In her third year of a nursing degree program at Nunavut Arctic College, mother of three Kyra Kilabuk was chosen from a pool of 49 candidates to receive the 2023 Danielle Moore Scholarship, worth $2,000.

On track to graduate in spring 2025, Kilabuk is currently preparing for a six-week placement in Halifax, where nursing program partner Dalhousie University is located.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 going to be hard leaving my family for that long,SA国际影视传媒� says Kilabuk, who lives in Iqaluit.

An early graduate of high school, she initially didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know what she wanted to do with her life, but she knew she loves working with children. She thought about becoming a teacher and took a few courses. However, she then got pregnant with her first child.

After returning to work, Kilabuk describes having an SA国际影视传媒淎ha!SA国际影视传媒� moment about working in nursing instead.

SA国际影视传媒淎ll my values, beliefs and passion lined up with nursing. Even three years later, ISA国际影视传媒檓 still passionate about what ISA国际影视传媒檓 [studying]. It just clickedSA国际影视传媒� sounded right, like who I am,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭he great thing about the program is you try all the areas of nursing. So far, I feel like I might like to work in labour and delivery, or become a breast feeding consultant, or work in the ER.SA国际影视传媒�

Kilabuk is also contemplating taking her education further and becoming a nurse practitioner, which would allow her to prescribe medication. However, she wishes to work in the field for a few years first.

She credits the Moore family and their scholarship for allowing her to explore her options in post-secondary education.

SA国际影视传媒淭he scholarship helps. Just living up here is super expensive, and we have a busy household. Getting that scholarship helped me relax and focus on school. It was a really big help to me and my family. It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 just [beneficial] for me, it was for my kids,SA国际影视传媒� says Kilabuk, who is currently raising two teenagers and a five-year-old. SA国际影视传媒淟ife in Nunavut isnSA国际影视传媒檛 easy sometimes.SA国际影视传媒�

On the subject of the difficulty of living in Nunavut, and her desire to help others by becoming a nurse, Kilabuk says, SA国际影视传媒淲ith what I hear, there are very few Inuit nurses and doctors, so thatSA国际影视传媒檚 also why ISA国际影视传媒檓 interested [in healthcare]. ISA国际影视传媒檝e seen firsthand, especially with many Elders in the ER department, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely a lack of people speaking Inuktitut. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 supposed to be translators availableSA国际影视传媒� but itSA国际影视传媒檚 definitely been [more] my experience of dealing with a unilingual [medical professional], which makes things harder.SA国际影视传媒�

Kilabuk grew up in an Inuit-speaking household and can hold basic conversations in Inuktitut, but she blames the lack of language programming after Grade 1 for her loss of true fluency in the language.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think itSA国际影视传媒檚 super important to have more long-term residents here who understand [our] culture and representation, and put work into also understanding the language, and I donSA国际影视传媒檛 mean just Inuit,SA国际影视传媒� she says.

She then relates a personal anecdote of hospitalization after a C-section, and being shocked at having an Inuk nurse.

SA国际影视传媒淚 didnSA国际影视传媒檛 even know it was possible! When youSA国际影视传媒檙e at the lowest point in your life, itSA国际影视传媒檚 important to have someone who understands your background. I want people to have more moments [like I did]. It would be great to see more Inuit not just [becoming] nurses, but doctors, and personal support workers.SA国际影视传媒�

Pursuing the path

Advocating for Inuit is how Kilabuk envisions her role in a greater sense. Even before nursing school, she was deeply involved in addressing the food security crisis, for which she still maintains a SA国际影视传媒渉uge passion.SA国际影视传媒� She collected many rounds of food for the community and delivered them, using her house as a base of operations.

She plans to continue her work in food security as a nurse.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen youSA国际影视传媒檙e in this [position of authority] with people in a vulnerable place, I feel itSA国际影视传媒檚 doing our due diligence to advocate with the power we have,SA国际影视传媒� she says. SA国际影视传媒淲hat I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 expect was what ISA国际影视传媒檝e learned in nursing so far, such as the realities of language barriers and addictionsSA国际影视传媒� You see firsthand how bad the housing crisis is. It goes back to advocating better for Nunavummiut.SA国际影视传媒�

Having taken several years off after high school, Kilabuk says she didnSA国际影视传媒檛 retain fresh knowledge of science and other subject matter as she entered the nursing program, SA国际影视传媒渂ut if youSA国际影视传媒檙e so passionate, even if itSA国际影视传媒檚 hard, people can do itSA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 never too late to go back to school. The representation may not be there, but it can be with you, so start again.SA国际影视传媒�

Kilabuk acknowledges she would not be in her position if it were not for the generosity of the Moore family and their scholarship. SA国际影视传媒淭hank you again for your support,SA国际影视传媒� she says to them. SA国际影视传媒淚t did not go unnoticed. It really helped myself and my family, and I think itSA国际影视传媒檚 a really good way to honour Danielle. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 so important to help people on their education journey.SA国际影视传媒