Amiel Hernandez

My Skills Journey 

Participating in my local skills club sparked my interest in baking and made me realize my love for it. It also allowed me to hone my baking skills. Competing in the territorial skills competition and at the Skills Canada National Competition improved my abilities to not only create wonderful desserts, but also to develop my time management and creativity skills. Even though I did not choose to pursue a career in the skilled trades, I continue to use the skills that I learned in my day-to-day life. 

Joining the National Alumni Committee 

After my last skills competition in 2015, I lost touch with my Skills Canada Nunavut team. After graduating high school, I decided to enter nursing school. Once I had completed my post-secondary education and started working as a nurse, I felt that I needed to go back and reconnect with activities that I enjoyed in the past. In 2023, I reached out to Skill Canada Nunavut to inquire about volunteering and to reconnect with the team. This is how I was presented the idea of being a part of the National Alumni Committee (NAC). 

I am looking forward to being able to share with the NAC all the developments and opportunities/programs that Skills Canada Nunavut has available for Nunavummiut youth to increase their interest and develop their skills in the trades. 

Overcoming Career Barriers 

One barrier that I overcame to achieve success in my career was learning how to address my imposter syndrome. I felt this strongly in my first year as a registered nurse. It wasn’t until my third year that I started to truly understand how dwelling on these feelings had affected my ability to be the best nurse that I could be.  

Since then, I have pushed myself to focus more on reframing my thoughts and embracing my individuality and using that to make a difference in my field. I have also reminded myself to regularly reflect on my experiences, and knowing the importance of acknowledging and validating these, and moving on. 

Proudest Moment 

So far, the proudest moment of my career was working through the COVID-19 pandemic as a new grad public health nurse. It was a very challenging time, yet I learned so many new things about my career and myself.