When Holly McVea arrived at UNBC from Rocky Mountain House, a small town in west-central Alberta, she planned to stay only a few years to complete prerequisite courses for a pharmacy program. In the decade since, the University has become her foundation for a journey of scholarship, community engagement and leadership.
On May 29, the Métis scholar will become the first two-time Valedictorian in UNBC history.
After being selected for the distinction when she received her Bachelor of Science in Biology (Honours) in 2021, Holly will rise to deliver the Valedictorian address during Convocation’s ceremony two, after crossing the stage to receive her Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (Biology)..
“I’m honoured and somewhat still in disbelief to have this unique opportunity to speak on behalf of my classmates again, but this time through a more developed lens,” she says. “I hope to represent the Class of 2026 in a way that reflects the community and its growth. I hope to encourage my classmates to recognize how the advice and teachings from our instructors extend far beyond the classroom. That wisdom is transferrable to our everyday life, well-being and whatever comes next.”
Since arriving at UNBC in 2016, Holly has become deeply immersed in campus culture and governance, working across departments such as Student Life, Recruitment, the First Nations Centre, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives, the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, the Office of the Registrar, the Academic Success Centre and the Access Resource Centre. She has served as a Student Senator on UNBC’s Senate and a member of the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre’s Board of Directors. In addition to serving as President of the Northern Undergraduate Students Society, Holly has also served in executive roles for multiple student-led organizations and has helped welcome new students to campus as an Orientation Leader.
Looking back on her time at the University, one memory she returns to is a music and coffee house event held during her early days as an undergraduate.
“It was my first introduction to the UNBC community in a casual setting,” she explains. “I got to listen to both students and instructors performing, make some new friends and enjoy the start of the new chapter in my life.”
Holly received both the UNBC Graduate Entrance Award and the B.C. Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) UNBC Entrance Scholarship when she began the NRES Graduate program in 2022.
For the past year, she has balanced completing her master’s degree with serving as the Manager, Indigenous Services and Strategic Initiatives, overseeing both the University’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) and the First Nations Centre (FNC).
Her graduate research, conducted in partnership with Swan River First Nation, focuses on remediating industry-disturbed aquatic ecosystems through the reintroduction of native medicinal plants. Using a community-engaged and western science approach, her work is as much about ecological recovery as it is about cultural revitalization, creating sites where community members can reconnect with the land while practicing their ancestral language, ceremony and ways of knowing.
“To me, research is about more than actionable findings, it’s about supporting community priorities in a holistic way that’s respectful, accountable, and ultimately empowering,” she explains. “As a Métis woman, I have had to find my way in academic and institutional spaces that have not historically been designed to centre Indigenous voices. My research reflects a strong commitment to change that, supporting Indigenous self-determination and holistic wellness.”
As a scholar whose academic work has been inseparable from her service and commitment to community, Holly plans to focus solely on her role managing the OII & FNC after graduation.
Leading strategic projects that promote Indigenization and decolonization across curricula, policy, and procedures, she will continue to work alongside faculty, staff and community partners to integrate Indigenous perspectives into UNBC’s academic and operational framework.
“I have seen firsthand the supports this University creates and the profound impact those supports have on the lives of students and the broader community,” she says. “Over the past 10 years, UNBC has shaped who I am as a person, both personally and professionally, and has become my home. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to contribute to serving and empowering the community in this way.”