SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
How Saskatchewan Polytechnic helped one alum weave a new path in community service

For Storm Night, life has always been about finding light in dark places.

A member of the Saulteaux First Nation, Night grew up in foster care, moving between multiple homes before finding a measure of stability. Those early years were filled with uncertainty and longing for family, for belonging and for a sense of who she was.

Image credit: Saskatchewan Polytechnic

"Growing up in foster care, I didn't really understand what family' meant," she says. "Now, as a mom, I make sure my son never feels that kind of instability. He knows that if he needs me, I'm there no matter what."

As a child, Night often wondered who her real parents were. Shuffled between foster homes, she carried unanswered questions that no one seemed willing or able to explain. "I was six years old and people would ask why I had foster parents. I didn't even know myself," she says. That lack of connection of not knowing her roots stayed with her for years and shaped the person she would become.

In her early teens, Night began searching for her biological family, hoping to find the answers she had longed for. But reconnecting came with heartbreak. "I just wanted a mom," she says. "I wanted that motherly figure so badly." When she learned that her parents and extended family were struggling with addiction, the reunion was painful and confusing. "I thought I was going home to family, but what I found was chaos," she recalls. "I was pulled into that world because I didn't understand what I was walking into. I just wanted to belong."

The instability of foster care and the trauma of reconnecting with a family caught in addiction led Night down a difficult path. She dropped out of school, faced legal trouble and fell into addiction herself. But even in her darkest moments, a spark of determination remained the desire to have a different kind of life.

By 18, she faced a turning point. Continue down a dangerous path or start over, she chose to start over. Education became her focus. Determined to change her story, Night enrolled in the Adult 12 program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, completing her high school education with a newborn baby son.

"That program saved me," she says. "The instructors saw potential in me when I couldn't see it in myself. They supported me through everything, my past, my struggles with addiction and being a new parent. They made me believe I could actually do this."

It was one of her advisors who first suggested pursuing post-secondary education. Night laughs remembering her reaction: "I thought, Me? College? I barely finished high school!' But they told me about programs that might fit and that's how I found Justice Studies."

At the time, Night's decision to enter the Aboriginal Police Preparation program (now part of the Justice Studies program) surprised even her. "I was raised to hate police, to hate the system. That's what I grew up hearing. So when I chose to study law enforcement, my family didn't understand. They thought I was crazy and didn't support me," she says. "But for me, it was about breaking that cycle and showing my son that he could choose a different life."

At Sask Polytech, Night found a new kind of family. Her instructors challenged her to think critically, encouraged her to grow and gave her the tools to succeed. "Their main goal was to make sure we did it right, that we understood justice wasn't just about law enforcement, it was about compassion, service and accountability," she says.

During her studies, Night faced more personal loss: the passing of her biological mother and later her sister, both to addiction. Each time, she leaned on her classmates, mentors and her son for strength. "My friends wouldn't let me give up," she recalls. "They'd say, Just show up, keep pushing. Even if you can't do the work today, just be here.' That support got me through."

Night graduated with both the Aboriginal Police Preparation certificate as well as the new Justice Studies diploma, becoming the first in her family to earn a post-secondary credential. "It felt surreal," she says. "I was the first to do it, the first to change that storyline."

Today, Night works with the Saskatoon Fire Department as a Fire Community Support Officer in Hall 1, a role that blends public safety, outreach and cultural connection. She spends her days responding to wellness checks, supporting people in crisis and connecting community members to resources, treatment or cultural supports.

"It's a full-circle moment," she says. "I did my practicum with this same team when I was a student. Back then, my mom had just passed away and I almost didn't finish. Now I'm here, helping people who are in the same place I once was."

Night's lived experience gives her a deep empathy for those she serves. "I know what it feels like to be on the other side, to feel lost, to need someone just to listen. That's why I do what I do. I want people to see there's hope. That someone cares."

Night also shares her story with new police recruits, teaching compassion through lived experience. "My son tells his friends, My mom teaches police how to be better,'" she laughs. "That's exactly what I'm trying to do to help bridge understanding between communities and the people who serve them."

Night's story is one of perseverance, healing and transformation, a journey from instability to leadership. Her motivation, she says, will always be her son.

"When I had him, I looked at him and thought, This cycle ends with me.' The addiction, the abuse, the pain, not knowing your family. It stops here! My son is growing up with stability, with culture and with love. He's proud of me. And that's everything."

From foster care to community safety, Night has turned her hardships into purpose. Night credits her training at Sask Polytech. Through education, she didn't just change her own life, she's helping build a safer, stronger and more compassionate community for everyone.

Learn more about the Justice Studies program.