Meet the Team: Ms. Katherine Mikes

What made you want to be part of the GNS community?

I joined the GNS community in 2018 after hearing about the school from friends who were already working here. They spoke highly of the IB program and loved the community of teachers and staff that work here!

How did you choose teaching as the right path for you?

I was asked this question on my first job interview and after thinking about it for a minute, my response was something along the lines of “I’ve always been teaching”. I was a tutor in high school and then a swimming instructor and summer camp counsellor and leader before I became a teacher. After graduating with my BSc, I worked for a couple of years in the sustainability field and ended up designing education outside the classroom workshops on a variety of ecology topics. I loved working with the school classes to deliver the workshops and decided to go back to school to get my teaching degree.

What are some of your interests outside of school?

I enjoy travelling, yoga, rock climbing, hiking and camping, relaxing on a beach with a good book, spending time with friends and family, a relaxed coffee on a holiday morning—it’s even better if I can combine a few of these activities.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I travelled to so many countries in such a short period of time that there wasn’t enough room to list them on my visa applications. I have dual citizenship—Canada and the Czech Republic

What do you like about living and working in Victoria?

I love being able to get into the outdoors to hike or go to the beach so quickly and easily. There’s so much to experience on Vancouver Island that I try to explore somewhere new every summer.

What made you become a Science (biology) teacher? 

I’ve always enjoyed science and was inspired by my biology and physics teachers in high school to complete a BSc at UBC in marine and microbiology. I still love learning about new applications of science, especially if I can apply them in my daily life or share them with my students.

Thank you Ms. Mikes for taking the time to answer these questions, and for making biology fun and “humerus” with all your puns.