Hi there! My name is Jillian Hayes. I was born in Vancouver but raised in beautiful Kamloops, British Columbia. Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be in a role where I had the opportunity to connect with kids. I have always enjoyed creating spaces where children flourish. As I journeyed through high school, many ideas flowed through my head. For a while, I had thought about being a child psychologist or pediatrician. Once I graduated in 201,6, I was unsure of what I wanted to do and decided to take a gap year where I worked in the retail industry, saving money to hopefully travel.
Once my gap year had ended, I had the urge to travel. My dad encouraged me to take a few classes at the local university (TRU) before travelling to get an idea of post-secondary studies nd see what I was interested in. I decided to go for it and took a few intro classes (English, Sociology and Psychology). I greatly struggled with these courses, finding them to be boring, and I feared that I wasn’t ready for university. I decided to travel in February of 2018. I packed up my bags and went to Australia for 4 months and Bangladesh for a month. I am very grateful for these opportunities to experience other cultures. While away, I felt even more unsure of what I wanted to do. However, I knew I had a passion for learning, growing and helping people, especially kids.
When I returned, I decided to work part-time while giving the university one more chance. I greatly struggled with focus, motivation and had a lot of self-doubt. Eventually, I reached out to accessibility and received the support I realized I needed. It wasn’t that I wasn’t “fit” for school; it was that I did not have the support I needed. From that day forward, I knew I wanted to help people. When 2020 came around, I was still unsure of where my path was leading. At the time, I had thought about becoming a realtor. This dream faded when I began working with the After School Sports and Arts Initiative (ASSAI) programs in 2021. Immediately, I realized I wanted to become a teacher.
This meant returning to school for a third time to upgrade courses. When I returned, I began excelling because I had a strong passion for becoming a teacher. I know what it is like to struggle in school and feel different. My goal is to help students who are confused and left doubting themselves. During this time I worked at Canucks Autism Network and Insight Support Services. Most recently, I began volunteering with Sun Peaks Adaptive Snow Sports. Each of these opportunities fueled my passion for accessibility. I am passionate about breaking barriers in the school system so it can become a place where everyone’s needs are met. My goal is to advocate for my students while encouraging them to become advocates for themselves and others. I want to create a space where children learn critical and creative thinking skills while finding their passions in this world. Aside from helping children flourish, I am a big lover of all things outdoors. I love to ski, mountain bike and hike. I found that classic sports like basketball and volleyball were never my strong suit. However, I loved to swim and competed in high school. I joined swimming in grade 9 with little to no abilities. I started swimming with the 5-year-olds and used that as motivation to excel. Eventually, I was swimming with the 12-year-olds and soon was swimming in my age category. I didn’t let my ability stop me from trying. Instead, I practiced and practiced demonstrating resilience, determination and tenacity. It’s never too late to learn something new.