Nicole M’Carthy is a Grade 11 student at Western Canada High School who was nominated in the Leadership category for the 2014 ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards (a program of Youth Central). Nicole pulled through as one of three finalists, and ultimately received the award. I had the pleasure to sit down and chat with Nicole about the experiences that have led her to where she is today. As I was also on the YODA steering committee, it was amazing to be able to put a personality to the sheet of paper we received months ago.
“Nicole M’Carthy not only speaks of change, she initiates it and she never misses an opportunity to be part of a process that will lead to positive change. A visit to her native country of Ghana left an impression and led her to question why disparities in quality of life exist among countries and people. She came to the realization that education was a vehicle that could not only free the mind but also empower people and improve their quality of life. Nicole has made education the cornerstone of her activism both locally and abroad.” – YODA 2014 Bio
I continued my tradition of holding interviews at the Devonian Gardens, and I must say that Nicole is definitely model material. We had a good time and even bonded enough to go shopping for a little bit afterwards. But alas, I am not the most coordinated person on this planet… After my interview with Nicole (two months ago), I accidentally hit the delete button on my recording, thus delaying this blog post for weeks. Despite her busy schedule, the lovely Nicole has taken the time to answer all of my questions once again, which I present to you today.
Q: Give me some details about the project you were involved in.
“I moved to Calgary in June 2012, and as I was packing I realized that I had so many books from my childhood that I had no use for. There was definitely the option of giving them away or selling them, I later passed them on to my younger cousins. However, I wondered how many other kids had books just chilling in their basement? So in Grade 9, I decided to host a book drive at school. In the end, we raised 2,000 books which we split between two schools in Ghana.”
Q: What was the moment that really inspired you and made you realize this is what you’re passionate about?
“From a young age, it wasn’t evident that I would become a leader (if you would say that I am today). I was more of a rebellious toddler! From the age of five to maybe 12 I was very defiant and rude. My inspirational moment wasn’t necessarily a moment, but throughout my Grade 4 year. My Grade 4 teacher was amazing; she was patient and I was really inspired and partially confused by her commitment towards me. So I asked her what it was that she found worth her investment, and she told me that I was worth the investment, and like every investment, you’ll either reap more money or you’ll lose some. However, she told me that the returns of her investment lied completely on and whatever I set my mind to because I was capable of accomplishing anything. I believe she feels her investment’s worth today.”
Q: Why does this issue matter to you?
“It matters so much to me because I was that kid who was sitting at school unengaged and unmotivated. So from my own experience, I understand the impact that can be made when you tell someone that there are no limitations to their achievements. Therefore if I can provide someone with the same passion that was passed along to me then, that’s a big deal to me.”
Q: What has been your favourite experience/memory from all this?
“My favorite experience was when I presented at the assembly at my school and told students what they had accomplished; they seemed overwhelmed with joy. For most students, the statement ‘you can change the world’ comes off as a cliché. However, through the book drive students realized that though they didn’t change the entire world, they were capable of changing someone’s world. It’s the most amazing image to see kids who fully believe in their abilities and capabilities.”
Q:What would you say was the hardest obstacle?
“The biggest obstacle was fear. From the beginning, I was very scared of the possibility of not raising enough books and sometimes I would pass by classes and see empty books and it would discourage me. Or another fear was that I wouldn’t find a way to get the books over there to the students in Ghana and once again it became an apparent issue when UPS rejected my request for some help; I felt like there was no way out. Everything that I worked for no longer mattered because it wouldn’t even reach those in needs. It seemed like everything I feared came to pass. It was amazing that at the exact same time my church was sending a cargo to Ghana so that really helped me with the shipping. It also reminded me not to give up or allow the nos to prevent me from seeing the yes.”
Q: What advice would you give to a “kid” who wants to make a difference, but aren’t sure that they can or don’t know how to go about it?
“My road has definitely not been the easiest. The biggest challenge for me was changing the outlook I had on myself. Due to all the negative comments from teachers, it was hard for me to see the leader everyone was constantly talking about. However, I’ve learned that nothing anyone says about you is true until you believe it. So whether it’s doubt about your capabilities or doubt about a recent project you’ve undertaken, their opinions aren’t valid until you decide to accept it. So as long as you believe in yourself and your passion there is nothing that can get in your way.”
Q: What are your plans for the future? Are you going to stay on this path?
“I would love to hope another book drive and get more involved with students here in Calgary through any means. However, I also hope to collaborate with passionate students and adults all over the world, I recently joined the I AM Powerful Council (CARE Canada) here in Calgary and I am excited to make contributions on a mask scale. After my high school career, I hope to get my undergraduate and then pursue a law degree. I really hope in working with women to help provide education and conquer poverty.”
Q: What does it mean for you to be a leader? How did you become one?
“I think being a leader is simply using your passion and sources of inspiration and allowing others to find their own. I am not necessarily trying to prove to others why what I care for is best however I encourage others to search within themselves and pull out what inspires them. Our passions may not be connected but passion is the beginning of change. I don’t necessarily think there is a process of becoming a leader, but rather a moment where you just have to fight for what you believe in. At the moment, I just believed that I deserved better and could do better than I currently was. My leadership began as a simply demand for a better version of myself and I ultimately turned to others demanding a better world.
Q: And finally, is there anything you’d like to add that you don’t think we’ve covered?
“There is no set of traits that comes along with being a leader, you don’t have to talk a certain way or even lead a certain way. We each lead in our individual ways because we are individuals. Leadership isn’t always giving a speech or protesting against human right issues. It happens in art class or a school sports team; leadership is passion, passion that multiplies in those that surround us and results in change.”
Thank you so much for meeting with me, Nicole. You are such an inspirational person! And of course, we can’t forget the selfie.
