Work Study Students

Fall/Winter 2022-2023

Katie Healy

Katie is a guest on Turtle Island and lives on the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat and Wyandot Nations. Katie is a Registered Early Childhood Educator with an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Guelph-Humber. Before returning to university this past September as a teacher candidate in the MA Child Study & Education program at OISE, Katie worked in a licensed after-school childcare program where she developed her love of working with primary and junior school-aged children. Katie is interested in holistic learning and child-centred development that extends beyond academic skills. She is passionate about equitable and accessible education for every child.

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

I feel very connected to Lake Ontario. Throughout my life, I have spent considerable time exploring its shore and surrounding nature. Lake Ontario is the place where I go when I am feeling uncertain because it always guides me. I feel at ease when sitting on the rocks overlooking the vast lake and listening to the waves crash beneath me

Myah Birrell

Myah Birrell (she/her) is of Algonquin of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation ancestry and is currently going into her second year as a Teacher Candidate in the MA of Child Study and Education program through OISE. Myah has an undergraduate degree in Gender Studies and is focused on creating classroom spaces that are anti-oppressive and justice focused. Myah also is passionate about inquiry based learning and holistic education.

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

As Robin Wall Kimmerer says “the land knows you even when you are lost”. I think about this often and remind myself that I feel most connected when I am paying attention to the nature around me and being intentional about it. Noticing how I feel when I really pay attention to the leaves on the trees, the small sprouts of flowers when spring starts, how the grass feels right after it has rained and how all of nature is interconnected right in front of us. I learn so much from the land everyday!

Joshua Shanthiyapillai

Hannah Mathew

Joshua Shanthiyapillai is a guest on Turtle Island and is a first-year teacher candidate in the Master of Arts in Child Study and Education at OISE. Josh completed his undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Studies at TMU and has worked in many childcare and education settings, such as EarlyONs, childcare, instructing, and assistant teaching. Josh enjoys exploration and investigation and hopes to share this curiosity through his adventures and enthusiasm.

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

A place where Josh feels connected to nature would be in front of a body of water, such as a lake, river, or pond. On the surface, the water is calm, but with a keen eye and patience, there is an abundance of action in life. Those open to observing the world from a deeper perspective are rewarded by the beauty of what others may miss.

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.