My name is Seven Scheifele and I am from Kamloops British Columbia. Though I was born in Vancouver, BC, I consider myself to be from Kamloops due to the fact that most of my personal growth has occurred there. I began elementary school in Kamloops in 2006, at Dufferin Elementary. From there, I moved to Sa-Hali Secondary. This is where the path I am on now really began. High school was a turbulent time for me, as it is for most. I endured family-related struggles at home that distracted me from my studies until grade 10. Up until then I exhibited behavioural and academic struggles that led many teachers to consider me a troubled kid. However, a select few teachers never gave up on me, and they supported me until I graduated. I grew close to these teachers and the insight they gave me helped me reroute the direction of my education. By the time I graduated I was well respected by many teachers, was performing well-academically, and had developed strong relationships with my peers; they even nominated me as the class valedictorian, as a result. Ultimately, the support those teachers provided me helped me become a better person.
Just prior to graduating from Sa-Hali Secondary and moving on to post-secondary at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), one of my teachers asked me if I had ever considered pursuing a teaching careers. I answered no, and kind of thought the idea to be a little ironic, considering I had spent much of my time as a student giving teachers headaches. We discussed the career choice a little further, but I did not seriously consider it until years later. Nevertheless, the seed was planted in my mind. At TRU I began with little career-related sense of direction in mind. All I knew was that I wanted to try to fulfill my academic potential right from the beginning of this journey, unlike I had done in high school. After a years of dedicating myself to my studies and completing my Bachelor of Arts degree, I realized that teaching was, in fact, what I wanted to do. This decision came as the result of several factors. First and foremost, I thought of the difference my teachers made in my life, and I admired that heavily. I thought that if I had the opportunity to do for students what my teachers did for me then I would be given some of the greatest opportunities I could ask for. To make positive differences in the lives of young people as a teacher was important to me because I knew first hand it was possible. Second, not only did I know how important the support of a teacher was, I also knew the value of education. Investing myself in education led me through personal growth that has made a positive difference in my life and in that of those around me. I now understand the importance of striving to be better and supporting others; if this is done, others will return the support and we can work collectively on creating healthy relationships and learning spaces. Third, my education has led me to understand the importance of being an informed citizen who exercises critical thinking skills, demonstrates social responsibility, and supports the well-being of positive personal and cultural identities. As is apparent in the BC curriculum, these are aspects of personal development we strive to foster among young students. However, the only way to do so is to understand the importance of these aspects of character development for one’s self, which I do as a result of my educational journey. Therefore, I believe in myself as competent and aspiring educator who can support young students in fulfilling their potential.