When Peter Eppinga was a young boy growing up on Haida Gwaii, his parents told him he could do great things.

“This is where I learned the fundamentals on how to be successful in school. It was my father who bought me a medical book when I was in Grade 3 and my mother said I was smart because I ate fish! They both told me that I could become anything I wanted to in life and to never let anyone’s opinion of me determine what I will become.”

“I discovered the brain is like a muscle — the harder you work it and the more you put into it, the stronger it becomes.”

After some rebellious teenage years in the Fraser Valley, Peter recommitted to his religious faith and embraced his both his Indigenous and Dutch roots. He enrolled in kinesiology and biology classes at UFV in preparation for medical school, studies he took very seriously.

“Instead of picking up the beer bottle, I began picking up textbook after textbook until my biceps started to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s,” he laughs. “I discovered the brain is like a muscle — the harder you work it and the more you put into it, the stronger it becomes.”

After completing his Bachelor of Kinesiology at UFV in 2006, Peter attended the University of British Columbia’s medical school and then obtained a Master of Health Science degree with a specialty in clinical epidemiology.

These days Peter is a practising family physician, co-owner of a medical cosmetic company, and a board member for the First Nation Health Authority, helping to oversee health care for Indigenous people in British Columbia.

Closest to his heart is his work in lifting up the next generation of Indigenous children, while he focuses on suicide prevention. Having lost a cousin to suicide in his youth, he is determined to help as many young people as he can.

“We’ve all experienced loss too soon. We need to come together and educate our youth to have a healthy mind and life.”

He recently published I Love My Life, a children’s book of inspirational words and guidance written to support healthy lifestyles. He hopes the book takes young readers on a journey of self-discovery and confidence-building by instilling the importance of loving their lives, cherishing their cultural heritage, and supporting one another.

“My goal is to get a copy in the hands of every Indigenous child, to show them that we have many things to be proud of and we have support from our communities and family,” he says. “We’ve all experienced loss too soon. We need to come together and educate our youth to have a healthy mind and life.

“It truly takes a village to raise a child.”

Peter looks back fondly at his time at UFV (then UCFV) as a foundation for his success.

“Kinesiology was great to study because it addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. While taking this degree, the professors had a part in changing my life. They encouraged me to go into medical school. A big Hawaa (that’s thanks in Haida) goes out to my former UFV professors Allan Arndt and Roger Friesen.

“My studies taught me responsibility, to think critically, to do my own research and to be a responsible, productive citizen. There are certain professors who gave me confidence when they spoke to me and wrote reference letters for me in medical school. That confidence has stuck with me over the years.”

Some advice he offers to current students? Build networks early.

“Go out into your field and see what you like and don’t like before you start your career. Go to as many social events as you can to build connections. Sometimes it’s not what you know but who you know. But by increasing what you know through your studies, you will increase who you know through the opportunities offered to you.

“Take time to enjoy the journey, have fun, and laugh with your friends and family.”