“I Wanted More” — Rebecca Scirocco’s Story of Struggle, Strength and Healing

“I decided I wanted more than my parents could offer us as children and I felt education was the avenue needed for my family,” says Rebecca Anne Scirocco—a mother, artist and advocate with Mi’kmaw and Italian roots—who turned pain into healing, purpose and success through education at Cape Breton University. “Regardless of how difficult, I was going to create change in my life and my sister’s.”

That decision was made when she was just 12 years old—newly arrived in Membertou after spending her childhood in Boston in a home marked by poverty, addiction and abuse. She was still a child, but had already experienced deep trauma. “If you know anything about trauma, my ACES score (Adverse Childhood Experiences) was pretty high before I could make any of my own decisions,” she says.

Now, decades later, Rebecca is a proud two-time CBU alumna, plus her Master’s in Education from St. Francis Xavier University and a story that proves education, resilience and identity can transform everything.

From Boston to Membertou

Rebecca grew up in Boston as a caregiver, raising her sister and trying to survive. Rebecca says, like many Indigenous children, she was forced to grow up very quickly. “I was forced to grow up and parent my sister, and sometimes my parents too,” she says. “Despite the intergenerational trauma, there are choices. I made a choice.”

When her mother brought the family home to Membertou, Rebecca hoped life might get easier. Instead, it brought new challenges. “My mother was doing what she needed to survive—she moved on, started a new family, worked. I was raising myself and my sister. I was able to take care of her basic needs, but I still wanted to be a teenager and live like one.”

She attended several high schools in Sydney, but bullying, by both students and teachers, forced her to walk out. “I was called a ‘twit,’ told I’d never amount to anything,” she says. “One teacher asked me, ‘What are you even doing here?’ So I left. That day, I dropped out.”

For a time, Rebecca couch-surfed and took on babysitting and delivery jobs. But with help from a guidance counsellor, she re-enrolled in a new school and graduated early, becoming the first in her family to finish high school. “It wasn’t enough for me, though. I wanted more,” Rebecca says.

Finding Her Way to CBU

Determined to pursue her education, Rebecca returned to Nova Scotia with support from her best friend, Julie, who helped her build an art portfolio. She was accepted to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. During that time, she became pregnant with her first son, Ashton.

Though she loved her program, she missed her son. On September 11, 2001, she drove back to Cape Breton and, that same morning, sat in the registrar’s office at what was then the University College of Cape Breton (now CBU), watching the 9/11 attacks unfold on TV. “That moment marked a shift,” she says. “I had become a mother with a dream to be educated. I couldn’t give up.”

Beginning Again with Unama’ki College

Rebecca enrolled in courses aligned with her creative side, but at the time, CBU didn’t offer many art-related options. She decided not to waste her educational funding and returned to work. “I took a job with the Royal Bank, and that’s where I first got to showcase my Mi’kmaq culture in the workplace,” she says. “That was the start of something inside me that I didn’t realize I needed.”

She worked in several financial roles and eventually became a trained loan officer and mortgage specialist, but found the shift work difficult to balance with family life. Still, the experience taught her something: “I enjoyed learning.”

She pursued further education at NSCC in Applied Arts, which included drawing, graphic design, photography and communications. “I learned I always had a voice. I was outspoken and bold—not always with grace—but I knew how to speak up,” says Rebecca. “That program helped me discover how to use my voice professionally so I could be heard.”

While in the program, she was pregnant with her daughter, Kaleigh. “I would be home with my kids during the day, and at night I worked as a cartoon artist,” she says. “That didn’t last long—raising two kids on opposite shifts with my husband and my mother was hard. There was a lot of stress in the home. We weren’t making enough money, and there were deeper issues that made things difficult.”

After her daughter was born, Rebecca focused on supporting her growing family however she could. In time, the family moved into what would become their forever home, and Rebecca returned to work—this time with the Membertou Band. Over twelve years, she held several key roles in administration and governance.

