My name is Véronique St-Jean and I am a school social worker in the Sudbury region and a member of the Youth Expert Panel for Future North. 

Growing up I was always hesitant to express my identity as an Indigenous youth. I always felt like I had to keep it a secret. It was something I struggled with until the pandemic hit, where I felt like I could slow down and truly learn about my roots and express myself within my culture. It is why I am so passionate about helping our youth in Sudbury, grow within our community. In our teachings, we are always taught that it is important for many reasons such as, coming together for ceremony, for mourning, for celebration, for gratitude, for harvest, for support, for everything. Therefore, I hope to continue growing our sense of community so that the future generations feel safe, included and welcomed within Sudbury. 

It is a privilege to be able to hear youth out and implement changes within our community at such a young age. By working with Future North, I hope to be able to keep making those impactful changes for the future generations to come.