Education has always played a central role in my life. In my teenage years, I was selected as one of only three candidates out of fifty-two mathematics students in the British School in the Netherlands to represent the school at the Frankfurt International Mathematics Competition which was attended by representatives from over one-hundred countries. We nearly made it to the head-to-head finals among many exceptional candidates and had a joyful time. Influenced by this great achievement, I became conscious about the fact that not only did I receive a lot of satisfaction from learning, particularly about mathematics, but that I also found the idea of efficiently passing knowledge onto others very empowering. The idea that an individual can assume the responsibilities of a teacher and contribute to the blooming of the students lives, can exceed a mere sense of satisfaction, and be very inspiring.

Ever since the age of eighteen, teaching has always been a career for me; at times full-time, and at times simply because I enjoyed it. It was also at this age that I decided that in order to be the best educator I could possibly be, I would need knowledge, as well as qualifications, to meet today's ever-improving standards of the profession.

I have three degrees that have enabled me to have a solid understanding of many mathematical concepts, one from the University of Manchester, a world-renowned institution that produced Nobel Laureates in 2010. I also have a Bachelor of Education from York University, which has enhanced my knowledge in a teaching career that I had been passionate about since my late teen years. I have always tried my utmost to inform myself about current research and trends, most importantly in order to engage students. Part of the new trends are the fast-improving technologies, and I have always tried to keep my knowledge honed.

I am proud to say all my elementary students were accepted to their intended high school, and my grade 12 students have had no less than 100% university admission rates, which is something that encourages me to continue working hard.