A Postcard That Changed Everything

One day, a colleague handed her a postcard for the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWCL) program at the Coady Institute. At first, she wasn’t sure she’d apply—but the more she thought about it, the more she realized how badly she needed it. She was accepted, and the experience was transformative.

“My Indigenous identity was affirmed. My voice was heard. I was seen, for myself, for the first time. I was empowered.”

Returning to CBU with Intention

She had gathered skills, knowledge and strength, but she hadn’t yet had the chance to bring it all together. That opportunity came with a return to the university she had once walked into uncertainly: CBU. Rebecca applied to complete her undergraduate degree through a prior learning assessment. “With my mix of academic experiences, I only had to complete one year of the BACS program,” she says.

She also had a strong support system—both at home and on campus. Two of the most influential people in her life during this time were Laurianne Sylvester, now Dean of Unama’ki College, who held the position of Director of Academic Services at Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey and her immediate supervisor, Janice Ciavaglia, now CEO of a non-profit educational organization in Ottawa. Janice allowed Rebecca to work from home and gave her the trust and encouragement to develop her programming and travel to communities to offer literacy programming to students within the Mi’kmaq schools. 

“As my director and supervisor, both Laurianne and Janice listened to my ideas and allowed me to follow them,” she shares. “They gave me the opportunity to work and complete my education. Their guidance, understanding and support were key.”

After completing her BACS, Rebecca elected to continue her studies in the field of education. While completing her B.Ed through CBU via the In-Community program, she travelled weekly to Sipekne’katik for in-person classes. “I was away Thursday to Sunday for my studies while working full-time with MK (Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey). I couldn’t complete the final year with the cohort and ended up finishing on campus.”

At CBU, she finally received support for the learning challenges she had faced since childhood. Diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities, Rebecca was given academic accommodations that helped her succeed—and even thrive. That year, she made the Dean’s List for the first time in her life.

“From the girl who was told she wouldn’t amount to anything, to a woman with two degrees from CBU and her name on the Dean’s List. That’s what Unama’ki College gave me: space to struggle, space to succeed.”

Teaching, Healing and Giving Back

At Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Rebecca continued working to develop trauma-informed programs rooted in Mi’kmaw values, guided by her mentor, Catherine Rahey. “I created a program based on the medicine wheel and the Seven Sacred Teachings to support student wellness,” she explains.

She trained teachers and became a mentor in building trauma-informed schools. “An unhealthy 

child cannot learn,” says Rebecca. “That’s when and where I recognized the importance of wellness.” Though an accident took her off that path, Rebecca is preparing for the next step—continuing to grow the business she owns alongside her sister Theresa, Tepknuset Wellness and Art.

“I want to use my education, life experiences and professional background to build a flourishing Indigenous business that blends healing, art and community.”

Tepknuset Wellness and Art, based in Membertou, focuses on healing to create meaningful, personal and mindful experiences through trauma-informed programming and interactions.

Words for the Next Generation

Looking to the future, her own story and the stories of countless Indigenous students who will follow her path, Rebecca offers this to current Indigenous students: “You are resilient. You are strong. You are smart. You are capable. You are enough.”

She urges students to discover how they learn best.

“As Indigenous people, we learn holistically. You have to discover the best ways for you to learn and not just learn, enjoy learning,” she says. “I sat at the front of the class, asked questions and talked through what I was learning. Group study worked for me. Skimming a textbook and answering questions was often better than reading straight through. Find your way.”

To Indigenous parents, she adds: “Becoming a parent isn’t the end of your story—it’s the beginning of theirs. When you pursue education, you’re teaching them that anything is possible.”

As Cape Breton University prepares to welcome Indigenous alumni, like Rebecca, back for the Indigenous Alumni Gathering on May 30th, Rebecca’s story is one that reminds us of the resilience, community and transformation that stands as proof that education doesn’t just change one life. It changes generations.