Larace Osika knew from a young age that she wanted to work in a school setting.
And though her career path veered in a different direction than she had originally planned, the Flin Flonner is right where she wants to be.
Osika has been the community connector and snack program coordinator at Ruth Betts Community School for the past three years and continues to enjoy every day of it.
She works closely with students, children and parents from the community in the school’s Family Room.
The Family Room is open to parents for support, offering them an opportunity to meet other parents and have their children spend time together doing crafts and playing.
“I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher when I was younger,” Osika said. “And it’s kind of in that same mindset, being with kids and families.”
Osika chose a career path at an early age after finding a role model in her aunt, a kindergarten teacher.
“She would pick me up in the summertime and take me on trips to BC,” she said. “I think having that person in my life made me the way I am. I wanted to follow in her footsteps and work with kids and families.”
As for her reason for not pursuing teaching, Osika said with a chuckle, “I think it was the amount of schooling I would have to take.”
However, she would end up being no stranger to the classroom, as she was an educational assistant for a few years at Ruth Betts before accepting her current position.
A born-and-bred Flin Flonner, Osika attended Ruth Betts as an elementary school student.
“So it makes it extra special that I work here,” she said.
Easy transition
It was an easy transition for Osika from her previous jobs to her current position of community connector and snack program coordinator.
Before she worked in classrooms as an educational assistant, she was employed at various daycares in the community.
Osika worked at Kiddie Korner Daycare for nearly nine years before deciding to continue her education.
She attended Red River College in Winnipeg to earn her early childhood education certificate.
“I always knew I wanted to work with kids,” she said. “And being there [at Kiddie Korner] kind of promoted it.”
Once Osika was back in Flin Flon, she continued working at Kiddie Korner before accepting a position with the Aboriginal Head Start program at the Flin Flon Aboriginal Friendship Centre.
At the time, she and her husband, who have now been married for 12 years, were preparing to welcome their first son into the world.
Their first born is now 10 years old and in Grade 5 at École McIsaac School. The family later welcomed a second son, who is now five and attends kindergarten at McIsaac.
Outside of her immediate family, Osika spends time each year with her father and enjoying a favourite pastime together.
“I love fishing and being outdoors and I go bird hunting with my dad all the time,” she said. “I just started [going] with my dad the last couple of years. He would go every year in Alberta. I just like being outdoors with my dad. It’s not necessarily about shooting birds; it’s just being out there.”
Outdoor living extends past hunting with her father, as Osika and her husband own a fly-in fishing lodge in northern Saskatchewan, roughly 50 kilometres from the Northwest Territories border.
Nearly 10 years ago, the couple purchased an old outpost camp and built onto it. They gear their business toward American tourists throughout the summer months.
Because Osika works in a school, she often doesn’t visit the camp until the end of June.
“When I’m done work, sometimes I go up for a couple weeks and help cook and clean cabins,” she said.
Fishing is a true love for Osika and her husband. They are able to share that pastime with roughly 30 anglers each year.
Sense of community
Osika spent her childhood days running around the streets of Flin Flon and beaches like Phantom Lake.
“I always remember being outside,” she recalls. “My mom would send us outside in the morning and say, ‘Go out and play and don’t come home until supper.’ I think that’s how it was with a lot of families from my generation. You just spent all day outside.”
Some of Osika’s favourite memories lead to what she likes most about the Flin Flon area.
“I guess it’s the sense of the community,” she said. “You’re outside all the time and everyone took care of you and looked after you. Everyone pulls together.”
Since beginning work in the Ruth Betts Family Room, Osika continues to see the generosity of Flin Flon.
“My program is all funded through donations, and just seeing that and some of our parents [putting time in] shows the sense of community,” she said.
Between her work and family life, Osika says she has had a hard time fitting in volunteer work.
But she is looking forward to being able to help her community more in the future.
“I’d like to do more,” Osika said.
