Jennifer Mogg

When the letters of acceptance arrived in June of 1997, it wasn't a typical greeting card commercial at my house. It could have been a marketing director's dream, as I rushed to my parents with thick manila envelopes, shouting, smiling and boasting about scholarships--slyly choosing as my first and second choices, the major universities in the largest cities of Ontario. I still received proud hugs from my parents and words of congratulations, but my visions of hurrying off to class, living on macaroni and cheese, and complaining about my roommates were dashed faster than you could say, "I want to go home!" With equally matched enthusiasm, my parents firmly declared I would be attending university in my hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, whether my pretentious ambitions liked it or not.

To many young people, the idea of leaving home in order to become successful isn't a choice, but a necessity. I resented the idea of staying in Northern Ontario, though I don't believe it was entirely my fault that I developed such an arrogant attitude. My high school teachers did their best to prepare us for the intense academic curriculum of higher level courses, but most of their advice was prefaced by, "When you are AWAY at university..." I couldn't turn to my friends for solace either, for although they tried to reassure me, their next breaths would be full of excitement for the possibilities of new surroundings. I felt like a prisoner being punished, though I hadn't done anything to justify the sentence. Like them, I wanted to be considered adventurous and going somewhere with my life. My parents tried to reason with me that I would still be receiving a quality education, but I wanted to be exposed to a thriving arts and entertainment industry as well. While my friends were going to concerts put on by major recording artists, or book signings by best-selling authors, I was busy wondering why our bus system took 2 hours to get across town.

I will admit that my first semester of studies weren't met with an open mind in the beginning. It wasn't until I was introduced to students who came from out of town, that I saw Sault Ste Marie and Algoma University through new eyes. Suddenly places and events I had attended many times before became exciting again, because I was able to witness it from a fresh perspective. Instead of the collective sighs I previously received from my peers as we tried to figure out something, anything, to do (before finally concluding there was nothing), suddenly I was surrounded by a whole different set of people who came here specifically to enjoy these activities. As my high school friends returned home during their study breaks, their stories stopped clouding my versions of events. I soon realized that, like them, I was receiving a full university education without the burden of financial debt, and like them, it came complete with enriching experiences which were just as important as theirs were in the Big City.

However, it wasn't until I graduated and moved to England for a year, that I realized just how isolating Northern Ontario can be. I had never experienced discrimination until I lived abroad, because I never considered myself "different". To suddenly be surrounded by people who had distinctive accents, mannerisms and use of language was a challenging experience, but it was specifically the reason why I chose to live there. It was hard to keep the bitterness out of my voice as I described where I came from, but it became almost a paradox. The very reasons why I wanted to leave were the same reasons I wanted to go back. I enjoyed the feeling of anonymity but I missed seeing familiar faces in unexpected places.

Yet there exists a form of quiet prejudice here. While we are blessed to live in a nation that has laws against judging one by their race, religion, marital status or sex, there is an underlying force of nepotism. There are so few career related jobs that word of mouth travels fast for a summer internship, and students are not hired based on their credentials but rather because a family member is employed by that specific company. While this can lessen the financial burden of these parents, it doesn't seem fair in such a small community for those students who are genuinely interested in gaining experience for their chosen field. These internships often lead into full time jobs, but the lack of competition by advertising leaves those with relative degrees having to sometimes seek two undesirable minimum wage part time jobs just to pay the bills, as opportunities to network are generally only advertised by professionals to other professionals. This creates a sense of unfulfilled self actualization, furthered by the stigma that if you are employed by these places, then you must not have excelled in school. Nobody wants to spend 4 years at university only to be faced with the prospect of a job you could have had as a student in high school.

While people are returning to the North to raise their families, it is only because they have sought experience elsewhere that is needed to earn the necessary income to survive independently here. Housing is cheap, the scenery is beautiful and the values of family and friendship keep this community closely knit. But unfortunately, it is only through experience that one learns the importance of these principles and perhaps even more tragically, my generation has already settled down elsewhere. It is up to the educators and professionals of Northern Ontario to promote its positive aspects, because peer pressure is a powerful motivator. Listen to me.