GEOS Victoria School & Staff

Manager's Message  

manager geos victoria esl school Warm greetings from GEOS Victoria! On behalf of all of the staff and students, I am very proud to welcome you to our city and our school.
 
Victoria is a great city to learn English in. The city is famous for its European culture, its architecture, natural beauty and international festivals. Canada’s second largest city, Victoria is devoted to fun and pleasure, and its central location in North America, close to many other North American centers, makes it an ideal place for a “language, culture, adventure” experience.
 
Like the international and cosmopolitan city it calls home, GEOS Victoria is also a mixture of students and staff from all over the world. With no nationality making up more than 20% of the full-time student population, you are sure to meet new friends from all over the world.
 
As a Accredited member of Languages Canada, we are proud to be able to teach you English. We are also members of Tourism Victoria, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), the CEC Network, the GEOS North America Network, and the GEOS International group of schools. We are also registered with the Federal Government of Canada.
 
Our administrative staff and teachers are motivated by the idea of offering excellent service from the moment we first hear from you. We will help you with your choice of courses, accommodation options, visa questions, trip preparations, airport pickup, first day of school, counseling sessions, course evaluations, graduation ceremony, and even your departure from our beautiful city. Your education, satisfaction and happiness are our reason for being.
 
Come learn English (ESL) with us, and experience Canada's West Coast culture by living an adventure in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. You are always welcome in Victoria!
 

GEOS Victoria Staff

 

School Manager, GEOS Victoria ESL School Staff Matthew Chisholm
School Manager
From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada, Manager Matthew Chisholm has lived in Victoria for 13 years and happily calls the city home. His background is in ESL, having taught overseas for 4 years and here in Victoria for another 12 before starting his career in Educational Management. He has been lucky enough to travel to many of the countries from which our students come, and appreciates both the opportunities of international travel, and the challenges it presents to all of our students. His great joy is in helping students with their adjustment to the country, the city, and the school. You just might get a free English lesson as well.

 

Operations Coordinator, GEOS Victoria ESL School Staff Tomoko Rummel
Operations Coordinator
From: Tokyo, Japan
Born in Tokyo Japan, Tomoko Rummel is GEOS Victoria’s Operations Coordinator and has been with the GEOS Global Network for more than 11 years. She has worked in GEOS Japan as well as GEOS Vancouver, and has been with the GEOS Victoria School since 2001. Tomoko loves nothing more than to help our ESL students have the best experience possible. She does this by constantly advising, motivating and counselling our students, especially those who are in our High School Preparation Program.

 

Marketing Coordinator, GEOS Victoria ESL School Staff Soo-Jin Kim
Marketing Coordinator
From: Seoul, Korea
As a former ESL student studying in Victoria, British Columbia, Soo-Jin Kim (Soo) fell in love with this city. Born in Seoul, Korea, but raised in Tokyo, Japan, Soo is very open-minded to a multi-cultural environment. She is also completely fluent in 3 languages: English; Korean; & Japanese. Soo is our International Student Counsellor and has worked for GEOS Victoria for more than 3 years. She is always busy talking with students, counselling and helping them. Soo always tries to remember all the students’ names so that she can welcome them as members of the GEOS Victoria family; so, all of our students feel at home and safe while they are studying with us.

 

Academic Coordinator, GEOS Victoria ESL School Staff Cheryl House
Academic Coordinator
From: Canada
Cheryl House, our Academic Coordinator, has always been passionate about language and culture, so an ESL career made perfect sense.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in the teaching of English. Cheryl’s ESL journey began in Costa Rica where she taught at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica for more than 6 years.  While living there, she also became fluent in Spanish, so she has an understanding of what it means to be a second language learner in another country.  She is grateful for this experience because the knowledge of another language has opened many doors, allowing her to travel abroad and to learn about other cultures and people. Her goal is to inspire GEOS students to find their own success and to become passionate, lifelong learners so that doors will open for them as well.

 

Student Services Coordinator, GEOS Victoria ESL School Staff Caitlin Tally
Student Services Coordinator
From: Canada
Caitlin, our Student Services Coordinator, has always been passionate about helping others, music, and meeting people of different cultures. She has lived in Quebec and Taiwan, and spent time in Nepal, Spain, and Mexico. These places have showed her what it’s like to be immersed in another culture and another language. A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Bishop’s University, and teaching ESL in Taiwan and Nepal has helped Caitlin to understand the needs of her students. She strives to find them the best host family possible, and fully experience the city of Victoria and all the amazing activities it has to offer. She loves getting to know each and every student and organizing weekly adventures around Victoria like tours to Butchart Gardens, bike tours, karaoke, and whale watching!

 

GEOS Members