Terrace, B.C. - Preparations for the fall semester and a return to the classroom have a special significance for Terri Wilkinson this September.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Education degree from UNBC’s Northwest campus in Terrace in June, Wilkinson will be a teacher, rather than student, when classes resume for the 2025-2026 school year.

For several years before crossing the stage at the R.E.M Lee Theatre to receive her degree, the local resident and mother of two had already been a steady presence in classrooms in Coast Mountains School District 82.

“I worked as an Education Assistant for four years and wanted to take the next step in my career,” says Wilkinson. “In high school, I dreamed of becoming a PE teacher, so teaching has always been in the back of my mind. Having the program offered here in Terrace made all the difference for me.”

As a busy parent who needed to remain close to her support network, she says the UNBC’s Bachelor of Education (BEd) - Regional program helped to make her dream a reality.

“Without a local option, I simply wouldn’t have been able to take this step,” she says, adding: “I think it’s so important for smaller communities to have access to quality post-secondary programs like this one – it opens doors for people who might otherwise never get the chance.”

With her background as an Education Assistant, Wilkinson was already attuned to student support, but the BEd program helped expand and deepen her foundation into curriculum design, assessment and day-to-day instructional planning.

The 20-month program’s emphasis on place-based, experiential learning means teacher candidates participate in a number of local practicum placements over the course of five semesters, building their practical skills with guidance and support.

“I really valued those opportunities to see first-hand the kind of planning and preparation teachers put into their work every day,” she says. “I feel much more confident and ready to head into a teaching role because of those experiences.”

Wilkinson’s readiness is translating into action as she moves directly into her new career. She has accepted a full-time position in her home community, teaching Grade 8 at Skeena Middle School.

Community was a cornerstone of her experience at UNBC, one that took root during her studies and continues to grow as Wilkinson prepares to enter her classroom this fall.

Selected as class speaker, she reflected on the strong sense of community that developed among her cohort during the graduation celebration. From births and engagements to personal losses and triumphs, she highlighted connections that went far beyond learning.

“We’re a community,” Wilkinson told her classmates. “We’re the future teachers of the North. We have made it.”

Now, as the graduates step into schools across the North, that spirit of connection carries forward – a network of new teachers committed to uplifting their communities and one another.