Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read more about me. My name is Travis Croken, and I hope to represent the community, students and teachers of Zone 11 as Trustee with the OCDSB, Public English. I am a long time resident of Zone 11, first in Courtland Park and now in Riverside Park, where I am involved in the Community Association. I am 38 years old, live with my wife, and two dogs and can often be found volunteering at or attending several of Ottawa’s great festivals. Many years ago I was involved in a life-changing accident, which left me with chronic pain, post-concussion syndrome, and walking with a cane. Going through several years of painful therapy and counselling to learn to accept my “new normal” has given me a unique perspective on life.
During my recovery, I had to come to terms with my new limitations and decide whether to give in or find a new sense of meaning and accomplishment. I took on the challenge of moving forward from the accident and began to focus on writing, and creating a new life. Finding success, I started to reach out to my community and volunteer. Now I am following in the footsteps of my grandfather, who served several years as the Trustee for Kensington Elementary School in P.E.I.
Currently, I am a writer, citizen-scientist, mentor, and participate with several charities to help people around the globe. My charitable work, as well as my volunteer work, has offered me exposure to cultures and traditions from across the world. I understand cultural differences and see the need for greater understanding in our schools. When we account for and celebrate our differences and strengths, we grow as a society. When these values become everyday practice, across all the school boards, our children become united and unstoppable.
I feel my passion for Ottawa and my community involvement allows me to be a great role model. I approach everything in my life with tenacity and refuse to be cowed by barriers. Learning to live with an acquired disability means that faced with an obstacle I do everything I must to find another way. It is this ethic and passion that I wish to use to carry your voice to the School Board. I will stand firm and fight to give all our children every opportunity to succeed in life.