About Me
I've spent my career trying to answer one question: what actually helps a person learn?
I first fell in love with helping others learn as a teaching assistant at the University of Toronto, turning complex material into lessons undergraduates could actually use to succeed in their programs. After completing my postgraduate degree and welcoming my first son, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Education program to become a credentialed teacher. From there, I spent 17 years as an Ontario Certified Teacher across K–12, working directly with students at every stage of development — from the first sparks of literacy to the pressures of university applications. That classroom experience taught me something no textbook could: every student already has the raw ability to succeed. What they're usually missing isn't more instruction — it's clear, honest self-awareness and an understanding of how they learn best.
I took that same question outside the classroom. For nearly 10 years in corporate learning and development, I applied those same principles to adult learners, helping professionals build new skills, adapt to new roles, and perform at a higher level. Working across post-secondary, K–12 education, and corporate L&D gave me a rare, side-by-side view of how learning actually works across an entire lifetime — not just a single grade or job title.
That dual perspective is backed by a Master of Education, a Master of Science, and a certification in Adult Learning and Development, along with ongoing work at the leading edge of the field: I've contributed to international textbooks, served as an expert consultant for the Ontario College of Teachers, presented at OAGEE (Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education) conferences, and mentored both new faculty finding their footing and tenured teachers making the leap into corporate learning.
All of that experience points to the same conclusion: students don't need to be fixed — they need to be understood. That's the belief OptiMatrics is built on (the name itself comes from optimizing the insights gathered directly from each student), and it's why I use tools like the Kolbe Y™ and Kolbe A™ Index to help students and parents finally see, in plain language, the instinctive strengths that have been there all along.
