Each year, we get to work with the most incredible group of young people. They all have rich stories, have shown resilience and fortitude and they are worth getting to know. As part of their work with us, we ask the staff, in their own words, to share the parts of the stories they feel comfortable with others knowing - and the parts that reveal more of their depth. It's not an easy thing, to be vulnerable in your own words, and we commend each one of them for digging deep to share these beautiful bios. Please read with care and understanding. 

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Ellie

Hi I'm Ellie, and I'm from superior high school. I'm 16 years old. I like working on computers, specifically programming. I started doing this when I was eight years old, and I taught myself online. Now I occasionally make games such as recreating Tetris for a class, and a game similar to Flappy Bird. I would love to learn more about programming before I take on bigger projects.

I learn about route through a classroom program where we were taught about Vermicomposting. I learned about the summer employment during this time. What drew me into this role was that it was very inclusive, and I thought it would be a great first job for me.

This job has been good for learning work etiquette. On the personal side, being around vegetables all day kind of makes me crave them, and I find myself eating healthier. I made some stir fries with veggies from the garden. Recently I like just eating them as they are.
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I'm hoping to learn gardening skills which could allow me to grow my own food one day, so I could live more sustainably and not rely on big corporations for my food.

Kyle

Hey I'm Kyle, and I am 18 years old. People usually describe me as quiet, but I can be chatty with people close to me like my mom. I am also very close to my grandma, who I live with.

I was born and raised in Fort William and I went to Westgate, and my guidance counselor let me know about Roots to Harvest. I found everyone at roots to be really nice, and the work was different from what I expected. I like learning new things here, like learning how potatoes grow. Once the program is over, I would like to use the skills and experiences I learned here in other areas of my life, such as everyday interactions.
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Aside from gardening, I also spent some time in the Roots kitchen making granola and I really enjoyed it. I hope to continue being involved with which to harvest after the summer.

Nathan

Hi my name is Nathan, I am 16 years old. I was born in Thunder Bay and have lived here all my life. I live with my mom, dad, and brother. Most of my interactions with friends happened online now, so I spend lots of time hanging out with my family.

I feel most at peace when I'm at my camp or with my family. I enjoy fishing, swimming, biking, and playing video games in my free time. My camp is near Ignace. My family has been renovating the cabin since I was young and I sometimes help out to. It's a good spot for hunting and fishing. I have done a lot of that with my family, but I have never shot a moose. I would like to someday.

Roots is obviously different from what I have done in the previous summers. It is my first job. I like to chill out and grow vegetables. I like cooking too so sometimes I like to take veggies home and cook. For example today I want to buy carrots and onions from the market and make a stir fry.
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I want to learn more about how to grow food and maintain a garden. My grandma recently started growing vegetables and sometimes I give her tips from what I learned here. I even pruned tomatoes at my camp garden with my mom, showing her the right way to do it. What I would take away from here would be the experiences working, being with other people, new friends, a feeling of belonging, and skills towards future jobs.

Chris

Hi, my name is Chris Bisignano, and I am 19 years old. I was born in Thunder Bay and grew up in the country. I went to Westgate for high school. I need just two more credits to graduate, which I am great getting from UYFP.

I heard of this program from my guidance counselor. I enjoy the job, sometimes it's hard work but we are never pushed beyond what we can handle.
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In my free time I hang out with my friends. I have a group of very close friends who I have known since JK. Another thing that brings me joy is working on fitness such as boxing and MMA, and weight lifting. During the lockdown and isolation, I went through a lot of mental growth that changed me as a person. It gave me a lot of time for self-reflection, which I think made me grow into a better person. Exercise was also a big part of my growth, both mentally and physically.Right now I'm trying to figure out what to do for college, and I'm thinking of Confederation college. In the meantime I want to work part time and save up. I really hope to stay connected to Root through the AYP program, which would further develop my customer service skills.

Michael

My name is Ilya Michael Alvin White. My first name is the name of a Russian hockey player, and I got it because my dad likes hockey. I live with my mom and two younger siblings. I like hanging out my little brother who is two. I have a couple of really close friends. One of them moved away but we still keep in touch through Xbox. A bunch of my other friends are also in this program. When I found out they were also here, it made me happy knowing I had people to talk to.

During high school I realized I can get close to people in a one on one setting, and I can form strong social bonds. This is why I have many close friends individually and not as a group.

I have a job at the movie theatre, and I've been working there for two years now. It was my first interview ever, and we talked about Spiderman 3. I think I have a customer service switch which I can turn on or off, which is very helpful at this job.
I heard about Roots to Harvest from my four directions teacher, and I also knew some of the old participants. I was expecting a very hot, sweaty job, and that's kind of what I got. What I didn't expect and really liked is the check outs and the personal sharing. I like hearing people’s stories and sharing mine.
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I am doing fine balancing two jobs right now, but maybe one day I will be able to have music as part of my life besides my main job. I'm going into grade 12 this September. I want to be working while I go to school, and I want to be able to buy a computer by the end of the summer.

