I studied at Brock University and graduated with a Bachelor of Recreation and Leisure Studies with a focus in Outdoor Recreation

with honours. In my fourth year I took an Ex eriential Education !lass that really o ened my eyes to the education system and the way in which I have "een taught# and the changes I wish that could "e made. $fter com leting %& years of schooling# I found that I was sim ly studying and memori'ing exactly what teachers had ex ected of me and I would regurgitate them in order to get good grades. $fter taking the class I learned to think more critically# and really delve dee er into the su"(ects I was studying. )e were given the o ortunity to ick what we wanted to learn a"out# and I found it to "e a rewarding ex erience and I was a"le to motivate myself to learn a"out something I was assionate a"out. *his ast summer I worked as an Outdoor Skills !ounselor at !am Big !anoe. I s ent the summer teaching grade %+ students the hard skills of canoe tri ing. *hrough ex eriential education I hel ed to foster an environment where the students could grow as leaders in the outdoors# while learning hard skills of tri ing. $t the end of each month long course# we ended with an , day canoe tri where they could use the skills that they had learned. It was a rewarding ex erience "eing a"le to learn and grow along with the students and watch them change over the course of a month. In the future I would like to "e an educator who teaches students to think for themselves# and learn with a critical eye towards the material I would "e resenting them. I think this rogram would rovide me with a great o ortunity to focus on and learn more a"out ex eriential education so that in the future I can "e an educator who thinks outside the "ox of the traditional education system. )ith my "ackground in Outdoor Recreation I would love to incor orate learning through the environment. I "elieve this rogram would "e a erfect fit for me.

-essica *aylor