Meet Our Resident Researcher

As part of our New Horizon for Seniors Grant, we allocated some funds for a research study to help us determine the effectiveness of our program. We recently were matched with a U of M Masters student to be our researcher. Andrew Augustyn is very excited to do this research as he is interested in the theme of mentoring for his M.Ed thesis. RTAM has sent out letters of invitation to hold interviews on his behalf to those who have signed up for the program. He will be doing two interviews this fall as part of his Qualitative Research Course and then completing our research with eight more interviews in February in order to meet our Grant Report requirements due in March. Enjoy reading his biography below.

Andrew Augustyn Autobiography

As a first generation Canadian growing up in the inner city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, I was not only learning how to speak English, but at a young age, realizing the importance of relationship building. This has become a staple in my successful experiences as a multi-sport athlete, such as when I represented Team Canada at the World Martial Arts Games in Killarney, Ireland where I received a Silver medal for our country. These experiences empowered me as a coach and teacher. My late Babcia inspired me with her mentorship, moments of learning with someone special, while enjoying a traditional Sunday with chicken soup.

While completing my Bachelor in Education and my Bachelor in Kinesiology through the integrated Education program at University of Winnipeg, I began applying my skills and knowledge to programming with the City of Winnipeg. I administered community drop in centers and facilitated summer camps. From these experiences, I transitioned to ultimately supporting the Career Education Program with Frontier School Division, mentoring students through recreation, career involvement and relationship building within Northern Communities.

My teaching experiences in both rural Manitoba and Winnipeg have inspired me to shape my understanding of inclusion and led me to gain a further understanding in career development, inclusiveness, psychology of human relationships, and universal design for learning as I graduated with a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Education from the University of Manitoba.

More recently, I have been a teacher for ten years, the last six of which have been at Gordon Bell High School. I currently teach a diverse portfolio of Grade 7-12 Physical/Health Education for students in such programs as English as an Additional Language, Special Education, the Learning Assistance Centre, the Adapted Skills Program and the Centre for Adapted Programming. I have continued to teach courses in Land-Based Learning and coach multiple sport teams over the years. As a graduate student pursuing a M. Ed in School Administration, I am an advocate for mentorship, servant leadership, and community building through collaboration. I will be completing a thesis in the near future incorporating these dimensions of human interactions among people in our ever changing world.

Educationally, Andrew Augustyn n