Anthony

Hey I'm Anthony, I'm 18 years old. I'm in grade 12 at Hammarskjold high school. I was born and raised in Thunder Bay, but my reserve is called North Caribou Lake. I've never been there though. My grandma lives there for part of the year, and I would like to visit the place someday.

I live with my aunt and my two cousins. I have a twin brother and I am pretty close to him. I have a few friends who I like to play video games with. We also went for hikes and stuff. when I'm alone I don't play video games, I mostly watch YouTube and workout. I do some cooking as well.  I cooked Chicken Alfredo for my aunt and uncle who I live with. I'd like to learn how to make chicken parmesan next. 

My uncle works for a security company, and that has inspired me to go into security or law enforcement. I am not a big fan of book learning, I enjoy working with my hands, experientially. I had asked my counsellor at school to connect me with a job, and she recommended me to Roots. I already knew about the organization because of the green industries class in my school. I also looked up some videos on YouTube before the job orientation. 
I had a good sense of what the job would be like, and I like that we used simple tools and our hands to do the work. I feel good about being here, I enjoy talking to others and seeing people every day. During Covid I was by myself a lot, in my room, missing school and not in a great place mentally. I feel like being here has helped a lot with my sense of worth. The money I make her has also helped me contribute to my aunt’s family. I think the word frugal applies to me, I try not to spend too much. But I can be impulsive for drinks, especially iced tea. 
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I want to be able to save some money and I want to invest. I have been practicing with virtual stocks and I would like to be able to do it in real life. 

Jayson

I'm Jayson, and I'm an all-around athlete. I have played hockey for 15 years and I loved it. I have played for teams like the Thunder Bay Kings, and also a provincial team. We still played during Covid, just nobody could watch them. I also do mixed martial arts and train at United Fighter. I grew up watching WWE and UFC and enjoyed the energy of it, but now that I know the technicalities of sports like jujitsu, I enjoy them more. I also play football for superior high school, and next year I might be a quarterback on the team. 

I play video games when I'm home, but they too are sports related. My closest friend lives close to my grandpa’s house, and we like to go camping. I live with my mom and my sister. I'm very close to my family. I take my sister to the park, and hang out with my mom for day-to-day errands.
I heard about roots through my guidance counselor and programs in my classroom. I was mostly interested because of the credits, because after this I will only need one credit to graduate. I like this job now that I'm here, I know I will miss being here every day. 
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I think UYFP is a perfect start for me. I'm constantly trying to get done whatever job that is necessary. It is my first job and they train on basic and necessary skills for future jobs and opportunities. I am hoping to find another part time in September. I think I am good at retail, and I like working customer service. Eventually, in the long run I want to have my own business.

Kobe

Hey I'm Kobe. I was born in Sioux lookout while my mom was on the way to Thunder Bay. I grew up here. My family is from Deer Lake and I lived there for a year when I was six or seven years old. I now live with my mom and her boyfriend.
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I go to Hammarskjold high school. I wasn't very chatty and all my friends were in different classes, so I didn't enjoy it too much. I would say the person closest to me is my cousin. He lives in the same complex as me. We like to play video games on the weekends. On the weekdays I am too tired from the job to do anything. Most days I go home and take a nap.

I had been at the Volunteer Pool site before for a program, so I already knew the place. I quite enjoy the farming job. It feels relaxing no matter what the job, even shovelling gravel. Just being here feels great. I like being among people. 

I am not very interested in higher education. I want to enter the workforce. I am not picky, I will do whatever I can get. I want a career, but I need to find out what I am good at. The market on Thursdays has been good for improving my customer service skills. I want to continue improving my skills through AYP.

Carrie

I’m Carrie Achneepineskum. I'm 17. I grew up in the city till I was four, and then I moved to Martin Falls. We moved back to Thunder Bay when I started grade 9 because my parents didn't want me to be alone. I had a great high school experience because I had amazing teachers and a guidance counselor. I especially like the Green Industries class with Ms. McLeod, where we did things like building a sweat lodge, greenhouse activities, and craft projects.

I heard of roots through my guidance counselor. I wasn't too hopeful about getting in so I was very pleasantly surprised when I got the call. I was looking forward to the hands-on work. I already knew some of the other participants which made me more excited.

I like the teamwork involved in this job. I like the passion and effort everyone puts into coming here each day. It makes it 10 times better to work. Something I want to take away from this job is the skills around working full time such as work ethics.

After UYFP I want to find another job. I want to work on building my resume, maybe around customer service because I enjoy giving back to others.

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