Master of Education Graduate Chelsi Ryan

Before starting her EdD at Werklund, Chelsi obtained her Office Administration Certificate from Keyano College and a Bachelor of Elementary Education with Distinction from the University of Alberta. Chelsi currently works as a teacher with Fort McMurray Public School Division and hopes to continue to serve in education, eventually working with pre-service Education Assistants and Teachers, and continuing to find growth in her current roles. 

Why did you choose to study at the Werklund School of Education?

The flexibility of online Master's degree opportunities, combined with dynamic topics that met my interests. Moreover, the opportunity to ladder my program meant that I could work around my growing family and professional commitments while still completing milestones. 

How did you arrive at your thesis topic? What drew you to that particular area of focus? 

Because I was born and raised in one community, I have always felt a significant place-based connection to Fort McMurray. In 2016, Wood Buffalo experienced the largest natural disaster evacuation in Canadian history. It was followed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and then, amidst that, a 1:100-year flood that decimated our downtown core. Considering how to form connections to place, after it has been ruptured by natural disasters, and the resulting enskillment and learning in-situ from these became natural extensions of my own meaning-making and healing. 

Who is someone who had an important influence on your experience at Werklund? Tell us about their impact. 

Aubrey Hanson, Polly Knowlton Cockett, Darren Lund, and Jennifer Markides each stand out to me as influential for their part in the Curriculum as Divergence topic. They were each outstanding in their instruction, course offerings, ongoing support in research and publishing, and building online learning communities. I think about their contributions to my professional practice regularly, in addition to the cohort that made up the Curriculum as Divergence 2019-2020 group. 

What is the most important lesson you learned from your graduate studies experience? 

The concept of contextual place-based teaching transformed my educational practice and worldview. 

Where has your education from the Werklund School of Education taken you in your career?

I continue to teach with the Fort McMurray Public School Division, lead professional learning opportunities, coordinate outdoor education, and volunteer actively with the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo and Ihkapaskwa Wellness Collective advocating for rural and indigenous services in Wood Buffalo. In 2019, I received a Top 50 Under 50 recognition from YMM Magazine, and in 2020 received the Fort McMurray Public School Division's Edwin Parr Award. I also published Place on Fire: A Curriculum of Resiliency in the Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education in 2020. 

Outside of Werklund, what are your favourite pastimes? 

I am an active volunteer who is passionate about equitable rural services. I enjoy hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and being in the woods. In my very spare time, I have been learning to do beadwork and continue the quilting practice my nan taught me before her passing. 

What advice would you give to those about to begin their graduate studies journey? 

I would encourage them to get connected to their instructors, even if they are online, to take them up on digital office hours, seek opportunities to connect to the university and their course work peers. This is where the real work and growth happens!