Internet high school helps mature students

Jacob Boucher is a Fort William First Nation member and is continuing the road to success by entering into his first year at Lakehead University.
Boucher is a recent graduate of the Keewaytinook Internet High School (KIHS) at Fort William First Nation. The 26-year-old was two credits away from graduating high school before deciding to take a break.
After being out of high school for a few years, Jacob realized it would benefit him to complete his Grade 12 high school diploma.
“I was not getting anywhere in life,” he said. “It was hard to find a job with no Grade 12.
I just wanted to get it done and do something with my life.”
So he took action and KIHS was a perfect fit.
“It was close to where I was living and it seemed like an easy atmosphere. The school was quiet. There weren’t a lot of students and we were actually able to get help. If the teacher at school was not available, we were able to phone teachers throughout Canada to get help,” he said.
Boucher explained that the school was fun. He was able to meet a lot of new people. The supportive atmosphere motivated him to continue forward as a post-secondary student.
His first post-secondary interest was an architectural college program before deciding to attend university. His decision to attend university came from excelling in his college preparation English courses. He wants to focus his studies in psychology because “I like listening to people. I always wondered why people think and talk the way they do. I am just interested in it.”
To help Jacob obtain his diploma he said he would study alone and study often. He focused on school and he changed some of his past activities and learned to create art to help him relax. He said the atmosphere at the college and cultural centre was positive and supportive.
Jacobs’s advice for people who have not completed high school is ‘its never too late.’
“If you want to do something in life just go ahead and do it.”