From Kingston, ON
Highlights from professional or volunteering experiences
I had the pleasure of being an Early Childhood Educator at a licensed daycare through the Military Family Resource Centre. I had so many valuable opportunities learning about the early stages of childhood development. Most notably, in my preschool class I had a student who was apprehensive about coming to daycare and starting school in the fall. However, after a few weeks in the classroom, his parents told me that he would run to the daycare when they dropped him off in the morning, and spent the evening talking about activities he had done during the day. It is inspiring for me to know that I can change a student’s perspective on education, and inspire a love of learning. I also volunteer as a tutor and teaching assistant with the Aboriginal Leadership Opportunity Year (ALOY) Program at the Royal Military College of Canada. This program provides military training and pre-university credits for students who are interested in a career with the Canadian Armed Forces. I am honoured to have been chosen to help with the implementation of the program. I am looking forward to assisting in the educational pursuits of the incoming students this school year.
Favourite activity to do with young people
An extracurricular activity that I enjoy doing with students is gardening. My daycare students have enjoyed learning about the different stages of gardening, and have successfully grown a small vegetable garden outside the classroom. Gardening engages students in a variety of ways, as it allows them to learn how to work together to achieve a goal. Furthermore, it provides them with purpose as they take on leadership roles throughout the various stages of growth, whether it be planting, watering or harvesting. In the end the students see the value of their hard work, and reap the rewards they have worked hard to attain.
Hobbies and passions
As a child, I developed a passion for reading and writing which has followed me through my educational pursuits. Working for schools in the Limestone District School Board and the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, I have been involved in various classroom initiatives to raise student literacy. I have run workshops for elementary school students to help them develop a love of literacy and reading in the classroom.
Why I chose to be a Teach For Canada Ambassador
Educational inequality in Canada is an issue that is not widely acknowledged or understood. Programs such as Teach for Canada help inform future teachers at the beginning of their career. As a Student Ambassador, I hope that I can promote a greater understanding of the valuable opportunities that educators can gain by teaching in northern communities. Furthermore, I look forward to being part of a vast network of like-minded individuals, who seek to promote access to quality education throughout Canada. Moreover, I seek to develop my skills as an effective ally to Indigenous communities by being an advocate for the right to equal educational opportunities.
