Ava's Story: Finding Identity with a Cultural Coach

In grade eight, Ava struggled with setting boundaries, anger issues, and feeling out of place. This led to problems at school, such as low attendance and bad grades. “I was lashing out and not being able to keep things under control,” Ava confesses. Ava’s friend was concerned about Ava’s impulsive behaviour and conflicts with others, so she brought Ava to see the school’s Cultural Coach, Doris. 

At first, Ava wanted to avoid speaking with Doris because she didn’t trust school staff. Once she shared what was going on in her life, a mindset shift took place for Ava. She was surprised at how fast she was able to open up to Doris and kept going back to see her. “She’s really good at giving advice,” Ava shares. “I started seeing her more often, and I’m really glad I did because it made me grow in a lot of ways.”

Ava eventually opened up to Doris about her cultural dilemmas. Being half-Indian, Ava struggled with racist comments from her peers. Ava did her best to brush these comments off and convince herself that they were supposed to be funny. But, these comments left Ava feeling insecure and vulnerable about her cultural identity. She was always too shy to ask her grandma and dad more about her culture. Doris helped her explore those aspects of her identity. “Doris reassured me that being Indian isn’t something to be ashamed about or embarrassed about. You can express it, and if people don’t like it, they’re not meant for you.”

Ava can now understand the consequences of her actions and see other people’s points of view. “I definitely am a lot more understanding now than when I was before I met Doris,” Ava expresses. She feels that Doris taught her patience, how to manage her emotions, and how to focus on what she needs. 

Ava now challenges the way that she operates. She understands that change can be hard and that it’s not always easy to be positive. However, she is extremely happy with the way she views and talks about herself now. Before meeting Doris, she felt she was a very negative and mean person. Now, her deep introspection allows her to think about what she wants and she’s able to voice that. Ava is now in grade nine and continues to see Doris regularly. She is a little nervous about entering high school but knows her new skills will help her move forward positively. 

You can read more client stories here.