“Who are you and why are you here?”

Once upon a time…I suppose.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I first stepped through the doors of the bright orange building that was (then) Grant McEwan College’s Jasper Place campus here in Edmonton.  Having been homeschooled through elementary and secondary school, I wasn’t sure how I would fit into a classroom. For a lover of words and writing, the Professional Writing program seemed like a good place to start.

And then?

I spent the next few years learning about grammar, rhetoric, proofreading, copy editing, different forms of writing, and so much more. I discovered that business communications were NOT my thing and that I loved editing. I made friends who showed me different perspectives on the world.

Sidetracked

A couple of years into my studies, I accidentally met the love of my life. We had a baby together. I attended classes, bussing across the city, until a day or two before I went into labour. I took as many classes as possible online from that point.

I got married and kept studying.

I had another baby. I wrote some blog posts for a friend’s website and I got proofreading practice volunteering for a local magazine (Birth Issues).

When I graduated with my degree, I ultimately chose to stay home with my children rather than work full time only to have my entire income go to childcare costs.

Brain fog and reemerging.

I went on to have more children, including a “covid baby”, and lost myself a little in the survival stages of parenthood.

Just before my 35th birthday, I was diagnosed with ADHD. My birthday present to myself was lifechanging medication.

Slowly, I started to rediscover who I was outside of motherhood.

I joined the board of my community league and found out that using my writing and editing skills to build connections felt amazing.

Final steps.

In 2023, I started working towards a Professional Editing Standards Certificate from Queens University. One course at a time, I remembered how much I loved editing. I confirmed that proofreading and copy editing were the areas that I wanted to focus on, and that structural editing irritates me (for now).

So, here I am.

Finally.