Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Oki, my name is Beth Grier and my Blackfoot name is Sooyii Taa Pa Akii (Water Woman/Mermaid). I am a member of the Piikani Nation, also known as Brocket, Alberta. I grew up in Scotch (Scotts) Coulee halfway between Brocket and Fort Macleod. I attended Grades 3 - 12 in Fort Macleod where I played rugby and the clarinet. I graduated from F.P. Walshe School in 2011. I am the oldest of five siblings and come from a very proud ULethbridge Alumni family (three generations). My grandparents (Grandma - Bachelors of Nursing, Grandpa (combined degree BA/BBA), Mom (BA Indigenous Studies), myself, and now I have two sisters who currently attend ULethbridge, one who is ULethbridge mentor and working towards a BA (History) and a BEd and one working towards a BFA - New Media who also works in Agility. My dad and brother are Lethbridge Polytechnic alumni and my baby sister is in Grade 11 at F.P. Walshe School. Since I was 15, I worked in my community in Piikani either planning events, activities, summer camps and family activities trying to find my passion. I started at Lethbridge College and changed my mind a couple of times on my major before settling on what I was really interested in. I completed a year in upgrading and electives, then applied into the Bachelors of Nursing program. I graduated and worked through Covid, which was a unique experience. After graduating, I worked as an ER Nurse, Homecare Nurse and Community Health Nurse. I did ultimately decide to take a break from nursing and try something new and different, which led me to apply for the Indigenous Recruitment Officer position. I made the position my own by being able to use my creativity and passion for my culture to refocus Indigenous Recruitment to prioritize relationship building and established "Iniskim Future Students Day" (IFSD)! This past summer, I switched into the Local Recruitment role and was more than happy to welcome another Indigenous staff member to fill my previous role. I am currently planning the 2026 Iniskim Future Students Day and other future events for the local territory.
How long have you been at ULethbridge and what do you do here?
I started in March 2023, we have a team of eight recruitment officers and our manager. Recruitment is so much more than standing at a table or walking around campus. A big part of the job is strategically looking at our territories and assessing what the needs and priorities are in the different areas. My area is local recruitment, so I look at the key elements for each community, other post-secondary institutions and what they offer, distance between home and school, and helping students see what they can be and do at ULethbridge. For my campus tours, I usually try and personalize the tour to each prospective student to make sure they are getting the most out of their visits, especially if they are coming from places far away. For advising, I usually let the prospective student lead the way and then help them find the right path forward, including how to be set up for success, and building a relationship that fosters trust and connection so they feel comfortable coming to me for help or direction. The recruitment team's main events are Open House and Iniskim Future Students Day, but we also support other events like Ahead of the Herd, NSO and Convocation.
What's the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is seeing a light turn on in a student's eyes when they have realized this is the right school for them. I really enjoy helping students navigate the school and being the person they trust to come to if they are having troubles or need advice, and seeing them thrive here. I always encourage students to be their genuine selves, I know it can be scary but this leads to a much better experience by following their passions, finding their friends, and pushing themselves to step out of their comfort zone and try new things. As a very proud alumna, having the passion and ambition to create and plan new events that focus on prospective students to see how great University of Lethbridge is also a wonderful part of my job.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my family; we do a lot of things all together from craft nights, game nights, bowling, movie marathons and DIY projects to vacations. I enjoy painting and drawing; I recently started bullet journaling. I enjoy reading but especially like writing my own stories, I even made a couple stories to help potty train my baby sister when she was little. I also have a seven-year-old St. Bernard/Pitbull named Chewie (Chewbacca) Darling Grier and I love spending time with her The best part of my day is when she reaches out for me to hold hands with her. I am a very big fan of the Mouse, so I am always planning my next Disney trip.