‘Yellowknife opened doors I never imagined’: A woman’s journey from Uganda to Aurora College

After four years of intensive study and innumerable sacrifices, Yellowknife resident Margaret Namyalo, 56, has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Victoria at Aurora College.

Namyalo’s first career was in bank management in her hometown of Kampala, Uganda. She was, however, always interested in the field of health care.

Namyalo immigrated to Canada with her family in 2013. After spending three years in Ontario, the family moved on to Yellowknife.

“I think it’s by far the best experience that, I would say, has happened in my life; moving to Yellowknife opened doors that I never imagined,” Namyalo said.

Working with the Salvation Army for a few years, helping clients dealing with addiction and other mental health issues, led Namyalo to consider nursing as a profession.

“I wanted to be that person to make a difference, especially in that time of need when [patients] are most vulnerable,” she said.

In 2022, once all three of her children were enrolled in university, Margaret decided that was the right time to do something for herself: return to school and invest in the career she had envisioned for so long.

Namyalo said returning to school as a mature student was not without its challenges. When she first attended university a few decades ago, she said, she didn’t have her own computer. Typing was also a challenge, so she had some learning to do.

“Basically, I was taking much longer to go over stuff, but then I learned how to work with that,” she said. “I needed to start early. Everything that I did, I started early and I wasn’t afraid to go and ask for help.”

When things got difficult, Namyalo says her faith and positive words of affirmation kept her going.

“I always tell myself, Margaret, you’re smart. Margaret, you’re able, you are going to win, you are a winner.”

Namyalo says she was the oldest student in her class. It took some adjusting getting used to being in class with students younger than her own children.

“I constantly had to shut down those voices that make you feel like you’re less than and just know that, hey, I might be slow at whatever I will be doing, but you know what? I’m going to do it.”

Namyalo’s husband, Alex Mulooki, said his wife was committed to completing her program.

“One thing with her is once she decides what she wants to do, she will not, she will not back out,” he said. “So that’s what I know from her.”

Mulooki said he believes he’s even more excited than his wife.

“I now know that life is coming back to the home,” he said. “And I mean, I’m so happy for her achievement that she’s done this. So really, we are very happy as a family.”

Namyalo’s son, Matthew Mukunya, 25, said he was impressed by his mother’s work ethic.

“I never studied like that in university,” he said. “If I did that kind of studying, I’d probably be in honours and on the Deans list with distinction.”