Christie Robbins is one of the inaugural Camosun College GVPF Award recipients and her story is one of resilience and inspiration.
She is enrolled in the Criminal Justice Department at Camosun’s School of Arts and Science and her goal is to become a victim services worker or probation officer.
Now 33 years old, and a single mother to a 12 year-old son, Christie’s family is from Alert Bay, though she was born and raised in Victoria. After high school, she landed a position in an Indigenous internship program with the provincial government, ultimately getting placed with the BC Prosecution Service. During that time, she worked with Crown Counsel on policy and how to better work with victims and witnesses in the criminal justice system.
While Christie found the work incredibly rewarding, she knew she would need to continue her education to earn more senior positions and to earn a salary that would allow her to provide her son with opportunities she didn’t have.
So, Christie started an Indigenous Studies program at Camosun over six years ago. She was flourishing and enjoying her work, but the abuse she suffered from intimate partner violence forced her to put her education on hold.
After leaving that relationship and getting back on her feet, she returned to Camosun in 2021, only to be diagnosed with lymphoma a few months later. She remained enrolled while commencing with chemotherapy treatment. Following 12 rounds of chemotherapy, she finished the semester, but was only able to pass two of her five classes.
Christie decided to take the next semester off to give herself time to rest and heal. She began to work as an outreach worker for the unhoused, a role she continues in part-time, now that she’s back at Camosun.
The financial support from the GVPF Award really helped, Christie said. “I applied everywhere, but only secured part-time work this summer. My son is in summer camp full-time, so I’ve picked up some housecleaning jobs to supplement my income. I can’t thank the GVPF and its donors enough for how much this has helped my son and me.”
There’s more to Christie’s story. We’ll have Part Two of “Meet Christie – GVPF Award Recipient” in our next newsletter.