Rachel Bennett

In 2009, at the age of fourteen, I started an annual event at my highschool for girls' empowerment and self-worth called the Girl's Team of Self-Esteem's PJ Party. For two years I helped lead the team that made the event possible, from scheduling, to funding, to attending workshops to pass on the knowledge of how we can all help ourselves be our best. On the side, I also participated in varsity rugby and fieldhockey, as well as drama club, band, leadership classes and a sport leadership class where I worked with Particip-action Canada to help students get more active and eating healthier. In 2011 I attended the Student Counsel Executive Camp, honing leadership abilities before university.
In my undergrad degree I joined multiple campus clubs, one being the Mental Health Education Group where we created an annual event called The Walk for Mental Health at Laurier's campus in Waterloo, with well-known speakers and students who chose to share their stories. In 2014 I travelled to Queens University with Laurier to learn more about mental health issues and discuss ways to improve student health on both campuses. In the future I plan to go to Beijing, China to teach Englsih, but for now I look to be a part of grass-roots sustainability projects in communities overseas or right in my own backyard.