Bringing her education home: Darian’s path to continuing care

Category: Cost of Living Supports

A collage photo with two photos. The photo on the left is a woman wearing blue scrubs, a mask and glasses. The second photo is a family photo of a mom, four kids and dad sitting on their couch. They're all in matching pajamas.

Darian says her family kept her going and motivated her to continue her studies, even when it was difficult.

Finding her calling through care

Darian B. is a Mi’kmaw mother of four from We’koqma’q. She first attended NSCC to study Plumbing at Pictou Campus, graduating in 2015. When she was unable to find work in the trade near home, Darian became a home support worker and had the privilege of caring for her grandmother, who had been diagnosed with dementia.

Over the next six years, Darian and her colleagues pursued additional training to better understand dementia. Through caring for her grandmother, Darian discovered a career that drew on her love of helping others. After her grandmother passed away in April 2025, Darian applied to NSCC’s Continuing Care program at Strait Area Campus.

“I didn’t realize she inspired my career as a CCA,” says Darian. “She gave me my career path and my love for it all.”

Returning to NSCC together

Returning to school as a mature student left Darian feeling “petrified.” Attending the program required her to leave work, spend more time away from her children and commute from We’koqma’q to Port Hawkesbury each day.

Darian entered the program alongside her cousin and two sisters-in-law, who had also worked with her in home care. As Mi’kmaq speakers and mothers balancing similar responsibilities, they helped one another navigate coursework, language differences and family life.

“We kept each other afloat, on track and in order,” says Darian. “I’m truly grateful I got to experience school with them every day.”

Darian especially enjoyed learning about dementia and how the disease can change a person’s understanding and communication. She also volunteered at an NSCC open house, sharing her classroom and lab experience with prospective students.

Support that helped her stay in school

Partway through the program, a delay in Darian’s employment insurance benefits created significant financial pressure. With four children at home and daily transportation and food costs, she began considering leaving the program. An NSCC employee connected her with the donor-funded Mi’kmaw and Indigenous Student Immediate Needs Fund.

The support helped Darian pay for gas and lunch each day, making it possible to continue commuting to campus while meeting her family’s needs.

“I was so grateful that I didn’t have to quit and put my career on hold,” she says. “If I had quit at that time, I don’t think I would have gone back.”

Access to the Immediate Needs Fund and the Sisters of Saint Martha Antigonish Award also made Darian feel seen as a Mi’kmaw woman. The support encouraged her to continue challenging stereotypes and building a future through education and employment.

Caring for her community

After graduating in 2026, Darian returned to her previous employer in We’koqma’q with expanded skills and the ability to provide more comprehensive care. As a Mi’kmaq speaker, she can also help clients communicate and feel understood in health-care settings.

“I’m taking all my education back to my community,” says Darian. “I’m grateful for my community. I’m bringing everything back home.”

Darian hopes donors understand what their support made possible for her as a 31-year-old mother of four. It helped her complete her education, build the career inspired by her grandmother and show her children that dreams can be pursued at any age.

“Don’t just dream. Make it happen,” she says. “Take the chance and better your own life.”

Supporting Mi’kmaw and Indigenous students at NSCC

Thanks to donors to Rapid Response, NSCC’s Indigenous Student Support Program supports students like Darian through the Mi’kmaw and Indigenous Student Immediate Needs Fund.

Learn more about how you can support students like Darian this Season of Giving, by donating to Rapid Response today or contacting NSCC Foundation.

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