I have always craved novelty and new adventures. 

Ever since I was a kid, I have explored the creative side of myself through traditional and modern art mediums. From music to photography, to painting, I was always looking for a new perspective or new experience. Where I have found most of my inspiration is through  interactions with nature and wildlife. 

While outdoor adventures have easily inspired me, I have sought out a lot of direction and focused intently on the artistic skills I wanted to develop. But no matter what challenge came my way I am proud to say I have always found myself on solid ground. Which is how I ended up at New Territory.

Growing up, I was never certain on what I ever wanted to do for a career and I felt overwhelmed by the many different choices and opportunities you could consider. I had a lot of ideas but no single concrete choice of the profession I wanted to pursue.. I knew I enjoyed creative problem solving and taking on new challenges independently, but, simultaneously I also wanted to collaborate with like-minded people to come up with ideas for how to solve those challenges. 

I did at one point land on a concrete career path: to become an Automotive Mechanic. During my high school years I was determined to take on the diverse world of hands-on problem solving. But unfortunately, shortly after graduating, I endured an accident that altered my abilities and forced me to change career paths. Again, I found myself with no clarity on what direction I would take my career.   

I spent a lot of time thinking about my other interests and what opportunities would still challenge me, allow me to learn new skills and contribute to my future. I felt motivated to find a solution, and that motivation led me to (brace yourself) reptiles!

I had always wanted to be involved with wildlife, and decided I wanted to study the behaviour and care of reptiles. It was no short of a challenge and I was excited to get started. I began working with various kinds of lizards and geckos as well as traveled across the GTA to collaborate with other reptile keepers to improve quality of care and share new information about certain species.

 It quickly became a primary passion of mine, and since it allowed me to spend more time at home, also gave me the opportunity to focus on developing my artistic abilities. I was able to attend a full-year of college for Arts and Design, and it gave me the chance to learn beneficial skills that are a core responsibility of my position at New Territory today! Skills such as graphic design, photography, videography and creative writing are an important part of my day to day life, so I am excited to have the opportunity to integrate them into my career. 

My active search for better career opportunities and facing the challenges in front of me head on that truly led me to New Territory. My life has not lacked hardships, but without those past experiences I would not have learned how to adapt, persevere and overcome obstacles to find a new path to take. New Territory is just the place to continue developing my professional  skills, and I look forward to collaborating more with current employees and future clients on this journey.