My name is Soh-Lee, and I am an eager university student looking to expand my love for kids by pursuing a career in childcare! While living in Hamilton as a McMaster University student, I am originally from the quaint city of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. In Chatham, I grew up in a tight-knit family with my mum, my brother, cats, and a recent addition of my brother's dog! While there are only three of us in the humble apartment that I still come home to, that is not to say that I am not a part of a large family. Many of my fondest memories and life lessons come from camping trips that fostered my love for the outdoors, value in safety and excellent marshmallow roasting skills; Christmas parties where my patience, in all aspects, grew larger and larger each year; or playing with my cousins while our mums were playing soccer or having their monthly book club meeting which taught me cooperation and playfulness. I love hanging out with my friends when not spending time with family. As a graduate of the French immersion program, you become very close with your classmates, some of whom I am still friends with and see whenever I get the chance. I have met many of my friends throughout the years while playing sports. Soccer, gymnastics, and rugby have all given me friendships that I imagine growing old with, or at the very least, I hope to see do well in life. Not only has playing sports given me close relationships, it has also shaped me into the person I am today. Being half Dutch, my mum put me into soccer as soon as I could walk and thus, from an early age, I have been nourishing my natural hard-working, adaptable, and competitive nature. Additionally, as a gymnast, having only very few days off throughout the year, within the 4 years that I practiced competitively, I honed my committed and loyal character because even on the toughest days, I would still show up to practice. While soccer games took me at most two hours to get to and gymnastics competitions eight hours, rugby has by far travelled me the furthest. To date, rugby has taken me to Alberta, Nova Scotia, New York, Florida, England, and Wales. While I have rugby to thank for making me well-travelled, that is not to excuse the five-hour commute to practice that allowed me those opportunities. With all that to say, I am confident that I will travel any distance for something I am passionate about, be it family or athletics. In my spare time, when I'm not busy with school or sports, or when the friend groups' schedules do not align, I love passing my time by reading, crafting, watching movies, and baking, to name a few. I would love the opportunity to do these activities with your family!
Although I am a young adult, I have several years of experience working with children and taking on responsibilities of caring for homes and families, although none under the title of “nanny.” My background includes assisting in a daycare, babysitting, housesitting, dog sitting, assistant gymnastics coach, and volunteering as a rugby coach. With my exposure to such duties, I would like to further my natural abilities and passion for family care and take on a more serious role as a nanny.
My first experience taking care of kids was at my mum’s old daycare, run out of the comforts of her cousin’s home in Chatham, Ontario (my hometown). With this, I had the responsibility of making lunch, changing diapers, playing outside and walking to the park, as well as planning and making crafts and at most, I was looking after five toddlers at a time.
I have since also put my babysitter certification to use, as I was a babysitter for two siblings, a 5-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl, for one summer. This entailed keeping the house tidy, making the kids' lunches, playing with and supervising them in the pool, and planning fun activities. In addition to babysitting, I have also house-sat and pet-sat for two families over the years, for a week at a time while they were on vacation. These families trusted me to stay the week at their house, mainly to take care of their pets- feed them, take them for walks and play with them. What I also gave them was the reassurance that their home was not vulnerable to any disturbances.
Lastly, I have ample experience coaching kids of all ages and abilities. My first job was as an assistant gymnastics coach. As a Coach In Training, I was responsible for demonstrating proper form, helping come up with drills, but most importantly, creating a fun and engaging experience while maintaining a safe space in a hectic environment. Similarly, I helped with my local rugby club’s rookie rugby program. With this, I was either at the local pitch or at different elementary schools, teaching children the fundamentals of rugby with fun and competitive drills, all while emphasizing the importance of safety. Just recently, I have also volunteered with my high school’s boys’ rugby team. This was a learning moment not only for the boys, but for me as well, as these athletes were much older than what I was used to. Nevertheless, with my adaptability, I offered my knowledge and sportsman-like demeanour to assist athletes in their aspiring rugby careers.
