Meet 1 of 9 Indigenous grandmothers earning a master's at Laurier

VivianTimminswill walkacross the stage in atraditional regaliaduring her convocation on Friday at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ont.

Timmins, 55,is one of nine Indigenous grandmothers to receive her Master of Social Work,IndigenousField of Study this year.

She said she's wearing the regalia to send a message.

"It's all about empowering myself and reclaiming what was taken from me and saying 'I'm here, this is me and nobody could change me,'" she said.

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Her journey to earn a master's degreestartedwhen she became a grandmother andheld her newborn granddaughterfor the first time.

"That's when I really started looking at my life and saying 'Okay, what do I want here?'"saidTimmins,who overcame personal strugglesas a result of being a residential school survivor.

"I questioned a lot of things when I held my granddaughter and I said 'There's changes I have to do for her sake.' I want to be a positive role model in her life."

'I have no regrets'

Earning her master's degree was a seven-year quest, Timminssaid. She started bygettinga second college diplomain 2010 and then a bachelor's degree. In 2014, she entered the master's program atLaurier.

"It turned out to be a good decision and I have no regrets," she said. "It took some time away from my family but with their support I was able to do it."

Having other Indigenous women at the same point in their lives studying alongside herwas was uplifting, she said.

"It showed that I wasn't the only one that decided to go back to school at a later time in life," she added. "It proved to me to be a leader byexample."

Not done with school yet

Timminssaid she is looking to continue her education, possibly a Ph.D..

In the mean time, she is going to keep working as an emotional support worker for residential school survivors and their families.

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On FridayTimmins' family, including the granddaughter who originally inspired her,will be cheering for her as she walks across the stage to receive her degree.