Andrew Kirk

My name is Andrew Kirk. I am currently a substitute teacher with Edmonton Public and teach at the University of Alberta.

I grew up in a relatively small town in south Florida. I got married to a beautiful Albertan and have four active young kids -- that's how I can endure these crazy winters. I'm trained as a pharmaceutical chemist, which means that I got paid to make medication that helped people. Anyone who has been in science class with me knows that I love science, especially chemistry.

In the summer between my third and fourth years of university, my father had open-heart, multiple bypass surgery and my grandmother passed away. It was a very crazy time for us. I was only home for two brief trips when each of these happened. I was even helping my parents move when my dad had his heart attack and was rushed to hospital. It was very important for us to be together as a family during these difficult times. The support of close friends and family was crucial to getting through these hard times. I was in touch with my family even when I had to go back to a summer job in Boston, and the friends I lived and worked with were encouraging and supportive.

The defining choice that each of us face is how we will face the challenges that come our way. Each of us will have something that rocks our world, whether it is a failed class or the sickness or death of a friend or parent. And if it doesn't happen directly to us, it will likely happen to someone we know and care about. Our choice will be how we will deal with the circumstance. How will we face the challenge? We can choose to have hope and hold onto the things we value most. Or we can choose to despair, give up, or become bitter. As I mentioned above, it is important to surround ourselves with people -- friends and family -- who also share these values and will encourage and believe in us.