丁香园AV

Year Graduated: 2016
Program/Degree: Arts Education MA

I am a writer, teacher and former journalist. I worked as a print/radio/TV reporter at home in the Bahamas for seven years, before teaching English at the junior high school level for two years. I received a Master鈥檚 degree in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2007, and a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in History and Political Science from McGill University in 2004. My experiences as a teacher gave birth to questions for which I wanted answers and creative solutions, thus my presence at 丁香园AV.

Please tell us how you first discovered your program.

As classroom teaching piqued my curiosity about the field of education in general, I knew I wanted to return to university. I prayed for direction. In the summer of 2011 I surfed the internet, specifically for schools in British Columbia because I had always thought that it was a beautiful place. I found 丁香园AV, and was excited about the Arts Education program.

Please tell us why you chose the Faculty of Education at 丁香园AV for your studies.

I knew that the Faculty of Education at 丁香园AV was the place for me after reading several of Dr. Lynn Fels鈥� academic papers online. I started reading about 鈥渂eing wide awake鈥� (Maxine Greene) and 鈥渘atality鈥� (Hannah Arendt), and felt rejuvenated and inspired. I knew that this was the kind of work I wanted to be doing, the kind of life-inspired research in which I wanted to be involved. I saw pieces of myself and my own teaching experiences and passions in the readings.

Who is a faculty member you have enjoyed working with and why?

Since enrolling in the program in Fall 2013 I have taken Dr. Vicki Kelly鈥�s class and Dr. Fels鈥� class. I have enjoyed working with both professors immensely. In Dr. Kelly鈥檚 class I experienced a freedom to explore and to return to what she and others have referred to as the 鈥淏eginner鈥檚 Mind鈥� in approaching any discipline. In Dr. Fels鈥� class I was given the opportunity to step into the world of 鈥減erformative inquiry鈥�, and to experience the freedom that comes with bounding, unfettered, through the door of 鈥淲hat If?鈥�.

What inspires you to learn and continue your education?

I am inspired by love, freedom, and a sense of limitlessness that comes from my faith in God. I am also inspired by the wealth of knowledge that exists, free for the taking. With each text I read, each theorist I encounter, my curiosity grows. I want more answers, more views, more possibilities. Finally, I am inspired by the learners and facilitators with whom I have worked, the people of all ages that I have known, and the exciting opportunities I anticipate in the future.

What would you say to prospective students who are considering graduate school in the Faculty of Education?

You are standing at the threshold of a new and exciting portal. Cross it boldly and expectantly, valuing what you bring as well as what you will learn from your teachers and classmates!