Tyrell Bird dropped out of high school 6 times. Now he wants to help others fall in love with learning

It started with a promise to his grandmother. 

Tyrell Bird told her that he would finish high school, and it wasn't easy, but he did it in 2017. 

"I do it for her. I do it for myself. I do it for a better tomorrow," Bird said. 

Today he's a proud graduate of the University of Manitoba with a bachelor of arts and is preparing to help others fall in love with learning as he works to become a teacher. 

The 24-year-old from Black River First Nation, about 160 kilometres north of Winnipeg, said his grandmother Grace died of lung cancer when he was still young but was always a source of inspiration.

"She talked me through all my anxieties. She was my biggest rock in those first few years."

Bird said he dropped out of school "about six times" as he struggled to handle agoraphobia (an extreme fear of open spaces) and the intergenerational trauma stemming from his grandfather's experience in residential school. 

"I didn't think that I'd even make it, to be honest," he said. 

Enrolled in alternative school

But things shifted when he started attending Pembina Trails Alternative High School in Winnipeg, a school that helps youth struggling in traditional schools. 

Ian Smith, now retired, taught Bird in high school and remembers how angry he was. 

"He was mad. There were times I was sure he wanted to punch me," Smith said. 

Bird admits, "I was a bit mean to him when I first attended." 

There was the culture shock of moving to Winnipeg, multiple deaths in his family and his own mental health struggles, but Bird said what got him through was the "pure love and support of my family, my friends [and] my work colleagues."

Bird said Smith, and Smith's wife, are like "a second set of parents." He added that Smith helped him cultivate his creativity (Bird makes music and has self-published a book of poetry) and credits Smith with inspiring him to pursue his own career as a teacher. 

Now he plans to return to Pembina School District as part of his practicum for his studies in the Faculty of Education, and hopes to work there as a teacher once he graduates. 

"I just want every student to have what I had," Bird said.

Smith and his wife attended Bird's recent university graduation ceremony, which the couple described as an emotional experience. 

Smith said he's gratified to know he inspired Bird, especially since he believes that teachers are on the frontline of reconciliation.

More Indigenous teachers needed

Smith said over the final years of his own career he realized there was a lot that the school system could have done differently with Indigenous students — and he hopes having more teachers like Bird will improve things. 

"I realized that very little of what we did in school reflected [First Nations students] and their experiences and certainly didn't didn't do very much to validate them," Smith said. 

He's hopeful that Bird will be able to use his experiences to help other students.

"We need people like him who lived it, who have experienced it and can speak to it in a way that I could never," he said. 

During his studies Bird worked for Heather Morris, director of student advocacy and case management at the university, helping students navigate difficult academic and personal situations. 

"Oftentimes students who contact our office are under a lot of stress… [and Tyrell] just has a very calm and gentle approach," Morris said.

She said Bird's background has helped him understand the struggles of other students, and his perspective has benefited the office as a whole. 

Bird plans to graduate with a degree in education in 2025.