I grew up in the Downsview area of Toronto, with my sister and our mom. My father was in and out of jail so his presence was never consistent in my life as a young child. I have not seen him since 2010 and there has never been any support to help with the expenses or cost of raising my sister and I.
At Trails, I was provided with opportunities I would not otherwise have had access to. Through various activities over the years, I have learned emotional resiliency, coping strategies and conflict resolution skills which allow me to communicate effectively. As I progressed through Trails, I became a strong peer mentor for other participants and encouraged them while we worked through mentally and physically challenging activities. After completing my four years at Trails, I was selected to return as a Leader in Training to work with the younger participants. This is when I truly became aware of the impact my leadership had on others.