This past September, my mom, sister, and I traveled from London, Ontario, all the way to Calgary, Alberta, where we would live. It was quite the experience. Now, we’re in Calgary. Things are very different here, in ways that aren’t ever really mentioned. There are obvious changes, but also a lot of smaller details you…
Escape rooms or locked rooms whichever name you prefer to give them is a fun way to test to see how smart your team, friend group, family etc. is. I love doing them because I get this rush of adrenaline as my friends and I try to gather the clues and figure out how to…
Connections are everything, good luck trying to get anywhere without them. So what are connections? It’s when you’re friends with people all around the community, when your friend circles are large and diverse. If you asked my introverted grade 9 self, you would get an answer along the lines of, “Intelligence is everything. Who you…
Dedicated to SHAD Western Fellows of 2017, Program Directors and Assistants and everyone who made my summer SHAD experience possible. You can find a few accounts of SHAD Fellows’ experiences here on Youth Are Awesome, and from each of them you can easily deduce that SHAD is certainly a summer of a lifetime. I can…
I have always been a fan of video games ever since I laid my hands on my first handheld console: the Nintendo DS. As I matured, so did my taste in different kinds of games. I remember clearly as I began my adventure in the Sinnoh region in Pokemon Diamond. The excitement and anticipation I felt for the journey I…
Have you ever gone someplace new feeling all excited, then realizing all you want to do is go back home but soon you adapted? Then, when you go home again, it isn’t what you expect? Well that roller coaster of emotions is called Culture Shock. Culture Shock is the concept of entering a new environment,…
It’s September, a new school year, and a great time to try something new, and perhaps take a few risks. Maybe you want to try and participate more in class. Maybe you want to try out for a sports team, or join a new club at school. Maybe you want to apply for a Youth…
On Saturday April 9th, I boarded a plane destined for Ottawa with one of my best friends in tow (shoutout to Furyal!!). I think it’s safe to say that I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into at that point. Two months prior, Furyal approached me about Encounters With Canada over Facebook Messenger,…
“People who are bisexual have to live with the knowledge that they could lose everyone they care about with just two words.” My initial research into what it meant to identify as being bisexual held terrifying promises such as these. Words that I initially dismissed as untrue or perhaps an exaggeration. When I first came…
For my 17th birthday, I got my first job at Dairy Queen. Finally one step closer to taking over the world. Two summers ago, I got my first job interview at Calaway Park, which was outside the city, though it had shuttle bus access. Needless to say, I didn’t get accepted because: I didn’t want to work full…
It’s almost the end of the school year, a time for celebration and reminiscing on the year’s achievements and memorable moments. This year was one of my highlights in terms of volunteering in that I was introduced to many amazing and unique volunteering opportunities. These are two of my favourite experiences. 1. Otafest At Otafest…
(Original Image) Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Both our strengths and weaknesses make up who we are. It would be a mistake to think that that we have no flaws. Conversely, it’s equally detrimental to think that we’re worthless and that we don’t have any redeeming qualities. Recognizing our strengths and weaknesses is part of the…
On a sunny Tuesday morning, four enthusiastic students sat down for an interview about WHOLE Churchill. WHOLE Churchill is a community created by Haroon M., Megan C., Rahul A., and Sidharth S., to promote awareness of mental health for all youth, starting with the students of Sir Winston Churchill High School. Shruti: What is…
The Calgary Food Bank is a non-profit organization that collects food donations and distributes them to those in need. Supported by sponsors and help from the community, the food bank offers relief for people across Canada. I started volunteering at the food bank in January 2014 on Wednesday nights. Although all new volunteers must go…
Earlier this month, Arts & Culture editor Hui Wen and I had the incredible opportunity to spend 10 days living in Denmark as part of a student exchange program. It was a transformative experience that I can’t recommend highly enough. Especially as a youth, travel can be such an eye-opening experience. There are so many reasons…