Susan Peng-Cowan is a Prevention/Intervention specialist at Hudson’s Bay High School in the Vancouver school district.

How long have you worked for ESD 112 and what does your job entail?
I started working for ESD 112 in 2004.  I took a personal leave at one point, during which I had a couple of babies, and also worked for my local school district for a few years.

What do you like best about your job?
I love working with students daily and hearing their amazing stories of hope and resiliency.  It is such a privilege to have an opportunity to “be the kind of person you needed when you were younger.”

What do you find most challenging about your job?
It can be challenging to juggle the needs of a large school – namely, finding the time to balance prevention work, while attempting to provide the proper levels of support for young students struggling with substance abuse and mental health needs.

Single? Married? Kids? Pets?
Married to Dan with 3 fun and crazy boys and a black and white Lhasa Apso mutt named Panda.

What do you enjoy doing with your free time?
I enjoy travel, theatre, international dining, cooking, exploring new cities, and taking my boys on many adventures.  Anything unique, new, and adventurous, I’m there!

What is the funniest thing that you heard or saw recently?
With three boys in the house, the youngest wears a lot of hand-me-downs. He saw an old picture of his older brother in the house, and exclaimed in an annoyed manner “Hey! Why were you wearing my swimsuit?!”

Would you rather live in the city or the woods? Why?
I am the epitome of a city girl, and much more comfortable in the inner city than in the country.  I would get mauled by lions if I lived in the woods.  Wait, do lions even live in the woods?  I’ll have to google that.

If you could abolish one piece of modern technology, what would it be and why?
The alarm clock, because 6:30am is too early to be at high school.  Oh, and wireless Bluetooth headsets.

If you had been born the opposite gender, what would your parents have named you?
My parents had a girl first, and were really hoping for a boy. So, they named me Peter. When they found out that I was a girl, they settled on Susan, based on the ease of pronunciation.

What was your most interesting past job?
At the age of 19, I started a job as a youth educator for American Red Cross Bay Area, teaching classes in every K-12 school in San Francisco.  I taught in over 100 schools – everything from “Safety Sue” to Kindergarteners, to earthquake preparedness, and CPR at high schools.  I facilitated a community team of youth engaged in emergency services who responded to disasters, staffed leadership camps, and hosted international interns every summer from a variety of different countries.  It was SO much fun and set a foundation for non-profit and a lifelong career in youth services and community engagement.