Education | Continuing Education

Continuing Education

Masters of Education

University of Ottawa / Second Language Education

In fall 2022, I started my first course of the program.  While it has been a challenge to return to school, even part-time, I have been enjoying the opportunity to connect with other educators around the country.

Some course topics so far include:

  • Bilingual, Multilingual and Minority Contexts of Education
  • Social, Political and Cultural Issues of Second Language Education
  • Research Methods

Creative Writing Mentorship

“We Need Diverse Books”

I have been writing stories since I was young.  I would write on the back of my mom’s professional development manuals until I eventually upgraded to spiral-bound notebooks from the dollar store.  To this day, I love reading and writing stories for kids and young adults.

When I heard about the yearlong mentorship program offered by We Need Diverse Books, I filled in an application on a whim and forgot about it… until the email landed in my inbox in late December, and changed the way I saw myself as a writer.

I met my mentor SK Ali, a New York Times bestselling author, every month in 2022, and worked on two different contemporary young adult novels.  This mentorship helped me understand the business of writing and made me take myself more seriously as a writer.

Writing is something I know I will continue to do in my lifetime, just because I love it.

    Mandarin Proficiency

    HSK 3

    One of my goals while living and working in China was to develop Mandarin language skills.  I worked with a private tutor, and over the years, I grew from stumbling over basic vocabulary to being able to have a conversation with locals.  

    In June 2023, I completed HSK level 3, which assessed listening, reading, writing and speaking.  

     

    Royal Conservatory of Music

    Level 10 Piano with Honours

    I started learning piano in elementary school, in a very casual group class at the community centre.  I was around ten years old when I started taking private lessons and working on the RCM curriculum – and at meant I was often one of the older students at the examinations for my level.

    I continued to study through high school and university, and completed my final Level 10 practical examination in 2017.  Now, I play mostly contemporary pieces and covers of popular songs… My next adventure will be teaching my godson to play!