Get to know me
MY STORY
I teach English because I love helping people learn to communicate. Speaking has always been a struggle for me, so I know how hard it can be to say what you mean, to share ideas or opinions in a way that people will understand. I love seeing my students learn to express who they are, and nothing makes me happier than creating a safe and positive space where people can try, make mistakes and be themselves.
I write because I absolutely love it! I have worked hard over the years with encouragement and support to be a more confident speaker, but writing has always come so naturally. I know that communicating ideas in writing is not everyone’s strength, but this is my happy place.
A Few Fun Facts About Me:
TRUE OR FALSE?
1. I’m a proud mom of two Indigenous children.
TRUE!
2. I live and work on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ ílwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm (Kwikwetlem), Stó:lō (Stolo) qiqéyt (Qayqayt), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) and qʼʷa:n̓ ƛʼən̓ (Kwantlen) Nations.
TRUE again!
3. I’m from Ukraine.
FALSE!
I am part Ukrainain on my dad’s side, but I come from Vermilion, a small rural town near Edmonton, Alberta in Treaty 6 Territory. This is where hockey, curling, rodeos, baseball, nature and riding a bike defined my childhood.
4. I was always a confident public speaker.
FALSE!
I love words and everything about the English language. I used to love writing more than speaking because I was very shy to speak in public, afraid to make a mistake and worried about what my classmates and teachers would think of me.
5. I left my family and friends in Alberta to study in British Columbia, but I fell in love with the province and never moved back!
TRUE!
7. I'm afraid of being on the water.
FALSE!
I used to work for Starline Tours, my Grandpa’s boat tour company. We worked together on the mighty Fraser River out of New Westminster, B.C. for many years! Those were the best summers I can remember, and the water is my second home.
8. A career test advised me to join the army.
TRUE!
I took a career test when I was young, and one of the recommendations was to join the army! Thanks, but no thank you!
9. Teaching English to new immigrants in Canada has been one of my favourite careers.
TRUE!
I love teaching English as a second language to new immigrants and refugees through the LINC program. It is such an honour to help these students as they begin new chapters of their lives in a new place.
10. I've been teaching English as a second langauge (ESL) for about 10 years.
FALSE!
I’ve been teaching ESL/ EAL and developing curriculum for almost 20 years!
11. I stopped binging on Netflix and used my evening hours to write A Powwow Story.
TRUE!
11. I started writing A Powwow Story two months after having my second baby.
TRUE!
I created this story to honour my husband’s family and their First Nations heritage and help students and teachers have different choices for EAL reading materials.
12. I wrote A Powwow Story with help from my husband, our family members, a wonderful Indigenous artist and a Traditional Knowledge Sharer.
TRUE!
A Powwow Story was inspired by a trip that I took with my husband, our son and some of his family members to the Kamloopa Powwow in 2019.
Much like in the story, it was a hot August weekend, and we drove from Vancouver to Kamloops with my husband’s cousin and her niece. We met one of their Aunties there as well and had a wonderful time watching the dances together.
Going to Kamloopa that beautiful summer weekend was a first for each of us and our first powwow as a family. It was such a memorable time, and when I was thinking about a story that I wanted to share with English language students, Kamloopa was my favourite idea. I am still learning so much about Powwows and Indigenous cultures, but this was a story I felt I could develop and collaborate on because I was inspired by this special time with my family.
With the help of family, friends and Indigenous community members, I wrote A Powwow Story to give beginner students and teachers more choice when it comes to reading in English. I want to see the content that we teach become more inclusive, representative and meaningful over time. A Powwow Story is a tool that can help us achieve this.
This is my contribution to the movement forward. It’s part of my responsibility and opportunity to participate in Truth and ReconciliACTION.