One Rising Star

#SoManyReasonsToSmile2020 “Sometimes, you need to look at life from a different perspective.” Back in the summer of 2008, just after I completed my first year teaching, I went on my very first humanitarian trip. Many of the challenges I faced throughout my first year as an educator came as a result of me struggling to understand my students and their families who came from diverse backgrounds. So, in addition to reading books and watching movies to learn about other cultures, I thought a humanitarian trip would be a great opportunity for me to step outside my comfort zone and to gain more insight into the world, outside Canada.  Building project in the Dominican Republic As it's to be expected, the 4 humanitarian trips I joined, in the Dominican Republic and in Peru, really did help me develop a broader perspective on life. While travelling to both countries, I had the opportunity to visit several communities, to spend time in orphanages, to work in schools, to

#SoManyReasonsToSmile2020 “Embrace each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-transformation.”   In 2007, I began my first full-time job as a teacher.  To this day, I consider that first job to be one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced,  for a wide-variety of reasons.  That being said, that particular challenge set me up with so many opportunities,  and of course more challenges that turned into more opportunities. Some of the first students I ever taught helped shape the person I am today Over the years, I have learned that challenges can always be turned into opportunities  and that when we think of them in this way, we learn, we grow and most of all, we strengthen our mindset while preparing ourselves for future barriers. Some of my most rewarding moments have come from overcoming adversity The current COVID-19 situation that we are all dealing with  is undoubtedly very difficult in so many different ways,  however