After gaining experience in the marketing department of a local media company, I returned to college in 2015 to further study the contemporary marketing landscape. My goal was to understand the strategies employed by multinational corporations in the 21st century and to determine how best to leverage these tactics for my specific areas of focus.
I lead by example across all facets of my life and consider myself a natural leader. I have a talent for building relationships effortlessly. Throughout my management career, I have prioritized the growth of my team with their future aspirations in mind. My staff recognizes my genuine concern for their well-being, and I strive to balance their needs with the objectives of the companies I have served. I take this responsibility very seriously.
An example of my work ethic can simply be explained by an experience in 2017 and how I handled it.
In December 2017, as I prepared for my college finals, my son was diagnosed with Stage 3 lymphoma. I reached out to my professors to explain the situation. Those teaching my major-related courses allowed me to retain my current grades as my final marks, while the other two professors granted me a three-month extension to complete their exams.
As January approached, I faced a critical decision: whether to enroll or defer my studies. My son had been admitted to McMaster Children’s Hospital, where I was informed that his stay could last anywhere from six to seven months, though his oncologist suggested it could be as brief as four, depending on how well he responded to treatment.
I reasoned that if I chose not to enroll, I would inevitably be a semester behind in my graduation. Conversely, enrolling presented two potential outcomes: I could either pass and graduate on time or fail and still find myself a semester behind. The prospect of two outcomes seemed preferable to just one. Ultimately, my son successfully overcame cancer in just over three months, and I graduated on schedule.
This experience posed significant challenges, but my son always remained my top priority, a fact recognized and supported by my professors. I attended classes on average three times a week and completed all assignments, traveling from the McMaster Children’s Hospital on those days. I made it a point to be present for my son during critical moments, such as his surgeries, complications from chemotherapy, and PET scans, which heightened his anxiety.
He was successful in beating cancer and I was successful in graduating on-time.
Hobbies
I really only have one hobby. I am a scuba diver. Whether it’s going for a drift dive in the Niagara River, a calm dive at the swing bridge in Welland, diving a local shipwreck, or going on a weekend dive trip, I love being in the water. It’s my zen place.
I achieved my Rescue Diver certification not only so I would be safer in the water for myself but for my dive buddy and other divers as well.