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Vancouver School District
Teacher

Portrait of Audrey
The rest is history. Upon graduation, I became a full-fledged enrolling teacher in the Vancouver School District.

History

In 1990 I had my first daughter and my focus changed. I shifted my focus to the needs of my child and her success in this lifetime. I was compelled to ensure her future academic success. I redirected my career into education and got hired on to the Vancouver School Board as a First Nations Cultural Support Worker. I felt I could continue to work for my own child and support the Urban Native community from within the system. A couple of years later I had my second daughter and realized, with the support and encouragement of colleagues and administrators, that I would professionally dedicate and direct my career into Teaching.                                   

Education

Having not graduated from high school, I feared academic inadequacies and had a lot of self doubt about attending post secondary. Fortunately, a dear friend basically took me by the hand to UBC to an Academic Adivisor to discuss my prospective plans. By the time I left that appointment I knew that I was on my way to my next phase. I left believing that I could accomplish the requirements and eventually attend university. My doubts and fears were real but opportunities to challenge them were introduced. True, I had not graduated, but having been out of school for several years, provided the opportunity to enter academia as a mature candidate. I jumped on that! 

Career                                     

In the early 80’s I decided that I wanted to be an educated professional. I was uncertain as to what I wanted to do but was sure I did not want to be a Hairdresser my whole life, not that it wasn’t a lucrative and at times creative career. It, in fact supplemented my income many times throughout my life. I am however glad that it was not my only career and source of income. 

The rest is history. Upon graduation, I became a full-fledged enrolling teacher in the Vancouver School District. I have since over the years enrolled grades from K-7 and I am proud to note that my own two daughters are successfully graduated out of the public school system and both are attending post secondary education in pursuit of their professional careers. I continue to teach full time; an ESL Kindergarten class in East Vancouver during the school year and Literacy/ Reading Skills in the summers, at least for now. 

Vancouver School District
Teacher
Audrey Tooshkenig works as an enrolling teacher in the Vancouver School District. She teaches an ESL Kindergarten class in East Vancouver during the school year and Literacy/ Reading Skills in the summer. She joined the 2012 Indigenous Peoples Career Speakers event as a panelist in 2012.
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May 30, 2012

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