I began my educational journey in Air Ronge, Saskatchewan, at a school named Gordon Denny Community School. It was here that my love and appreciation for learning sprouted, as well as my adoration for the elders of my community and their teachings. Their words of wisdom inspired me to begin my journey towards truth and reconciliation as a child, and it is a path I continue to grow with throughout all areas of my life. 

When I was roughly five years old, my family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. I was fortunate enough to attend Deshaye Catholic Elementary School and Dr. Martin LeBoldus Catholic High School. It was the tremendous amount of support and respect I received that sparked an interest in becoming an educator myself. I was very involved in high school, and my relationships with my peers and teachers made me into the person I am today. 

While attending high school, I spent the summers working as a Camp Councillor at Circle Square Ranch Wolf Creek, a camp that changed me outlook on children entirely. It was here that my love for children truly blossomed, as the relationships I made with all of the incredible campers inspired me to choose a career path that involved children, regardless of the field I was in. 

Following my high school graduation, I moved to Sweden to be a Rotary Exchange Student for a year. I was luckily enough to attend Skvaderns Gymnasieskola, a high school located in Sundsvall. Sundsvall is roughly seven hours north of Stockholm, however I was able to partake in many educational and social trips to the beautiful Swedish capital. The staff and educators at Skvadern were once again absolutely incredible, and it is their love for education and teaching that mad eye feel concrete in my decision to become an educator myself. My primary educational philosophies stem from these amazing teachers, and I aspire to have the same amount of care and consideration for all of my students as they did for me.

When taking part in a moment of reflection, I believe I have gained several strengths and skills from attending all of these schools and from being a camp councillor. I have a strong understanding for ESL students, as I understand, to an extent of course, the struggles they face when coming to Canada. From being a Camp Councillor, I know the various walks of life and home situations that my students come from, as well as how to address their needs in a manner that best aids them. From my time in Air Ronge, I have a strong resonance with Indigenous ways of being and how to incorporate them into my class, just as my teachers did while I was a student. Lastly, as I was involved in nine extracurriculars while attending high school, I have skills in communication, time management, and studying that I would not have gained had I not been so involved. It is these strengths that I gained as a student that I believe will help me in my path towards becoming an educator, and I cannot wait to be a Teacher in the future.