Hi all,
First and foremost I thank you for showing interest in me
and taking the time to get to a small taste of me through my blog.
My name is Dee Kirwin and I’m born and raised in the small
town of Embro Ontario which leads to the blog title itself “Embro
Educated”. I am a firm believer that my
nature is a huge part of me (for anyone that has had the opportunity to meet my
family you would agree that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree) but it is
truly my experiences that I have had growing up that have shaped me into the
woman I am today and will continue to grow to be. Thus the blog title seemed
rather fitting as I am who I am due to my small town roots.
I value being the well rounded individual that I am. There
are few situations that given lemons I can’t make lemonade out of and I hope to
share a little bit about myself with you to shed some light upon this. As an
Irish gal, love, loyalty and friendship are true core values for me and this
honesty goes a long ways.
Leaving home at 17 to attend Brock was a daunting task. Most
teens would be chomping at the bit but instead I was shell shocked at the idea
of there being more than one grocery store in a town. Well maybe I am
exaggerating a little bit, the idea of city living didn’t scare me as much as
the idea of losing a part of who I am by moving away. Fortunately this quickly
vanished. After a few weeks in St. Catharines I realized that Monday to Friday
was just a work week for me. I buckled down on my studies and grinded through
(with much success might I add). I
enjoyed my time as a student spending all 5 years at Brock but enjoyed my time
most as a daughter, sister, friend, dog lover, construction worker, bartender,
renovator… need I go on) during weekends back home.
If I had a nickel for every time that someone gives me the
“oh you are going to be a teacher” look… well I would be rich. But truth is I
would rather be poor and teach. Growing up in the shadow of my big brother (and
I mean shadow in the sense that a 6’10” country boy is very effective as a
shade tree) and his success as an engineer, I often pondered what I was getting
myself into. Two experiences put an end to that pondering; 1. The first time I
stepped into the classroom and helped a student and 2. The first time I stepped
into his engineering office and saw his head sticking out over top of the
cubicle. Truth is I wouldn’t survive a job where I couldn’t interact with
people on a second to second basis, or a job where every day had the potential
to be the same. I need to teach and I love to teach.
Sports are another huge part of what makes me me. I learned
a lot through my experiences on the court and field. Growing up tall my hopes
and dreams of being a Jockey were crushed young (not that they really were
great aspirations anyways). Basketball came pretty naturally as did volleyball
around grade 7 when I truly learned how to control my lanky appendages that
seemed to sprout longer each night I went to sleep. High school sports make up
many of my most memorable experiences and a ton of life lessons. I hope to
bring these same experiences to students through my teaching career. In
University I had the opportunity to play varsity basketball in year 1 but found
myself overwhelmed and stepped down from the team. In 4th year I
refreshed my passion for Rugby when I successfully tried out for the varsity
team and spent a season on the field with the girls. Finally my greatest sport
passion is skiing. I don’t think that I have yet found a better way to reflect
or find myself than in the back country of the Rocky’s miles away from civilization
with a thermos of tea.
I hope through this you have gotten to know a little bit
about me as a student, athlete and small town girl. I look forward to this blog helping you get to
know me as a professional; both as an educator and learner. I will work to post
often and keep up to date with the experiences I encounter in the bright future
ahead of me.
“A small town is a place where there's no place to go where you shouldn't.”
Burt Bacharach
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