Work Study Students

Fall/Winter 2022-2023

Megan, a work study student. Megan has shoulder-length black hair and is wearing glasses and a black woolen sweater. Megan is smiling in front of a snowy background. There is a building behind Megan.

Megan Pham-Quan

Megan (she/her) Pham-Quan lives and works on the territories of the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and the Huron-Wendat peoples, among many Indigenous peoples that have traversed and cared for this land. Megan is currently a Year 1 teacher candidate in the MA in Child Study and Education program at OISE. She came to this program from her undergraduate studies in women and gender studies and philosophy at the University of Toronto, and is interested in creating justice-oriented, liberatory spaces in primary/junior classrooms.

Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I grew up a few blocks away from Gabekanaang-ziibi (Anishinaabemowin name for the Humber River). This river has played many roles in my life from teacher to friend. I am grateful for the warm rocks along the shore, the rushing currents, and the minnows that swim among them.

Gladys Cen

Gladys Cen is a guest on Turtle Island and a first-year Doctor of Education student in the International Educational Leadership and Policy program at OISE. Gladys is a curriculum designer and educational innovator. She has over six years of experience in curriculum design and development, teachers’ professional training, k-12 education, early childhood education, language and literacy learning, and multi-modal learning. Gladys is a certified IB PYP educator and AMI Primary Montessori Guide. Gladys loves to use music, drama, drawings, handicrafts, photography, toys, games, natural materials, and technologies to support the students in learning trans-disciplinary lessons. Her doctor’s research will focus on teachers’ professional training and educational innovation in developing countries. In April 2022, Gladys was invited to be a showcase guest speaker at the 13th Harvard China Education Symposium to present her language lesson through environmental education and a multi-modal learning approach.

Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I grew up by the West Lake in Hangzhou, which is a southeast city in China. The lake played an essential role in my childhood. I could never forget the scene of picking lotus pods with my grandma in a boat on West Lake when I was a child. The boat crossed the lotus leaves; I sat on the boat, and my body was moving by following the water flow. I listened to grandma singing nursery rhymes, ate the fresh lotus seeds, and felt nature surrounding me.

Stephanie Sun

Stephanie is a guest on Turtle Island and is a Teacher Candidate in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. After graduating from U of T with an Honors Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Geography, Stephanie worked in the surveying and mapping industry for several years and had the privilege of traveling around Turtle island. Stephanie has a passion for outdoor and alternative (digital technology) environmental education, and is hoping to support children’s mental health and emotional well-being in her future career.

Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

Growing up in Dalian, a coastal city in Northeast China, I feel the happiest when I am close to the sea. The wet and salty sea breeze entering my lungs and passing my fingertips, the sound of ocean waves and squawky seagulls occupying my ears… I feel surrounded by this wonderful memory of me spending hours and days with my parents on a tiny beach at the back of my home.

Hannah Mathew

Hannah is a guest on Turtle Island and is a first year student in the Master of Teaching program at OISE. Hannah completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto majoring in Sociology with minors in Philosophy and Education, and had the opportunity to work in several educational settings as a tutor, coach, camp counselor, and assistant teacher. She hopes to use her passion for learning to build a successful career as a primary/junior teacher.

Describe a place in our natural world that you feel connected to.

I grew up close to Sunnybrook Park where I loved to spend my time as a child. One of my favourite things was being able to see the horses there and appreciate their strength and beauty. It was a great place for me to connect with nature so young, and explore my local environment by going through the trails, and starting collections of the most interesting pinecones, sticks, and leaves I’d find around to take home with me.