Instructor, Academic Upgrading, Steps to Opportunities, Academics & Readiness (SOAR)
Lisa qualified from Waterford Institute of Technology in Ireland almost 20 years ago as a social care/service worker and subsequently worked in homeless services as a frontline case worker for people living with substance abuse, mental health and physical health issues.
During a year spent in South America, Lisa found an opportunity to teach English in Peru with people from the Ollantaytambo area. After moving to Canada in 2011, Lisa volunteered in roles such as a peer support in Whistler and in adaptive sports in the Rocky Mountains of Banff National Park. A love of outdoor sports kept Lisa in areas of natural beauty with a move to Nelson in 2016. This move led to further community support work and then as an instructor with the SOAR Program at Selkirk College.
Lisa enjoyed bringing sign language into the programming at Selkirk College, along with other instructors, creating an exciting and engaging way for students to learn and grow confidence with expressing the self through music with sign. Cooking up a variety of tasty food and connecting with community organizations and members have been particularly important aspects of Lisa's work with the SOAR Program.
Overall, Lisa views the SOAR Program as a valuable space for diverse learners to build strong and supportive relationships while challenging themselves to learn and grow through our range of programming options.