Shaji Suganthan

In my capacity as a teaching assistant, my primary responsibility is to provide support to Montessori teachers with their day-to-day activities. I encourage students to work independently and extend aid only when they have exerted effort but are still unable to complete a task. In addition, I facilitate their learning by aligning it with their interests and fostering their creativity. Furthermore, I supervise students during aftercare until their parents arrive to pick them up.

My experience as a Volunteer Tutor at Youthlink Pathways to Education has enabled me to continuously grow as a professional. Every week, I interact with diverse students with unique personality traits and backgrounds. This role provides a secure environment for high school students to complete their academic assignments. During my tenure with this organization, I provided support to students with their academic tasks and offered assistance wherever necessary. The main objective of this space is to create an environment that is welcoming and safe for students who come from low-income backgrounds and support them in fulfilling their academic needs. My work at Youthlink Pathways to Education has equipped me with essential skills in effective communication and flexibility.

As a student teacher at Alexander Mackenzie High School, I am responsible for assisting my mentor teacher in her daily activities. I shadow my mentor teacher and seek guidance to develop a comprehensive lesson plan for the students. It is noteworthy that I have already assessed assignments and designed a brief assignment for the upcoming AGO trip.

Working at Tommy Hilfiger has endowed me with a high level of adaptability to diverse roles. Although my assigned position was that of a cashier, my experience at the organization has enabled me to acquire skills that make me suitable for various departments. I have gained expertise in processing customer transactions and have been able to assist them with their shopping requirements. Effective communication is an indispensable aspect of this job, given that I interact with new customers on a regular basis. Through my interaction with customers, I have learned to develop my patience and handle difficult and impolite customers professionally, ensuring an amicable resolution and customer satisfaction.

During my service at the post office, I garnered a wealth of valuable work and life skills. This job was quite demanding, given that it was always busy, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many customers came in feeling stressed and worried because of the deadly virus. Additionally, there were often delays in delivering customers' items, and sometimes items got lost. As a result, I had to clarify to customers what had occurred and find a solution to problems that were not directly caused by me. Overall, this job was fast-paced and challenging, but it helped me develop the ability to work swiftly and efficiently under pressure while ensuring that customers remained satisfied.

I am pleased to share that I completed my Bachelor of Liberal Arts in English from York University in April 2023. I am currently enrolled in the Bachelor of Education program at the same institution and on track to complete my degree in April 2025.