Meet the ESA!

For undergraduate students in the Werklund School of Education, connecting to the student association is much more than joining a group of like-minded individuals for fun and interesting activities. Sure, it’s all that, but it’s also the point where the pre-service teachers connect to professional organizations, take part in professional development  activities, and attend networking events to prepare them to enter the world of education.

Here’s the description the Education Students’ Association (ESA) presents on its website:
“The Education Students’ Association is the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) student local for the University of Calgary. We are the representative body for the over 900 undergraduate students enrolled in the Werklund School of Education as well as the local membership of ATA Student Local No. 2. Through our student executive council, the ESA endeavours to assist our members in becoming active participants of the ATA, all the while advancing the interest of every Werklund undergraduate student.”

Over the course of the academic year, the ESA will host a range of events and activities; in fact the leadership team already has more than 30 professional development, networking, and social opportunities scheduled.

In September, scheduled sessions include:

• September 15 - Engaging Aboriginal Youth by The Native Centre
• September 17 - Preventing and Dealing with Bullying and Cyber bullying by The ATA
• September 22 - Mathematics for Deep Understanding by The Galileo Educational Network
• September 29 - Exploring Space with your Students at The Rothney Observatory

(The ESA says there may be more events announced, so it’s important for members to check in regularly)

Annual memberships are available for all education undergraduates. These memberships provide access to the resources of the ATA as well as the wide array of events and services hosted by the ESA executive council. The ESA is quick to remind that second year students must be ESA members in good standing to attend the annual Teachers' Convention in February of 2016. Students can purchase memberships in the ESA office in the Education Tower, Room 202B, inside the Student Work Area.

Meet the Team

So, who are the ESA Executive for the 2015-16 year?

President - Lora Stead

Lora completed her Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Calgary, before entering and completing a Master of Arts in English at the University of Western Ontario. After realizing her passion for teaching while working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at UWO, she began supplementing her knowledge of education with several professional development workshops and certificates. Lora has taught in university and college settings, as well as tutored individuals of all ages. She used this experience as part of her decision to return to the University of Calgary to specialize in English Education. She is excited about the opportunities available to her within Alberta schools in the K-12 setting. As the President of the 2015/16 ESA, Lora hopes to supplement students’ experience in the WSE by putting theory and practice in conversation through PD’s, colloquia, student-faculty engagement, and an attention to the changing role of teachers in Alberta. Lora hopes to bring her passion for leadership, volunteerism, and her dedication to Alberta learners to fostering a welcoming environment for all ESA members.

Vice President, VP Finance - Winni Gill

Winni completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at the University of Calgary and is currently specializing in Secondary Social Studies. She volunteers with The Calgary Immigrant Educational Society, YWCA Employment Services and at schools in the Tsuu T’ina Nation to name a few. She has a passion for the environment, interior design and anything political. As an individual who is meticulous, organized and loves charts and graphs, Winni feels that both the ESA Vice President and VP Finance positions are a perfect fit. 

VP Administration - Emily Catsirelis

Emily is a Mount Royal University graduate with a degree in English. Inspired by her elementary teachers growing up, she has aspired to be an educator since she was a little girl and is excited to embark on this lifelong goal. Emily is enthusiastic about teaching and learning at the primary level, specializing in Early Childhood Education and eager about early literacy in particular. When she is not volunteering at schools within Calgary, she enjoys tutoring students in English Language Arts, as well as volunteering with Calgary Reads and Between Friends. With this focus, Emily is eager to take on the role as VP Administration.

VP Professional Development - Dani Taylor

Dani completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Calgary, and she was honored to receive the “Werklund School of Education Community Engaged Leadership Scholarship” to complete her Bachelor of Education. Her inspiration to teach was sparked by volunteer work with chronically ill youth. She hopes to continue to empower young people through education.

As the VP of professional development, Dani hopes to encourage student engagement in PD sessions aimed at diversifying our knowledge as educators.
When you can’t find Dani at school or work, you may catch her at a hot yoga class or walking her dog to a gelato shop around the city.

VP Communications - Amanda Buckley

Amanda Buckley completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies at the University of Calgary in 2011. After working in her field for both the private and non-profit industry for the past four years, she made the choice to become an educator. Amanda specializes in inclusive elementary education and hopes to bring social justice and creative arts to the forefront of her practice. She currently volunteers with the YMCA's Aboriginal Active Life Pow-Wow Drum & Dance Program and at the Children's Adapted Physical Activity program. She continues to work in the marketing and communications industry and is excited to bring her knowledge and expertise to the Education Students' Association.

VP Volunteers - Chris Klune

Chris Klune is a born and raised Albertan, currently pursuing a concurrent degree in History and Secondary Social Studies Education, with added minors in English and South Asian Studies. At the University of Calgary Chris has been heavily involved with the Leadership and Student Engagement Office and is excited to serve as the Werklund School of Education Representative on the 73rd Students’ Legislative Council. In terms of education, Chris is interested in implementing role-playing pedagogies, building streams of collective consciousness within classrooms, and looking at comparative educational systems around the world. In his downtime, Chris enjoys listening to old-school hip-hop, playing squash and video games, and hiking. Taking a page from Taoist philosophy he also enjoys laying on the floor and thinking about the complexities of life.