The more you learn, the more you understand the significance that education can have in one’s life. For Michelle Thomas, education has been the key to making an impact, which is one of the reasons why she decided to pursue a career in it.
Michelle is a passionate educator with over 17 years of varied experienced in the education field. A graduate with a Master’s in Education from the University of Saint Joseph, Michelle has dedicated herself to teaching and program development. Currently, Michelle is working at the Ashton College head office as the Senior Education Administrator.
We sat down with Michelle to find out more about her career, her passion and her plans here at Ashton College.
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
Born in the US, Michelle (on the right, photo with Ashton staff) came to Canada for new learning opportunities. “My original plan was to attend UBC, but things worked out a little differently,” shares Michelle. “I met my husband here in British Columbia, and started working soon after that.”
Today, Michelle is happily married and is a proud mother of two daughters. But her family life never stopped her from pursuing education. On the contrary – Michelle had always known she wanted to pursue a career in the field of higher education. By the year 2010, Michelle had her MA in Education and several years of experience in curriculum planning and teaching.
“I began my education career in Canada,” says Michelle. “I taught for 4 years in BC before I received an opportunity to move on to the International Baccalaureate curriculum development for international schools.”
A dedicated self-starter, Michelle decided to pursue opening her own business in international education. “I worked closely with the Chinese government’s department of Youth Affairs, which served as the department of Education in China,” shares Michelle. “In several years, I was able to develop and operate an academic education centre, Learn with Me, Macau. The goal of the education centre was to help young students develop skills in the areas of problem-solving, language (English and Mandarin Chinese), business and communication. In fact, we were able to offer various programs to our students in Business English and Business Communication through the partnership with Cambridge,” she adds.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
Michelle was the CEO, Director and Principal of Learn with Me, Macau” for over 6 years. On top of that, she was in charge of resourcing, administration and Curriculum Project Management, while also teaching English as a second language. “It was an amazing experience that I am very thankful for,” shares Michelle. “I had grown both as an educator and as a program manager, and it was a big accomplishment for me. But I knew that my long-term plan was to return to BC – and my daughters also wanted to study and live in Canada. So I returned soon after transferring the management of the education centre to a team of leaders in China.”
Michelle has now spent over 15 years in teaching and program development. Her skills and experiences include in-class teaching, program development, student information systems management, curriculum writing, and senior education advisory.
During her time in the education industry, Michelle was able to focus on both in-class and online curriculum development. In fact, e-learning is something Michelle is still very passionate about. “Online studies and distance education open many possibilities for learning and professional development for people around the world,” says Michelle. “Current technological advancements make it almost impossible not to grow and develop in the direction of our personal and professional goals.”
“You never achieve success unless you like what you’re doing.” – Dale Carnegie
Now starting at Ashton College as its Senior Education Administrator (or, as she likes to call her role, Senior Education Adviser), Michelle is excited for what the future will bring.
“I always knew that senior education management was the field I wanted to be in, but finding the right college environment was really important for me,” she says. “I wanted to make sure that the institution I worked in had the values that I would be excited to represent: a strong base, dedication to excellence in curriculum along with hands-on learning opportunities, and focus on helping students get the most from their educational experiences. I found all of it at Ashton College.”
Michelle’s goal is to continue contributing to Ashton College programs, strengthening the curriculum and collaborating with instructors and governing bodies to ensure the quality of Ashton College’s education and practicum opportunities. As she herself puts it: “I see myself developing creatively with Ashton College, and it is very exciting.”
“When it comes to my role, my main objective is to ensure that our students are excelling in their respective areas after graduation,” she adds. “If students can use the skills and knowledge they developed here, then I believe my job was done well!”
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