Greater St. John's Metropolitan Area
[Currently located in Ktaqmkuk: the unceded, traditional lands of the Beothuk and Mi'kmaq] "Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being." - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe I am a Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP®), educator, and musician who is passionate about exploring life's biggest questions. Working at the intersections of community capacity-building, organizational development, and design thinking, I connect people with purpose, working alongside others to define—and take steps—towards their preferred futures. Combining a mixed immigrant, transnational background with an early start in music, I’ve seen firsthand how career journeys are shaped by context, culture, opportunities, and change. My approach to coaching is drawn from lifelong lessons in technical skills development, informed practice, and precision performance settings: rooted in evidence‑based practice and strategic thinking, and guided by a belief in creating systems that foster potential, belonging, and possibility from the start. Whether through education, coaching, leadership, or music, my mission in life is to drive positive, meaningful change. Ultimately, this means thinking beyond binary, fixed-pie mentalities, holding space for diverse perspectives and identities, and valuing lived experiences. Experiential learning, cultural competence, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and truth and reconciliation are core to what I do. My passion for grassroots, community-based initiatives are reflected in my experiences serving youth, refugees, international students, and members of the general public, in various capacities and sectors including sports and recreation, arts and culture, and public/post-secondary education. Check out instagram.com/newfound_neighbours_nl to see some of what I care about. Frameworks, literature, and philosophies I currently look to for inspiration are Lily Zheng's Fairness, Action, Inclusion, and Representation (FAIR) model (https://www.lilyzheng.co/fair-framework), Karen Hao's Empire of AI, and Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) (https://decolonialfutures.net/). Interest Areas: Career Development, Career Coaching, Organizational Behaviour, Design Thinking, Intercultural Awareness, Communications, Public Outreach, Workplace Culture/Relations, Leadership, Life Design, Training and Development, Internationalization, Teaching Methodologies, Instructional Design, EAL/FSL Teaching and Language Education, Student Success, Music, Performance Practice
My musical training began at the age of 4, shaping the foundations for how I approach learning, performance, collaboration, and leadership. Through experiences that took me across Canada and as far as Austria in my youth, music not only taught me about self-discipline, technical precision, skills development, and creativity—it also fostered a lifelong appreciation of language, communication, and meaning-making across diverse cultural contexts. Rooted in empathy, rigour, strategic practice, and continuous improvement, my personal journey in music uniquely informs my approach to coaching, mentorship, and career development. Channelling my own lived experience of an evolving, non-linear path, I support others in surfacing their strengths, navigating ambiguity, and expanding their sense of what’s possible. Over the years, I have contributed my artistic skills across diverse performance settings, from concert halls and theatre productions to large-scale public events. Career highlights include: • Serving as Assistant Principal Viola with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra; providing artistic leadership to the section for 65~ services per season, contributing as a recording artist for 3 albums (including a JUNO award-winning recording), and stepping into the Principal chair as needed • Performing as a freelance musician for a wide range of events, ensembles, and programs, including Candlelight Concerts, Music at Memorial, the Kingston Symphony, and Montréal Symphonique: a celebration of the city’s 375th anniversary drawing in a live audience of 80,000+ listeners • As an educator, aligning learner goals, curriculum development, and experiential learning to lead instruction for weekly lessons and group classes in collaboration with fellow teaching faculty of the Suzuki Talent Education Program based in St. John's
Cross-appointed with the Internationalization Office and Career Development at Student Life, I was a key contributor to an impact-focused team environment, delivering targeted career guidance and skills development workshops while also managing the provincially-funded, award-winning Professional Skills Development Program (PSDP) for international students. Applying a relational, systems-thinking approach, I also cultivated partnerships across units, employers, faculty, and alumni to enhance student success, contributed to the planning and delivery of events and career fairs, and led strategic communications initiatives while embedding principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, and anti-racism throughout my work.
• Liaised and collaborated with 50+ local employers and industry professionals to build partnerships and conduct workplace visitations, connecting newcomer and refugee clients to job leads, interview opportunities, and learning experiences resulting in employment for 85% of job seekers with diverse backgrounds • Performed targeted and continuous case management through the provision of 1:1 needs assessments, employment coaching, and feedback to help foster job retention, career growth, and upskilling • Monitored and evaluated the progress and outcomes of federally funded ESDC programs through quarterly reporting, data analysis, financial tracking, and feedback review to ensure compliance and inform strategic improvements
• Researched, developed, and delivered 5 courses referencing instructional frameworks such as Universal Design for Learning to promote meaningful student engagement and skills development • Integrated EDI content into course materials; creating a culturally-responsive, student-centered learning environment sensitive to diverse cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds • During the pandemic, leveraged ed-tech tools (e.g. Google Classroom, Kahoot, Quizlet) to deliver 3+ months of online and blended learning solutions, using various methods of assessment to accommodate differing levels of access to technology • As a substitute teacher, collaborated with regular classroom instructors to present instruction and facilitate forward planning by creating summary reports of learning activities during their absences • Demonstrated flexibility, patience, and adaptability when working with diverse student groups, materials, and environments with limited preparation time • Performed supervisory duties when required, such as during breaks and dismissal times
• Managed and updated academic unit webpages using Drupal and basic HTML/CSS, ensuring accessible, accurate, and visually cohesive presentation of information about events, academic programming, and community partnerships • Implemented a communications/PR plan, updating and managing web/social media content (including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts) • Designed promotional graphics, event pages, newsletters, and multimedia materials to support public engagement and knowledge sharing across web and social platforms in alignment with institutional standards and branding guidelines, demonstrating a keen eye for detail • Prepared event materials and guest lists, organized mailings, and performed data entry in compliance with strict confidentiality and privacy policies • Supported logistics and communications for 15+ public events, including 3 flagship international conferences and the Cundill History Prize Gala, coordinating stakeholders, managing speaker communications, executing mass email campaigns, and preparing digital/print materials • Assisted with general operations, such as initiating purchase orders, filing expense reports, and organizing travel arrangements