A ROCK STAR OF THE EDUCATIONAL WORLD: Billan won the Leaders and Legends Award from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 2016, her talk on The Future of Education at TEDx was highly lauded and later adapted into a workshop for Ontario students and she delivers regular keynotes to the educational sector. She is also the president and CEO of Jobs in Education, a for-profit job board bringing together candidates and employers in the educational world.

FREQUENT SPEAKING AND MEDIA APPEARANCES: Dr. Billan is a contributor for the leadership channel on Forbes.com and has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Thomson Reuters, HR Professional Now,The Canadian Teacher Magazine, Global Citizen Digest, Metro News, Huffington Post, City Life Magazine, and Educon among other publications. She is represented by National Speakers Bureau. This book was based on a TEDX Nova Scotia talk that she delivered called ""Who do you want to be when you grow up?"" that has received 16,000+ views on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch—v=NDp8Lv9C1SU)

A STORY FEATURING DIVERSE CHARACTERS: Some of the main characters in the book are people of colour, including the protagonist's mother and teacher, so it highlights diverse ethnicities in a positive, nuanced way. Billan herself is an honouree of the Sikh Centennial Foundation, recognized for making significant contributions to the Sikh community.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE MATERIALS: A lesson plan, teacher's guide, and parent's guide are all available as free downloads from the author's website. Billan has also published French and Spanish editions of the book. Who Do I Want To Become? is for anyone, of any age, who has been stumped by the question of what they—re going to be when they grow up.
A class project is due, and Dylan is struggling with the question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Ultimately, he realizes that it's who you are that matters the most.
Who Do I Want To Become? is a refreshing new take on a question asked time and time again. One that invites us to discover something wonderful about ourselves that has nothing to do with what you want to be and everything to do with who you are and who you want to be.

Rumeet Billan's profile page

Dr. Rumeet Billan is an award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, learning architect and humanitarian. At the age of twenty-five, and again three years later, Rumeet was named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network. She has been profiled as a Generation Entrepreneur by Forbes.com, and her work has been featured in the Globe and Mail and The Financial Post . Rumeet is the President and Chief Learning Architect of Viewpoint Leadership where she has designed and facilitated programs, courses, and training sessions across industries and sectors. She has delivered several TEDx talks, and her talk on The Future of Education at TEDx in Halifax, Nova Scotia was highly lauded and later adapted into a workshop for Ontario students, titled, Who do you want to be when you grow up? “. She provides a platform that encourages youth, women, communities and organizations to envision what could be possible. Rumeet lives in Oakville, Ontario.

"An everyday household story beautifully written and warmly illustrated. In an increasingly fast-paced and tech-oriented world, all kids and grown-ups need to pause and be reminded of this book's much-needed message — be a true citizen of the world, who is kind, compassionate, and giving."
Komal Singh , program manager at Google and author of Ara the Star Engineer

" Who Do I Want to Become? is the shift in conversation that is required for 21st-century leadership that will be valuable for young and old alike. This book is a meaningful conversation to have with children at a young age, just as they're beginning to assess how the world works and their place in it — a lesson that adults in today's society will also gain valuable insight from. Rumeet's book challenges gender stereotypes, allowing children to broaden their scope of possibilities as they look to take on the world!
Steve Mesler , Olympic gold medalist, 3-time Olympian, and co-founder & CEO of Classroom Champions

"Rumeet Billan's charming book encourages children to think about their values and the impact they want to have on the world. Who Do I Want to Become? is a playful, entertaining read that helps differentiate between the things we do and the kind of person we choose to be. This book places value on one's character instead of one's job title — an important distinction to make, and an important concept for children to understand."
Heather Moyse , 2-time Olympic gold medalist, empowerment specialist, and author of Redefining “Realistic?

" Who Do I Want to Become? is an entertaining and insightful book that helps reframe conversations young people have about the future and their place in it. Author Rumeet Billan has infused the main character, Dylan, with the natural curiosity and imagination characteristic of children as they attempt to define who they are. Who Do I Want to Become? will ignite dialogue about core values, beliefs, and the impact that young people have on our civil society."
Michael Salvatori , Educator and author of numerous FSL student resources