things I once saw as “flaws” are really some of my greatest strengths: my deep empathy, sensitivity, and the way I naturally try to understand others aren’t weaknesses, they are signs of who I truly am.

Through each course, I learned not only about the mind and behavior, but also about myself. I started to recognize how my Indigenous upbringing shaped my sense of spirituality, connection, and community care before I ever had the language for it. Psychology has helped me understand these parts of myself and appreciate how powerful they are. Through my professors' guidance and shared conversations, I began to understand people more deeply, and in return, I began to understand myself better. These experiences made me see that I want to be someone who can offer that same support to others.

As I continue my journey, I carry the hope of eventually giving back. To my younger sisters, who I want to inspire and guide, and to my community, where I hope to return one day and serve in a way that brings healing, understanding, and support. Psychology has helped me find my path, but more importantly, it has helped me find my purpose in helping others.

^{All info expressed here represent the student’s personal story and perspective.}