Jennifer Martinac of Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College

Jennifer Martinac is a student at Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College and in the spring of 2025 enrolled in the course Anishinaabe Values and Philosophies. At the beginning of the semester, Jennifer’s instructor noted that she experienced significant anxiety about the weekly homework assignments, which involved creating visual representations of Anishinaabe values and philosophies. Despite these challenges, Jennifer regularly attended weekly office hours to seek guidance and support. With encouragement and continued effort, Jennifer demonstrated a deep and thoughtful understanding of Anishinaabe values and philosophies. She showed perseverance, commitment to her learning, and a strong desire to succeed. As a result of her hard work, Jennifer earned a high grade in the course. Jennifer shared that her success was due to both her own motivation and the support the instructor provided throughout the semester. Jennifer also shared that she intends to continue living mino-bimaadiziwin, the good life, by following the Seven Grandfathers’ teachings and sharing these values with her family.