Kevin DeSoete (‘11 BCom, ‘20 BEd) began volunteering with the University of Alberta English Language School in 2018. An active volunteer who is passionate about teaching, these experiences have helped to shape his future career and life path. 

Kevin began working with the ELS students as a way to help improve his own teaching skills during his Bachelor of Education degree. He started as a conversation club facilitator, an experience that allowed him to build connections with students from all over the world while practicing important teaching skills like public speaking and classroom management. He was able to interact with students both in the classroom and all over Edmonton, taking students to visit local landmarks like the Edmonton Art Gallery, or to the Taste of Edmonton festival.  

These were fantastic experiences for the students he was working with, but also for Kevin himself, providing a new lens through which to view his city. 

Kevin loves volunteering with the English Language School, and really appreciates the genuine sense of community that the instructors and staff create for their students. “It’s a natural, fun, welcoming environment,” he says, and that as a volunteer “You are going to learn something new about someone and have an awesome time - whether you volunteer for an hour, or three.”

Recently, Kevin moved to Hiroshima, Japan and works teaching English to high school students, his path largely inspired by his volunteer work at the University. His volunteer work has also come full circle with some of the same students he supported helping him adjust to living in a new country. 

Kevin’s advice to future volunteers: 

“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there to try new things and approach them with a positive attitude! 

With how busy life can get and all of the competing demands we face every day, I think it’s easy to see volunteering as just “working for free” and allocate our time to other responsibilities. Aside from the more obvious benefits that volunteering can have on helping others in our community, it’s important to remember that volunteering also encourages personal and professional growth, too. It gives us a chance to meet new people and develop new skills and experiences that we would otherwise miss out on. We can learn new things without the usual pressure of performance reviews or academic grades. 

There’s the saying that “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” so if you find a cause you love to volunteer with, who knows where it might lead you!”

In his free time, Kevin enjoys exploring new places and spending time with family and friends.

 

Find out more about the English Language School.