North Memorial teacher Brenda Myran's been named Manitoba's Aboriginal Educator of the Month for February 2017.

"I'm really honoured to receive the recognition," says Myran. "I'm from Long Plain First Nation and I started my education career there on the local school board, and I used to drive the local school bus out there. Then I had my young children and got really interested in the education system."

Myran can remember being desperate to attend school like her older siblings growing up. "As soon as I entered a residential school, I encountered racism and bigotry, which continued throughout my early and junior high school years. This came from some teachers, many peers, and even from my own people. I withdrew into myself and I would lose myself in books. However, I learned how to ignore these distractions and instead I stuck with my peers who were also experiencing these same things. We were each other's support."

She doesn't see that struggle as a starting point for her love of education.

"It was mostly my concern for my children and bettering the school out in Long Plain, and wanting to make the community school the best it could be. It was important that I be involved and provide them with the best education possible since my own children were attending."

The experience gave her the incentive to seek further education, even though she only had a Grade 10 education, and moved away to enrol in University. She surprised herself by doing well in her studies and went on to complete a degree as well and the another one. She says things changed once she got up in front of her first classroom.

"It was incredible. I remember my own children were pretty small, and that Grade 1 class was pretty well every teacher's worst nightmare," laughs Myran. "I had so many high needs kids in there that I was just overwhelmed as a brand new teacher. I think if I may have had any other option I would have quit that year, but I didn't. I just couldn't quit on them, after a while I cared so much for them I couldn't leave. I stuck with it, lost a lot of weight that year because of the stress and the worry about what I was trying to do with the kids, and asking if I was doing enough? Is there something more I could do? Where can I find other resources? This one needs help at home with this, it was just overwhelming."

Now Myran continues to teach with enthusiasm and encourages anyone interested in education to go for it.