Work term provides student with diverse learning experience

University of Regina student Jacob Tedla recently completed a summer work term at SaskEnergy — and it was hardly par for the course! 

A highlight of his term? Getting to take part in the Grand Entry of Piapot First Nation’s powwow in August!

“Taking part in the Grand Entry made me feel special,” Jacob says. “It was kind of intimidating because I haven’t had a chance to experience the culture this way. The biggest takeaway I got was how welcoming and warm the community was.”

While Jacob was part of our information technology team for the summer, the Business Administration student sought opportunities to job shadow with other teams in the company. This included a couple of days spent in our finance and communications departments. 

He also asked to spend time with SaskEnergy’s Indigenous Engagement team. With them, he sat in on meetings and participated in a pipe ceremony for one of our gas line projects. This also led to his attending the powwow.

“I have to commend Jacob for taking it upon himself to learn about how SaskEnergy engages with Indigenous communities,” says Joseph Daniels, Director of Indigenous Engagement.

While Jacob’s term has ended and he has returned to university, he is glad to have learned so much at SaskEnergy.

“It was a good experience, and I’m grateful for all the teams that took the time to plan and get me involved,” says Jacob. “Everyone treated me with respect and planned their day out to make me feel welcome.”