Faculty of Art
ATRIA WOMEN’S RESOURCE SOCIETY
Sarah Siska is a settler of Slavic, French and English descent born and raised on Anishinaabe land in Thunder Bay, ON. She is a recent FNIS grad who spends her free time reading books, tending to her plants, and sharing food with friends.
1. Who was your practicum partner organization, and what did your project entail?
For my Practicum project, I worked with Atira Women’s Resource Socicty in SisterSpace Shared Using Room, a harm-reduction site accessible only to those who self-identify and live full time as women. My project was to research how SisterSpace could increase the cultural relevance and welcoming environment of the space for self-identified Indigenous women, and I finished with a report highlighting the importance of agency and direct involvement in the design of harm-reduction sites.
2. How well prepared did you feel entering the Research Practicum?
At the beginning of the year I was worried that I wasn’t ready for Practicum, but this experience helped show me where my skills lay and has given me the confidence to forge ahead into the “real” world. Now that I’ve shed my fear of the ethics process (and research in general) I’m that much more quipped to go forward into wherever life takes me, both within and outside of academia.
3. What is some advice that you would give to future Practicum students?
As for advice for future Practicum students: spend time getting to know yourself and reflecting on who you truly are, and make sure that you’re looking for placements that reflect that person – rather than the person you might want it to reflect. I promise you the placement will be that much more fulfilling if you trust your instincts and trust yourself.