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Stevie May has a lot of people to thank.

In her second summer working as a receptionist for Liidlii Kue First Nation (LKFN), the 22-year-old student says she appreciates the opportunity to earn some money as she reconsiders her academic ambitions.

"I was going to school for child and youth care," she said. "I thought it was what I wanted to do, but I'm having second thoughts now. I'm hoping next year I will finally know what I'm doing with my life."

Having crossed child care off her list, May said she has plenty of other inspirations to explore, including bringing clean energy choices to Indigenous communities to help them achieve greater energy independence and help reduce impacts on climate.

She also recently caught the archeology bug.

"I recently had this opportunity to go into the mountains and do archeology work," she said. "I thought that was kind of fun. The project was in the Northwest Territories, right next to Yukon border by the Tungsten mine â€” near Nahanni National Park.

"We did some testing and walked a lot, and we tried to find some artifacts out there, but sadly we didn't find anything."

May landed the job as LKFN's band office receptionist last year after responding to an ad on social media and, while she admits administration is not her life's passion, it was a fun enough job for her to come back this year.

Having a solid base to save money while she decides her future schooling plans is helpful enough, but for May the best part of the job is the camaraderie.

"The main thing I enjoy about my job is the people I work with, for sure," she said. "They feel like family to me. We always joke around and laugh every day.

"My job is super-supportive... there's so many people to thank. Like, everyone from my community is super-supportive."

She also gave a big thanks to her family for their ongoing support as she navigates her education.

Regardless of whether she moves towards clean energy development, archeology or something else, May said her long-term goal is independence and financial stability.

"I want to have my own place, my own things and my own vehicle," she said. "I want to be able to stand on my own two feet and I want a job I'm in love with, that's not boring.

"I need something that brings me something different each day."