Hi everyone! My name is Lisa. I’m a 4th year student working on my undergraduate degree in combined major science. Unlike everyone else, I spent the majority of my undergrad not knowing what I want to pursue after university. I would take a variety of courses and participate in countless volunteer activities hoping that I would find an interest that I can possibly explore. Eventually, I found my passion through a teaching opportunity back at the high school I graduated from. I felt the instant gratification of giving back to the community. Seeing the appreciation on each of the students’ faces gave me the courage to explore the educational field. From there, I returned to UBC and started working on prerequisites for the UBC Education Faulty. It’s quite funny in hindsight because I’ve been tutoring high school math for 8 years now, and I just discovered my passion for teaching recently.

Growing up, my parents had jobs that required them to relocate to different countries every 3 to 4 years. It became extremely difficult for me to catch up in school due to the constant change in both the language and the environment. As a result I developed a strained relationship with learning. Eventually I refused to go to school because I found it extremely frustrating to be so behind in comparison to my classmates at the time. Following that my parents connected me with tutors who were able to help me with my homework and prepare for my tests. At the age of 15, I started volunteering at after school programs to assist younger students with their studies. While tutoring, I soon realize the importance of teaching and the impact it can have on each student and that, is what led me to my career choice of teaching today.