Tell us a bit about yourself!
I just finished my first year as a social work student at Mount Royal University and I want to go on to complete my masters or maybe pursue law, I haven’t really decided yet. If I’m not at this practicum, I’m either working at CrossIron [Mills] or sleeping at home. But I also enjoy watching TV (I’m currently watching The Office) and going out with my friends.
What is your personal definition of feminism?
A very broad definition: the fight for liberation from the patriarchy. I don’t have a more specific definition yet because I’m still learning and developing new ideas about what feminism means to me and what my goals with it are – it’s an ongoing process.
What brought you to the Women’s Centre of Calgary?
The Women’s Centre was my first choice for my practicum and it was just the name and idea of it that drew me in. I wanted to volunteer here a long time ago but I was too young. I’ve always wanted to work with women so the idea of an agency dedicated to women intrigued me and I thought it’d be the perfect placement for me.
What’s one thing you hope to learn at the Women’s Centre?
I want my experiences here to shape my interactions with women I meet outside of the Centre – I want to be able to respond with compassion, empathy, and openness. I also want to learn about policies in Calgary that women are effected by and what I could possibly do to help with that or change them.
Describe a woman who you admire or who has influenced your life.
I admire my mom because she is independent and has worked/works extremely hard to overcome societal, cultural, and economical barriers. She’s a very strong woman and has given me many opportunities to be the same.