Since I was a child, I have loved to learn. My dad intentionally read aloud to me from the time I was an infant, continuing into mid-childhood, which I believe greatly influenced my love of learning, reading, and writing.

Being the oldest of two girls, I am a born leader. My mom often shares of how I would rope Shayla, my younger sister, into a variety of games that I organized. Fortunately, Shayla has a very easy-going personality and was (almost) always excited to play along with whatever imaginative play I came up with, be it Barbies, dog shelter, orphanage, or one of our ultimate favourites: “moms” or school.

I started kindergarten in 2000, in Kamloops, BC. I did the entirety of my elementary and secondary education in French Immersion, which has left me bilingual.

Although I don’t remember very much from the earliest years of my educational career, I do remember having a love-hate relationship with school. As I mentioned, I love learning. However, as long as I can remember, I have struggled with severe anxiety. My love of learning was often interrupted by my fear of basically everything else. I was shy and reserved, although very well-liked by teachers and peer, which oftentimes made it difficult for me to engage in group activities in the classroom. As an adult, I have had the opportunity to regularly connect with my kindergarten teacher, who recalls a 5-year-old Brittany who was a perfectionist and hesitant to take risks for fear of making a mistake.

Nonetheless, I did well in school and I took a lot home with me. I taught Shayla the basic French skills I was learning in school before she was old enough to attend herself, and we often played school together (until I was in grade 5 or 6). Naturally, I was always the teacher.

Despite my personal struggles, I had teachers who challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and take risks. I participated in our schools drama club for many years. I even had a solo in grade 7 in our musical, Twinderella.