Elementary and High school:

I was educated in the Catholic school system from kindergarden to grade 12 and developed social-emotionally within tight-knit faith-based learning communities. My experiences with educators exemplified that teachers were not sources of information transmission, but a source of moral foundation and support. In addition to faith based learning, my school experiences focused heavily on team sports. I participated on numerous teams, but most passionately on the basketball team for 5 years. My dedication to the sport during high school heavily influenced my ability to self-regulate as a teenager, as I organized my daily routine and school work around my gym hours. Sport also taught me the importance of team work and leadership. I advocate strongly for the importance of the team over individual success, evident by my coaching practice and mantras that focus on selfless team basketball.

 

Summer Camps (Boys and Girls Club):

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the Boys and Girls Club during the summer camp. From those summer camps, I was able to find my own niche with the Blue Jays Baseball Camp with Rogers and the Vancouver Canadians. My work with the Boys and Girls Club showed me the value of community service outside of my typical faith based community. I was able to participate and  become an active member of my neighbourhood, making my weekly dog walks to the parks more enjoyable as I see kids/campers on the regular basis.

 

Post-Secondary Research and TA

During my undergraduate studies, I was referred to take a course that focused on Asian Migrant Communities in North America. The decision to register for the course has been my most impactful decision to date.  This course lead me to Prof. Henry Yu, a strong advocate for educational reform towards the inclusion of the asian narrative in Canadian history. I was able to take his other undergrad courses, and eventually become his classroom TA.  After graduating, I continued to complete fieldwork, research, digitization, and community work to promote the Chinese Canadian Stories project.  This project helped propel my passion for history into legitimate historical first hand experience.

 

English 12 Tutor (E.L.L. Learners)

During my undergrad, I worked for an international tutoring company that aimed to help exchange students from China or Korea to complete their high school courses, namely, English.  My work with a handful of students was both successful and quite trying.  It was my first experience dealing with English Language Learners, and they were learning with an imposing deadline (Trying to complete their Provincial Exam in time).  The learning conditions were not ideal for teenage students, hoping to learn and develop language proficiency within a short time frame; however, the experience taught me about the need for scaffolding and adapting for E.L.L. learners.

 

Coaching

A big proponent in why I have chosen the teaching practice, is my love for coaching. I truly enjoy having the opportunity to help athletes improve daily by challenging them mentally, emotionally, and physically. Sport has taught me the importance of self-improvement and I hope that I can use sport as a vehicle to teach Self-Regulation.