From the age of 10, Emily knew she wanted to be a teacher. As she grew up, her definition of education expanded, adapted, and changed. She has taught at summer camps, in rock climbing gyms, on ski hills, at independent schools, in a fishing town in Eastern Scotland, and most recently in Central London in the middle of a pandemic. She studied at Nipissing University, completing the Concurrent Education program before pursuing a Master of History at the University of Western Ontario. Emily strongly believes in community, and understands the importance of place in people’s lives. She believes that people of all ages can contribute knowledge and collectively build strong resilient communities.

Emily has many varied interests, and her main hobby is trying new hobbies. She loves to cook and garden, knit and do pottery, and has even been known to dabble in home renovation, thoroughly enjoying using power tools. She has a passion for the outdoors and the environment and is a certified ski and indoor rock climbing instructor. She feels most at home among huge trees in the quiet of nature, or speeding down a snow covered hill. Emily loves to experience slow travel, and some of her favourite travel memories relate to food, visiting local grocery stores and packing a picnic to be eaten on old battlements of castles or the shores of rivers. Emily doesn't watch a lot of TV, but has been known to repeatedly binge watch BBC history documentaries, especially Wartime Farm.