Jasmin Glaw brings community and connection to students

Jasmin Glaw, Indigenous Student Life Coordinator, is the recipient of the Community Contribution award at in SFU’s 2023 Staff Achievement Awards. She has been recognized for her outstanding and tireless work in supporting students at the Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) across the Surrey and Burnaby campuses.

“Jasmin nindizhinikaaz, nindibendaagoz Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, wawashkeshi nindoodem. Hamilton ON nindonjibaa gaye Surrey BC nindaa. Nindananoki niswi-pibon gabegikendaasogamigong Simon Fraser wiiji-Indigenous Student Centre,” she says in introduction. Glaw is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and belongs to the deer clan. Her journey has taken her from Hamilton, Ontario to Surrey, BC, where she has lived since 2020.

At SFU’s Surrey campus, Glaw is one of the key points of contact for Indigenous students. "A lot of my work is demystifying and lessening barriers for students navigating university life," she explains. By offering insights into the resources available both within and outside the university, she helps students find the supports they need to succeed.

Glaw’s commitment to her role is deeply personal. She recalls the difficulties she faced in understanding and accessing the resources available to her during her own undergraduate experience. "I struggled financially, spiritually, and often felt I lacked a sense of community within such a large institution," she shares. This experience motivated her to develop an approach rooted in curiosity and flexibility, ensuring that our current students have the best guidance possible.

One of Glaw’s proudest achievements at SFU was organizing the Indigenous Market at the Burnaby campus in 2022. “The purpose of the Indigenous Market was to bring the gifts of local Indigenous artists, makers and entrepreneurs to the SFU Burnaby campus, as well as to create greater awareness of Indigenous styles of making (both traditional and contemporary), entrepreneurship and community support,” says Glaw.

This event was part of the National Indigenous Peoples Month activations that the ISC coordinated in partnership with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Association (FNMISA) with the support of the Office for Aboriginal Peoples (OAP) and the Department of Indigenous Studies. "As a self-taught artist myself, it was such an amazing opportunity to connect with peers within the Indigenous arts community and also bring this experience to the non-Indigenous community at SFU," Glaw recalls.

Since moving from the SFU Burnaby campus to the Surrey campus in August 2022, Glaw has felt a growing acknowledgment for the student support and engagement she helps to facilitate across campuses. Receiving the Community Contribution award demonstrates this appreciation of her approach and work. "This recognition instilled a greater sense of connections with my peers from across each of the SFU campuses and a deeper awareness of the impacts of the work that I do alongside my team at the ISC," she says.

Glaw’s dedication of time and energy to giving back to her community embodies SFU’s priority of making a difference to our province. Outside of her professional duties, Glaw stays connected to the Indigenous community through workshops and events. She explains, "This helps me feel grounded and also in a good position to create greater connections for me and for Indigenous students.”

Glaw’s advice to students, staff, and her team? "Don’t be afraid to be creative. Always weave your values and authenticity into the work that you do.”