Antonia Kandiurin pursues medicine to make a difference in healthcare for her community.
Antonina Kandiurin says finding out she was accepted into the Max Rady College of Medicine was a bittersweet and overwhelming experience. Kandiurin, who was surrounded by her family back home in Churchill, Manitoba, says she was grateful to have an outpouring of love from her family, friends and wider community.
“It’s very exciting, not only for myself or my family but also for my community,” says Kandiurin. “I was really glad that I had my family there to celebrate with me.”
The journey to this moment wasn't always easy. Kandiurin recalls that when she first arrived at the University of Manitoba, she struggled to see herself as an Indigenous woman in academia. Having never met anyone who looked like her following the same path, she often felt isolated.
Despite these challenges, she persevered to complete her Bachelor of Kinesiology—Athletic Therapy degree in 2020. Throughout those years of "doubt and failure," she relied on the unwavering belief of her family and the communities of Churchill and York Factory, who she says invested deeply in her dreams.
While the celebration was joyour, it was also difficult becuase it was missing Kandiurin's number one supporter, her grandmother, Mary Ann Sinclair, who had passed away earlier in the year. Kandiurin says that when she completed her Bachelor of Kinesiology—Athletic Therapy degree in 2020, the first thing she did when she returned to Churchill was give her grandmother her grad cap.
"She was just so happy I was home and staying," says Kandiurin. "But she kept asking when I was going to be a doctor."
In one of their final conversations, Kandiurin made a promise to her grandmother: "No matter what, I'm going to be a doctor."
The promise was fueled by more than just personal ambition. Kandiurin says one of the driving forces behind her desire to get into medicine is seeing her grandmother, other family members, and the community struggle in the healthcare system.
"I think it's important for me to acknowledge those family members who have come before me and put me in place and have given me the privilege to make change for other people," she says. Kandiurin hopes to show others in her community and other northern youth that university success is possible.
“It’s important to have somebody that looks like them and has similar experiences as them, for them to be able to see they can do it too,” says Kandiurin.
For Kandiurin, it’s not just about going into medicine but also about giving back to a community that gave her so much. She says it’s important to go back and talk with youth, share your story, and be open about it.
As she prepares to return to Winnipeg this for the Fall 2024 term, Kandiurin feels a sense of peace she didn't have during her undergraduate years. She feels rested, reconnected to her roots and ready for the rigours of medical school.
"I know that I have classmates with me who have similar experiences, and many of the other Indigenous students in the upper years," she says. "I feel a lot more grounded in knowing that there are role models who have gone through medical school and are doing amazing things."
By stepping into this role herself, Kandiurin hopes to be the representation she once went looking for—showing northern youth that university success is not just possible, but within their reach.
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