The Foundation of Service

My journey in education began at a young age growing up in a family of teachers. Both of my parents, grandparents, and several other family members were teachers and administrators around the Kootenays and other areas of BC. I always knew I wanted to be involved in education.

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Born and raised in Creston, I moved to Cranbrook in 2005 to begin post-secondary education. After two years of university transfer studies at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, I moved to Victoria for four years to obtain my Bachelor of Education. I came home each summer and worked as a bank teller at the Creston & District Credit Union. During my time in Victoria while I was completing my undergraduate degree, I was a coach at Victoria Gymnastics. Moving away helped develop my worldview but I was always looking forward to getting back to the Kootenays. I officially moved back to Cranbrook in 2011 to begin my teaching career. While I was trying to get a teaching contract, I worked as a bank teller at StellerVista Credit Union (previously East Kootenay Community Credit Union).

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In 2011, I began as a Teacher Teaching on Call and taught in every elementary school in Cranbrook before landing a temporary contract to teach K-5 music at Gordon Terrace Elementary School. The following year, I was offered a temporary full-time contract teaching Grade 3 at Lindsay Park Elementary in Kimberley. I taught in Kimberley for several years and obtained a permanent teaching contract teaching Grades 2 and 3. During this time, I worked on completing my Master's of Educational Technology online through the University of British Columbia while teaching full-time. In 2017, my husband and I began raising our family here in Cranbrook and after a few years of parental leave, I made the difficult decision to give up my teaching contract so that I could focus on my young family. In 2020, I was hired by the University of Victoria to teach in the teacher education program. I taught for a year online and then the following year, courses were back to in-person here at the College of the Rockies.

Today, I continue to teach for UVic's East Kootenay Teacher Education Program here in Cranbrook. I currently teach a reading course and a technology course, and I also field advise teacher candidates during their practicum and lead Mentor Teacher Training sessions. Through these roles, I am regularly in Cranbrook elementary schools, working alongside students, teachers, and staff. As a parent of two young children in Cranbrook's public schools, I see firsthand the issues facing our children today and hear directly from other parents about their challenges. As a School Trustee for SD5, I believe I can bring a well-rounded approach, grounded in the everyday realities of classrooms, families, and our community. This approach balances the perspectives of students, parents, educators, and staff to support safe, inclusive schools, strong literacy and mental health supports, and learning environments where every child can thrive.

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