Allison Bourke

Job Description

My main job is a business owner of a tutoring company that helps students catch up or get ahead. I interact with all types of personalities, from ages 2.5 up to 70, between the interactions with students, teachers, parents and grandparents.

My other "jobs" are a commercial model and voiceover artist. Modelling for local companies as well as some online and I am one of the voices you may hear on an audiobook.

Relevant School Subjects

• Business
• English

Areas of Expertise

• Childcare
• Education/Training

Career Story

In my younger years and throughout highschool, I was a dancer, dancing with the National Ballet of Canada for most of my teen years. My first job was working at Burger King in grade 9 as well as East Side Mario's in grade 12 and into college. After I graduated with my college diploma in Early Childhood Education, I worked at a daycare in Toronto while attending York University full time where I studied Psychology. After I achieved my degree, I headed to Japan to teach English as a second language. I was quickly promoted to the head of the Kids department and I stayed there for two years. While in Japan, I completed my Masters in Child Psychology remotely thorugh York Univeristy, which was a lot harder to do back in 2005.

When I came back to Canada in 2006, I started teaching in the Junior/Senior Kindergarten program at Oxford Learning to cover a maternity leave, but I ended up staying on after the year was up to continue part-time in the tutoring progam. At that time, I also started a new Job at St. Monica's place - a school for pregnant or new teen mothers where I was in charge of the infant room.

After a few months, just before my probation ended, I was fired from St. Monica's....On Valentine's day with zero explanation. To this day it sits with me and I always explain to my team members the why behind my decisions.

I ended up full time again at Oxford, splitting my time between some administrative duties and the JK classroom. Fast forward to 2013 and the opportunity to purchase the business arose. I leapt at the chance after pulling together some funds from various sources. I've been the owner now for 10 years.

In 2021, a good friend of mine who owns local modelling agency Gemini convinced me to try a photoshoot and that I should model. "You're curvy and pretty she said" so I gave it a try. I was booked for paying jobs and enjoyed it and it's proving to be a nice supplemental income. Recently I was at a competition and was signed by a second agency in New York for music and modelling so we'll see where that takes me. So far, I have enjoyed some opportunities on the Marilyn Denis show, and am headed to New York next month.

I also just finished voicing an audiobook....Accounting, so I wouldn't reccommend though.