Prince George, B.C. – As the academic semester draws to a close, Bachelor of Health Sciences student Brooklyn Frank is reflecting on a positive first year of post-secondary learning and looking ahead to a career in medicine.

Frank chose to attend UNBC after receiving the UNBC Scholars Award for Caledonia Secondary School in Terrace. The University’s scholarship program recognizes students in northern B.C. and Yukon high schools for their outstanding achievements with a full tuition waiver for a bachelor’s degree. 

“My parents raised me to believe that I am capable of anything that I’m willing to work hard enough for,” says the 18-year-old, who is Nisga’a and Tahltan. “As an Indigenous woman, I think it’s very important for all Indigenous children to know their dreams and aspirations can become reality and I hope to model that for others.”

From her mother’s side, Frank is Ganada (Raven tribe) and belongs to the Wilp Ksim Xsaan House. During her childhood, she spent time visiting her parents’ home communities of Gitlaxt’aamiks and Telegraph Creek for cultural practices and seasonal food harvesting. Surrounded by nature and enjoying the views this past fall and winter, Frank has found UNBC’s Prince George campus to be a warm and welcoming environment.

“I did find that it took some time to adjust to new ways of learning, but I have enjoyed the challenge of adapting to the changes and persevering to maintain good grades,” says the 2024/25 UNBC Scholar. “A highlight has been seeing the results of my hard work pay off with A’s in my first semester courses.”

As she pursues a major in Biomedical Studies in her undergraduate degree, Frank has her sights set on becoming a physician.

“As the eldest child and grandchild in my family, I have always found joy in caring for and looking after others, and in high school I discovered a passion for medicine,” she says. “I am currently interested in practicing family medicine, although sports medicine and women’s health are also areas of interest for me. Supporting myself and giving back to my family has always been very important to me and becoming a physician is part of realizing that goal.”

As for next year, Frank is looking forward to exploring more extracurricular activities and undergraduate research opportunities. And viewing her long-term plans through the lens of this year’s learning has provided new insight.

“When I first decided that I wanted to become a doctor, I originally wanted to go south to a bigger city to study and pursue my career. Coming to UNBC quickly made me realize I love living in northern B.C.,” says Frank. “My plan now is to stay local – the shortage of healthcare professionals, the difficulty retaining physicians in the North and the new Ksyen Regional Hospital in Terrace have all made me realize I want to return home after medical school to be with my family and provide care to my community members.”