Biography
Who am I?
My name is Gillian and I was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. I completed my undergraduate degree from Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) in Early Childhood Studies and then I moved to the east coast of Canada where I studied elementary education. Thanks to the many ways of which COVID-19 rerouted my life, after graduating with my teaching degree in 2019, I signed a two year teaching contract in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. After an incredible two years, I decided to go back to school and check out the west coast! I am currently a first year student in the Masters of Arts in Early Childhood Education program at the University of British Columbia.
I do identify as a white female Christian, raised in a middle income suburban home to a mother and father who separated when I was around 8 years old. I have an older sister and a younger brother, each of which I am 2 years apart in age.
Sport plays a big part in my life. Soccer was always my favourite sport and I pursued playing throughout my university studies. I learned a lot of leadership skills through sport, recognized a lot of privilege I had with how accessible sport opportunities were for me, and being involved in university sports gave me opportunities to travel around the world on volunteer trips, which gave me whole new perspective on my experiences and privilege.
I have always enjoyed working with young children and it never felt like a job, it was just something I enjoyed. It is an old cliché, but one I personally still believe in, that education is power and I feel the weight, but also the excitement, with the impact I can have in helping children shape their world.