Lisa Groulx shares nursing journey as Oshki-Wenjack celebrates 22 graduates
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY — Atikameksheng Anishnawbek’s Lisa Groulx shared her path to nursing during her valedictorian’s address at Oshki-Pimache-O-Win: The Wenjack Education Institute’s 2026 Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony on September 14 in Thunder Bay. The Pinning Ceremony was held for 22 Practical Nursing diploma candidates at the Best Western Plus Nor’Wester Hotel and Conference Centre.
“Today, we are not here just as students but as graduated practical nurses, and what makes this moment so special is that everyone of us has their own story about how we got here,” Groulx says. “Mine begins with a lesson I learned even before I stepped into the program, and that lesson was that there are no shortcuts in life.”
Groulx says she had to complete the advanced math and science courses she had avoided in high school in order to be accepted into the program.
“That was a hard pill for me to swallow,” Groulx says. “I had already completed my Master of Social Work degree but was told no, that I can’t come into nursing. So, I spent an entire year completing the rest of my high school credits, I sacrificed my social life, family life, and studied hard.”
Groulx says the two-and-a-half-year program enabled her to complete her studies while continuing to do her full-time job in her community.
“I love the Oshki program and how unique it is in being able to deliver a program that works for people who are adults going back to school but even coming from high school,” Groulx says. “We are able to walk away temporarily from our communities, travel here, come and do a program that’s delivered in a way where we don’t have to give up our lives, we don’t have to give up our jobs, [or] our homes. Every day I went to work, and then I would go home and have supper. That’s why I’m so grateful for my husband because he would cook supper for me every night.”
Groulx says she studied her courses in the evening after eating supper and taking a bit of time to relax.
“All of the students put in a lot of effort,” Groulx says.
Groulx says her goal is to continue to work with home and community care in her community.
“I want to enhance our services to include palliative care and end-of-life care,” Groulx says. “And I’m hoping to get some training to become an Indigenous death doula so that we can help people transition into the spirit world in a way that they would like to, so however they see.”
Erica Blekkenhorst, Practical Nursing Coordinator at Oshki-Wenjack, says they partnered with Confederation College to deliver the Practical Nursing program.
“Over the two-and-a-half years, they have lots of time where it’s online, they can stay in community, they can stay with their families working or whatever obligations they have,” Blekkenhorst says. “And then, twice a semester they come into Thunder Bay and they’re doing labs, learning skills, or they’re in clinical actually learning on the floors with the patients. We’re just really proud of these students and how far they’ve come and their dedication to nursing.”
Lorrie Deschamps, President at Oshki-Wenjack, says the Practical Nursing graduates worked hard and spent countless hours learning, studying, practicing their skills, and preparing for the responsibility that comes with being a nurse.
“Welcome to our Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony — we are here to celebrate our students and the work they put into reaching this moment,” Deschamps says. “As President of Oshki-Wenjack, I am especially proud to see our graduates moving forward into careers where they can make such a meaningful difference in the lives of others. A nursing pin represents the profession you are entering and the responsibility that comes with it.”
Information about Oshki-Wenjack’s Practical Nursing diploma program is posted online at: https://www.oshki.ca/programs/practical-nursing.