Inspiring Young Tahltans – Trisha McCreery

INSPIRING YOUNG TAHLTANS

Trisha McCreery

With a thirst for knowledge and a drive for excellence, Trisha McCreery has dedicated herself to becoming the best student she can be. She has always loved reading and has let this passion push her to higher levels of learning as she was recognized for having the top grade out of the students in her year in high school. This inspiring young Tahltan knows what it means to be studious and always dedicates herself to achieving academic excellence.

Trisha McCreery is a twenty-year-old Tahltan who is part of the Crow Clan and the Shoe Kawk family. Her parents are Juanita Jensen and Shane McCreery. Her Tahltan grandparents are Evelyn and Jim Jensen. She currently lives in Prince George, BC.

Reading has always been one of Trisha’s favourite pastime since she was six and would read books from the library to her father. Her interests developed to enjoy a variety of topics, but she has always loved reading about historical fiction, particularly diaries about Canadian history. She says that reading about people’s thoughts and experiences in a way that is fun and easily digestible is her favorite way to learn history since it makes it more understandable. All throughout grade school, Trisha achieved topgrades and strived to learn everything she could. Her favourite subjects through high school were English and math. She loved reading papers, understanding the argument within them and communicating it concisely, like the historical documents she loves to read. She also found satisfaction in solving difficult math problems and working through each step to come up with a clear solution. In grade twelve, she won an award for having the highest overall grade out of the students in her year which is a massive achievement that takes consistency and dedication over years of study.

It was not all school for Trisha though as she also played guitar and sang. Her musical interests varied as she played folk, country, and rock music at different venues around Prince George, including farmers markets.

After graduating high school, Trisha was accepted to the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) in Prince George and explored her interests in her first year by studying calculus, English, biology, First Nation studies and philosophy. In her second year, she entered the First Nation Studies program where she was able to learn more about her culture through her education and experiences in school. She has also applied to take a travelling knowledge program on the Isle of Man where she gets to work on language revitalization.

Throughout university Trisha achieved excellent marks and was invited to join the Golden Key International Honor Society where only the top fifteen percent of academics from her program receive an invite. She still achieves her goals, despite adversity, including having had her first two years of university online during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was a major challenge. She says that her classes are demanding and ensuring she has proper checklists and time management helps her stay organized.

Her advice for others pursuing their passion is to be easy on yourself, since learning or achieving any goal is a step-by-step process that takes time and effort. Trisha has worked hard for years to achieve academic success and continues to strive towards her educational goals.