For Hannah and Holly Wright, deciding to stay close to home for post-secondary schooling was both the most logically-sound choice, and the one that made the most emotional sense. It meant staying in a region and a community where they already had strong roots and building a stronger future on that foundation. It also meant staying home on the ranch they grew up on south of Lloydminster, helping their family with chores and staying connected to their younger siblings.

Holly, who is in her third year of the university transfer’s (UT) community-based bachelor of education program through the University of Calgary, says, “I spent every morning with my dad doing chores and helping out with calving. I’m able to ranch and train colts and get a full education as well. Being the oldest sibling, it’s nice not to miss out on being part of my younger siblings’ childhood.”

In the UT community-based education program, Holly is able to complete her studies on Lakeland’s Lloydminster campus while earning her degree through the University of Calgary. She spends a few weeks in Calgary each summer and the rest of the time at home.

“I’ve known I wanted to teacher since Grade 6. It’s nice because Hannah and I both went to school in Paradise Valley, with only 200 kids in the school. My graduating class had 11 people in it,” Holly says. “It would have been such a big transition going to a big school. This way, I still get to have that aspect of being at a big university each summer, combined with staying in my smaller community.”

For Hannah, choosing to take the hairstyling was more of a spur-of-the-moment decision. She was initially planning to apply to school in Lethbridge, but not only was Lakeland closer, it also has a rodeo team.

“The rodeo team was definitely a deciding factor for me to choose Lakeland, I wouldn’t be able to do that in Lethbridge,” Hannah says. “I’ve always loved doing hair and I love the hands-on aspect of the program and getting to work in the salon. The instructors are amazing and I’ve made lots of good connections and friendships through this program.”

As part of the hairstyling program, Hannah was also able to participate in the Border Beauty Showcase this year, a Lakeland student-led event that welcomes industry professionals, high school students and Lakeland students to compete in live hairstyling, barbering, esthetics and make up competitions. Hannah competed in the avant-garde division, a category focused on fantasy hair and makeup. She was both her team’s model and did her own makeup for her peacock-inspired look.

“Having an event like that on campus is exciting,” she says. “It brings in a lot of new faces, it helps us get our name out a little bit more. It was so much fun.”

She and Holly are both members of Lakeland’s rodeo team. They compete in barrels and pole bending, with Hannah more focused on barrels and Holly on polls, which helps keep the sibling rivalry to a minimum.

“Growing up, we’d always enter little rodeo events around home,” Holly says, explaining that she was involved in hockey throughout high school and decided to focus more on rodeo in college. “We like it for getting our young horses out there, letting them see the sights a little bit. When we sell them, we can say they’ve left the farm, they’ve had that experience.”

In the future, Holly intends to become a teacher, taking her summers off to help out on the ranch, while Hannah is already planning to find a position in a salon. They’ve also decided to launch a joint initiative after taking a makeup artistry continuing education course together at Lakeland, offering hair and makeup services. They’ve already got two up-coming grad sessions booked.