Hello & Bonjour Everybody,
“all i am after is a life full of laughter” – Brooke”
I wanted to start off by thanking everybody who will be following my journey as a teacher candidate and will support me as I grow in a the profession that I am so passionate about.
Making A Difference
As a young child, I used to love being the centre of attention, making sure my voice was heard and most importantly, making people happy. As time progressed these qualities turned into more attractive and useful attributes that I could use in my adult life. I developed an urge to lead big groups, speaking in public and making a substantial difference in one’s life. My passion… is to make an impact, make a difference and develop people into the best that they can be.
Educational Background
When we are young, we often disregard the things that we become most fortunate for in our adults lives. For example, I consider myself extremely lucky to have such dedicated and loving parents whom wanted only the best for my future. My parents raised me to be what I feel is the most well-rounded women that I can be and I am extremely thankful for that. They placed me in French Immersion in at Dixon Elementary school and I continued with French until grade 10 and Hugh McRoberts Secondary School. They also encouraged me to try any extra curricular activity that my heart desired, which I took complete advantage of. Soccer, gymnastics, swimming, basketball and field hockey really created a competitive attitude within me.
My talent really fell into field hockey. I was fortunate to have great coaches, plenty of opportunities to develop athletically and an amazing support system. Most of my motivation to succeed came from my sister (who is 14 months older than I am). She was a silent leader on and off the field and a brilliant player. She had ups and downs with her athletics based on her petite size but always proved coaches and players wrong. She was a force to be reckoned with and inspired me daily to never settle for average. Her inspiration helped me earn a full athletic scholarship to Central Michigan University and study to get my Bachelor of Business Administration: Marketing.
Real World After College
After I finished university, I flew back to Vancouver and found it difficult adjusting to the “real world”. What is life after college? My amazing parents encouraged me to travel the world and enjoy being young before I settle into a job. As a stubborn young adult, I … of course, did not listen. As my anxiety of not having a job was building and my patience was growing thin, I received an email from Target Canada asking if I would have a quick phone interview with them for an Executive Team Leader position (fancy way of saying department manager). I applied once, twice and three times before Target had answered me back. I was persistent because I knew I was qualified, I had multiple friends in the states doing the same role and my competitive thirst was determined to get an answer. When I received the call I was ecstatic and couldn’t be more excited to set up my interviews. After a long interview process, I was called by my recruiter and given the good news. I was officially one of the Executive Team Leaders at Tillicum Mall in Victoria, BC.
Opening a Target Store is no easy task. I was silly enough to open two! After I spent 8 months in Victoria, I decided I needed to be back on the mainland with my family and was transferred to the Metrotown Target to complete another store opening. The amount of hours dedicated to both store openings was enough to last me a lifetime! This however, did not stop me! I was thrilled that Target was apart of Canada and I could be apart of the biggest retail expansion in the world. My passion however, did not fall within retail…. but I did not yet know this. After about 2 years with Target, I left to Co-Manage another retailer called LOFT. Another year passed and I still wasn’t satisfied with my career path.
My Ah-Ha Moment
It took many discussions with my mother and father and a lot of self reflection to finally realize that after years of growth, my passion still revolved around making a difference in the lives of others. I have always been what is considered to be a “cheesy” person and I am proud of it! Making a difference in somebody’s life is what makes me truly happy. Being able to contribute positively to someones development or success is what allows me to feel fulfilled within my career. I have been told by many people that teaching is my true calling and “it’s about time” that I am finally pursuing my dream.
Thank you to everybody who has helped me get to where I am today and where I plan to be tomorrow.
Sincerely, Brooklyn