Michelle Dengate, Local CoordinatorOntario, London

I am the Local Coordinator for London, Ontario and I am so excited to have this opportunity!

After completing my Bachelor of Education at Nipissing and Laurier University I was offered a job teaching and am currently a core French teacher for grades 4-8 as well as a part time tutor.

Outside of work I love hiking, gardening and exploring out in nature in general. I also am a huge fan of travelling and have had the chance to do a few trips that have greatly impacted my life! I have had the chance to see most of Canada, the States, France, Belgium, Ukraine, Thailand and the Netherlands.  I am a big fan of the beach and find myself there often throughout the summer. Lastly, my husband and I love hosting friends and family and are often the 'entertainers' amongst our group of friends. Growing up in a Russian household we always had someone over and cooked big meals together and shared time, so that is something that I continue to be passionate about. 

I have started working with MLI just recently and I am so excited about this new role. I have always been passionate about international travel, sharing and experiencing new cultures. I have had the chance to experience an exchange myself when I was younger; I travelled to France and stayed there with a family for 3 months during the school year. It was the most exciting and life changing moment in my life and I am forever grateful that I had the chance to do so. I also believe in the importance of sharing cultures and learning about new ones as my background is from a Russian/Ukrainian family. On top of my Russian upbringing, I also participated in French school from kindergarten through to university, which has allowed me to proudly say that I am trilingual (to varying degrees).

One part of the Local Coordinator position that I have grown to love is the connection I get to make with my community and seeing all of the diversity that Canada has to offer to international students. I believe that international education is so important as our world continues to grow and become ever more connected. I know from personal experience as well as extensive research that being immersed into a culture is the fastest way to learn the language and understand the community on a deeper level, and that is why I believe in the homestay experience so much!