Past, Present, and Future ME!

Hello followers,

My first blog post is an introduction of myself. Sweet! A chance to talk about myself and not have the pressure of an interview. Phew!

First off, some fun facts: I was born and raised in Terrace, BC.  To me, it was a secluded outdoor adventure mecca full of recreational opportunities. Who needs Whistler when you can get an annual ski pass for $200 where the mountain is known for its powder days. Sign me up! From a young age I was ALWAYS moving.  My parents would get dizzy from watching me twirl, do cartwheels and handstands, and complete laps around our house. The idea of play has always been near and dear to my heart. I played all of the school sports and became quite competitive in fastpitch, basketball, and snowboarding. After high school, I felt the need to go somewhere far away to discover who I was without the comfort of my close friends and family. And, to see more of the world that I only read about in books. I opted for a 6 month backpacking trip to Australia. After this trip I was hooked. I wanted to go everywhere! However, I did feel the need to get some schooling under my belt so college it was, in Vancouver.  It did take me awhile to finish as I would take full semesters or years off to travel.  That was the best decision I could have made. Traveling was better than any text book, it connected me with people from all around the world, and it taught me life lessons that have helped me in my everyday life and career. Also, it was pretty cool to run and bike through every kind of neighbourhood with new smells, structures, streets, and signs. After several years of important procrastination I did eventually walk across the stage with a shiny folder that carried a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and Coaching.

Self-guided jungle trek - on the search for banana trees

Fast forward a couple of years...I now work at Douglas College in a role that focuses on student wellness, recreation, and leadership. I know my experiences and education are valuable and help me do good work but I am ready to challenge myself both academically and professionally. I want to re-ignite my passion for movement, international work, and human development.  It would bring me joy to provide more depth of knowledge and expertise to those I work with and teach.

Why the H.E.A.L program?
When I discovered the HEAL program it quickly rose to the number one spot on the list of programs I was exploring. The flexibility of research and hands on approaches to real life health concerns drew me in.  To read and discuss health topics openly but then to have the opportunity to narrow down your research and focus area was appealing.  Also, knowing that students who apply to the program come from diverse careers was attractive as a lot of the learning could be in a peer to peer format.

I believe I can learn a lot from my peers' experiences and from the knowledgeable instructors. Already, from the assigned readings to date, I feel like I reflect differently, ask more purposeful questions, and am very curious to know about the 'why?', particular in terms of behaviours and ones' actions.

I am hopeful that my experiences working with post-secondary students (domestic and international), NGO's abroad, my understanding of physical education and coaching, and my buzzing energy can provide enriching dialogue, that I can share lived experiences that apply to our discussions, and overall, that I am an empathic, trusting, and enjoyable peer to the rest of the cohort.