Girls selected to attend the Women Empowerment Awards attend a dress fitting at Weston Collegiate Institute.
(Photo by Weston CI Vice Principal Joseph Smith)
Six female students from Weston CI joined mental health advocate Karen Samuels at this years Women Empowerment Awards on September 13th. The event celebrates and recognizes the achievements of remarkable women, and the student attendees were invited to meet and learn from these female leaders who have made an impact in their professional fields and communities.
The students were supported by Jean Fletcher, Weston CI Guidance Counsellor, Toronto Police Officer Isabelle Cotto and Karen Samuels a community advocate. A stylist was also coordinated for the students to put together dresses, shoes and accessories for them to wear for the evening. Here’s a little bit about some of the students who attended the event:
Jada R. is passionate about becoming a gynecologist and is committed to improving women’s health. This career path excites her because it combines her love for science and her desire to make an impactful difference in the lives of women.
Jayda-lee D. has a love for the arts – from singing to writing to painting, she enjoys using all types of art to express herself and reflect on her experiences. She is interested in writing as a career path because sharing her words and stories has always been a passion.
Sashaiya M. wants to pursue a career in interior design and real estate, and eventually own her own business. She knows being an entrepreneur requires having the mindset of a leader and has taken advantage of opportunities like attending the awards to learn from the experiences of women in the business industry.
Jummy A. wants to become an architectural engineer or computer engineer and hopes to hold leadership roles in her career. She pushes herself to step out of her comfort zone and takes advantage of opportunities to engage with and ask questions of women not just in the engineering world, but the business world in general.
Ja-Dane Renee A. wants to be a pastry chef and taught herself how to bake through videos online. Baking brings her joy that she shares with her loved ones and hopes to put a smile on as many faces as possible with her sweet treats.
All the students agreed that hearing the stories of award recipients overcoming challenges and achieving their goals would be a source of inspiration for their own goals, in addition to being a unique chance to connect with role models and gain firsthand knowledge from their journeys.
Read more about the students’ experience preparing for the Women Empowerment Awards in the CBC’s article “6 Weston high schoolers to attend Women Empowerment Awards”.