I am Rosa. Mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, support system, volunteer, resource and soon to be back to work. I am also an amputee learning to navigate life with a mechanical device and a sense of humour.

As an adult, I value the fine things in life – family & friends, health, honesty, integrity, hard work and communications. I value diversity, respect, compassion and team work.

As a parent and aunt of children in the education system (pre-school through to higher education), I have a greater value for life-long learning, as our children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces are attending school and preparing themselves for jobs that we can’t even begin to imagine. With this in mind, it’s no surprise than that I value trust, education, technology, partnership, communication, safety, volunteerism, transparency as well as accountability and networking. And why wouldn’t I? Many of these are in fact the tools of our trades regardless of how similar or how different or work may be? But our children and grandchildren will be pushing them above and beyond the boundaries. In addition, I give extra value to engaged parenting, and truly believe as did Margaret Mead, that it takes a whole village to raise a child.

As an amputee, I am always learning and give value for every opportunity to learn, teach, explore and share and very closely tied to my passion for education. Lately, I have found myself reawaken by all that surrounds me. The world I comfortably navigated was quickly & physically pulled out from underneath me as I entered a different kind of learning and my work life paused. And striking the pause button again, has suddenly me streaming to catch up to present day technology. while navigated so much of a unknown world that simply offers hints of familiarity. But this new place, one of resurgence, is going to be one of great learning and information sharing.

And this is me telling you, sharing with you and encouraging you, that the only walls around us. Are those we build around ourselves that prevent us from learning, growing and sharing. I hope that you will find these antidotes helpful for navigating through your own lives as engaged parents, life long learners whether able bodied or not. I hope that these can help inspire you, to set goals and learn new things.