Director of Advertising and Marketing & Intern Coordinator
Hesitantly, I begin this- the bio that is! I say hesitantly because unlike everyone else at the office, I apparently lack that bit of altruism and quest for betterment that has led everyone else into the field of teaching.
I know, I know, looking at that sweet smile, and inviting face you question my meaning, but let me tell you I certainly didn’t begin my life as an E.S.L. tutor thinking that I could enrich the lives of children by bringing the wonders of the English language into their lives...
I’m almost embarrassed to admit this but I actually got into E.S.L. tutoring while at University in Australia. You see I lived in the dormitories on what seemed to be the “international floor”, the very Swedish-populated international floor I might add. Now I know when most people hear the word “Swedish” they automatically think of those ridiculously beautiful bikini-like models, and unfortunately there were a handful of those, but more importantly there were also absurdly handsome Swedish men too.
Well, being the friendly girl that I am (and for the sake of Footprints please don’t take “friendly” out of context) one day I found myself being approached by one of those “absurdly handsome” Swedish men asking me for help with his English course. Evidently, the altruism that I mentioned was lacking before kicked in pretty fast and before I knew it I was the go-to-girl for some of the international folks on the floor needing English help (I guess they never got the memo stating “hot Swedish men need only apply” – I’m kidding).
Well, after that experience I realized two things. First- I was actually pretty good at helping others grasp concepts that they found challenging, and second, as far as I knew Vancouver didn’t have a large demand for E.S.L. teachers in the Swedish community. So with these things in mind I returned home to finish my degree in history at S.F.U.While home, I began spending my spare time volunteering in elementary schools to help children with all subjects. It was while doing this that I came to the conclusion that children might need my help a little more than my previous preferred tutees. Surprisingly, I found that I really loved working with children, which was largely due to the fact that I was really a big kid myself. Even more surprisingly, it appeared my students loved being taught by me (kids are candid little creatures aren't they!).
Inevitably, time flew by and before I knew it I was graduating and deciding what to do with my life. After much consideration I decided that I was going to be a teacher, so I sent away my application and decided that while it was being processed (it takes about 8 months) I would head off to Japan and teach E.S.L. at the Academy of a family friend where two of my cousins and an ex-boyfriend had also taught. Within a month I had packed up and on Jan 1st, 2004 I flew into Osaka, Japan.
Once in Japan with my long blond hair and my inability to tell people to bugger off I was being approached all the time- on the train, in coffee shops, in the bars and malls. It was a surreal experience that is hard to explain without experiencing it for yourself. When I wasn’t being poked, prodded and approached at every stop, I spent my time teaching adults and children at the private language school and twice a week I had a kindergarten and grade one class in a public school (my absolute favorite). The rest of the time I went exploring Japan heading off to Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto and Kobe all of which were incredible!
However, soon my time was up and I had to head home to begin the teaching program at S.F.U. which like most things in my life flew by. Before I knew it I was graduating again, this time with my teaching certification and heading off into the exciting/scary world of substitute teaching.
After following this path for a year and having a great time but not enough hours, I decided to apply to Footprints – and as luck would have it I landed the job promoting the amazing opportunities that Footprints offers. It was an opportunity that I knew was meant for me since I know first hand how amazing teaching is, and I truly believe that teaching overseas is an experience that opens up your heart to so many great things- I know it did for me.
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“Footprints was the first company that I applied with and it will probably be the last, Footprints will be my first choice as a recruiter anywhere I want to teach. They helped me get exactly where I want to be and they always keep in touch wanting to know how you are doing and that makes you feel 100% safe. Mountain hiking here is amazing, the sights are beautiful, on the way up there are many temples to see, or if you prefer to only hike half way up, stop by the waterfall and have yourself a nice Korean meal; there are restaurants everywhere in this country. This is an experience of a life time, and I only hope that there are many other people that will be as lucky as me, and get a chance to experience this wonder of a country. I hope that if you are looking to work overseas that Footprints is your choice for a recruiter...trust me on that, they will get you were you want to go.”
