About Me

My name is Monika Kuster. I am 23 years old, and I am almost finished my first year of the Bachelor of Education program at Thompson Rivers University. Before moving to Kamloops, I come from Abbotsford British Columbia but have been living in Kamloops British Columbia since September of 2014. Moving to Kamloops was the best decision I have ever made, the opportunities I have received since moving here have paved the way for my future as an educator. Previous to my acceptance into the Bachelor of Education program, I was an undergrad student at Thompson Rivers University. I majored in History and Minored in English Literature and a concentration in creative writing, in the hopes of one day using my degree to teach High School. My dream is to one day have a classroom either for a grade 6 or 7 class, or to teach History and Creative Writing at the high school level.

From a very young age, I knew that working with children was my passion. I found extreme solace in school and felt as though it was the place I belonged the most. I had two teachers in high school that changed the way I viewed myself and education. The passion they displayed every day for not only their jobs but the students they had, inspired me to channel that same energy and passion in my own life. One of those teachers took me under his wing and supported my  It was then in my peer tutoring black in high school that I felt drawn to the world of teaching. I began my work with kids in the space of daycare employee and volunteer camp counsellor on Vancouver Island. After my first summer as I camp counsellor, I was hooked. Every job I had after that paled in comparison to that summer. After my move to Kamloops, I began my employment with the Kamloops YMCA-YWCA. I rekindled and fed the fire of my passion for working with children. I moved up from a part-time employee to a Summer programmer and site supervisor. I have spent over 3 years and am going on my 4th summer with the YMCA. I have forged so my relationships with the parents and families along with my co-workers and superiors. It has been such a joy to watch the children in the program grow and flourish and I feel blessed to have to opportunity to spend time with them. I have been myself grow not only in my relationships but my confidence and knowledge of children and how to manage challenging behaviours and difficult situations. I know that I still have so much to learn, but I truly am grateful for the foundation I have been given through my work. I am extremely excited to see what the next steps of my education have in store for me.

I feel extremely blessed and privileged to be in the place I am in my life, and I could not have done it without help from a vast group of people.