My name is Ria Hollister and I am currently in my first year of the Bachelor of Education program. I’ve always had aspirations of becoming a teacher, however, for a large part of my life, I allowed my grades and school experiences define who I was. I am a 26-year-old woman and have been part of the Thompson Rivers University community for 9 years. It is important to note that being a teacher was not my first choice for my career, but was always a dream of mine. During my childhood years, I struggled with academics and in turn my educational mindset was negative. Directly out of high school, in 2011, I applied to the Culinary Arts program at Thompson Rivers University and achieved my cooking certificate. I worked at Storms on the River for three years after receiving my certificate and learned many valuable lessons and skills. However, there came a turning point, and I realized I needed to follow my dream of becoming a teacher. After many long conversations with my family, I decided to go back to school. The decision to return to post-secondary was one of the best decisions I have made; I began to excel with my academics and ended up becoming a much stronger and devoted individual because of this. I now realize to never let the negative mindset be the travel guide to your life’s journey. I continue to be passionate in my own kitchen and still love to cook. I am discovering new and inventive ways to present dishes and to experiment with a variety of flavours.
For the greater part of my life, I have equally split my time between living in Kamloops and Salmon Arm. Kamloops is where I was born and raised, as for Salmon Arm, this provides me with a space to live in the summer. I reside in a trailer by the lake all while working at the Sandbar Restaurant and Don Cherry’s Sports Bar to put myself through university. Beyond these two places, I love and continue to travel. Travelling has been a large part of my life and has added to my experiences. The mode of travel has mostly been by car, allowing an opportunity to stop and appreciate the beauty of the natural landscapes. As for leisure activities, I have a love for exploring the outdoors. I love to go fishing, both on the ice and by boat, and have always enjoyed swimming in lakes, and oceans. As for skiing, this is a hobby I recently began to take a liking to and continually try to improve and get over my fear of heights on the chairlift. My favourite activity for a past-time is to grab a back pack and take a hike around Kamloops or Salmon Arm; I am always finding new and exciting places to explore.
I will complete my Bachelor of Education degree in 2021 and am excited to begin my career as a teacher. My ideal place to find a job would be in the Kamloops area but I am open to the opportunity of finding a new area to call my home.