Shauna Underwood

Shauna is Coast Salish from the Tsawout Band in WSÁNEĆ and a member of the Samish Tribe in Washington with roots from the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho. She is the Indigenous Advisor for the Faculty of Human and Social Development where she provides academic advising, emotional support and advocacy to Indigenous students in HSD.

Navigating through the university can be overwhelming at times and she helps students succeed by being available to provide that extra support they may need. She has one daughter and three sons and is a traditional person who values her culture. She practises her Coast Salish and Nez Perce culture every day and believe this has helped her succeed throughout her educational journey.

My educational journey that brought me to where I am today started with enrolling in the First Nation’s Family Support Worker Program at Camosun College. I wanted to make a difference in the lives of Indigenous people. During that program, I realized that I wanted to continue my education and took the Community, Family, and Child Studies diploma program which brought me to into Child and Youth Care. In 2013, I received my degree in Child and Youth Care at the University of Victoria with a specialization in child protection.