My name is Gitsga, I come from Haida Gwaii and am of Haida ancestry. I have come back to school in my thirties to get a degree in Communications to help fulfill my dream of becoming an English teacher in Japan. I trained as a machinist at BCIT, but realized my dream shortly after finishing my training. I also have a certificate in Small Business Operations from the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.
My interests include Japanese culture, specifically that of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. I feel like they share a connection with my people as we have many similarities, and if I were to continue my schooling I would want to pursue research on the similarities of our peoples. Interestingly, while I do know my native language, I consider Japanese to be my second language, and I believe that teaching English in Japan will be a good chance for me to deepen my language skills. Languages are a major interest of mine, and I am always trying to learn words and phrases from new languages. I also developed a passion for photography thanks to my degree. As part of the BCDJ I took a photography class and found I have a gift for lighting and composition. I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures of subjects I found interesting, and learning that my skills were a gift only served to amplify my hobby. One day I hope to turn my photography into something more.