During my many years at Coast Mountain College, I got to know one of my professors; Dina.  She was compassionate, kind, welcoming, and just an all round amazing human being.  You could tell she loved to teach, and that she loved what she taught.  This passion motivated me to learn, think, and grow in many aspects of my life.  She taught a few different courses at the college, but my personal favourite was Women’s Studies.  In this class, we explored world history about women and the progression that has been made up until this day.  She allowed us to be creative, step outside of the box, and create meaningful relationships with fellow classmates.   Her calm demeanour created a safe learning space, where all students felt comfortable to share and express opinions.  Dina knew from the start why I was at the college.  She inspired me to keep pushing through the difficult times, and reminded me why I was there.  She always gave me words of encouragement, telling me how great of a teacher I would be one day.  When I think of my journey up until this point, Dina is someone that crosses my mind.  She may have not known it at the time, but she was a cheer leader who pushed me to keep moving forward.

The path to teaching makes me think of a tree.  A tree stands tall, is rooted, and changes as the seasons do.  Each person/individual that you cross paths with waters your tree, which results in it growing tall, strong, and full of beautiful leaves.