A young member of the Williams Lake First Nation is pleased to be working as an intern for his community.
Having recently graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus with his bachelor of management, Dylan Sellars returned home in May for the one-year internship.
“It’s been a lot of learning and very busy,” he said of the position in which he is currently shadowing chief administrative officer Aaron Mannella.
“The Nation supported me so much from going to school and helping with hockey in any way that they could really so it was kind of my way of wanting to give back and get more involved in the community and help other kids do the same thing.”
Read More: New name for First Nations community near Williams Lake
Prior to returning to his hometown of Sugar Cane where most of his family on his mother’s side resides, Sellars said his graduation at UBC was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Willie Sellars, who was first elected as a band councillor in 2008 at the age of 23, is his cousin on his grandpa’s side.
“My grandpa Richard Sellars is his dad’s brother, and it’s pretty cool because my great grandpa was one of the longest running councillors,” he added. “I definitely have some good mentors to look up to.”
This is the first year the Williams Lake First Nation (WLFN) has been provided funding to host and mentor an intern through the First Nation Internship program, which is a partnership between Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) and Indigenous Services Canada.
Other First Nations receiving $55,000 in funding to host a First Nation government intern for a 12-month placement include the Takla Nation, Lytton First Nation and McLeod Lake Indian Band.
Interns are selected in partnership with the host communities through a typical recruitment and hiring process, noted NDIT.
Sellars said he hopes to continue working for the WLFN following his internship in May 2021.
Read More: Williams Lake First Nation signs partnership agreement with DWB Consulting Services Ltd
Do you have a comment about this story? email: rebecca.dyok@wltribune.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
