MHC welcomes new Manager of Indigenous Engagement & Student Support
Janice Randhile is a connector. She prides herself on her ability to make those around her feel at home by providing them with the support and guidance they need. These qualities will serve her well in her new role as Manager of Indigenous Engagement and Student Supports at Medicine Hat College (MHC).
Trading in the mountains to live amongst the coulees, Janice is coming to Medicine Hat from Calgary, where she worked as a family information liaison worker with the Government of Alberta, helping families of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples. Providing a wrap-around approach to support, she ensured they had everything they needed to navigate systems while feeling holistically supported. As she begins to work with students, she hopes to apply this same approach, creating a safe place that feels like home.
“I think now is the time to transition over to something just as rewarding and a little lighter so that I can really focus on the encouragement pieces…helping the students moving through those parts of their lives when it may feel difficult, but also celebrating the good things that happen in their life,” says Janice.
While she is moving to Medicine Hat for the first time, she is no stranger to MHC. Over the past few years, Janice has supported MHC’s reconciliation initiatives. In 2023, she accompanied Elders Charlie and Dan Fox in leading Indigenous Education training sessions for staff. She also spoke at MHC’s annual May 5th event for the Red Dress Day bringing awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirited peoples in 2024.
Working in the Indigenous Engagement and Student Supports office alongside Student Support Specialist, Nicki Eastly, Janice is committed to building on current activity, while ensuring the college feels welcoming for those who may be connecting with their culture for the first time.
“When I worked with the Family Information Liaison Unit at the Government of Alberta, one of the biggest things that was important to us was cultural safety and being trauma informed. That is very important when we're working with diverse groups of people and when we are looking at the student population here, I feel like it's vital for others to understand our experience and what continues to be our experience.”
Recognizing that students may be experiencing intergenerational shame because of residential schools, she hopes to help them overcome barriers and begin to find the beauty in their culture. She feels the best way to let go of the cultural shame is by participating and engaging in ceremonies, sitting with the Elders, and asking questions.
“I've always been taught that there's no dumb question,” says Janice. “It's okay to not know and it's also a step towards learning about yourself, understanding your lineage, understanding where your people come from. Some of that stuff might have been lost, because it wasn't passed on, but seeking out those that might know, like your community, and just knowing that this is a safe place to learn or just come and be a part of the things.”
She speaks from her own lived experience, thinking about a time she too wasn’t proud of her culture, until she got to know it.
“I wasn't very proud of my Indigeneity because of what I experienced as a younger person. But, as I got older, once I saw the beauty of the culture, like the kindness, the love, the compassion, that was when I was like, oh my gosh. All the things that I was told was not true. I know now that I am a strong woman, that I'm a beautiful Indigenous woman that has many gifts to give, to offer, to provide to those that when they're seeking.”
In addition to providing a safe place for students to connect with their identity, Janice also hopes to be a resource for those who want to learn how to move towards reconciliation.
Janice will be attending Indigenous events during the summer, starting with the Siksika Nation Fair, and plans to host presentations throughout the region. If you’re interested in having her team come to an event or host a presentation, please contact Janice at jrandhile@mhc.ab.ca.