My Discussion with Senator Wanda

This past Friday, I had the opportunity to have a virtual fireside chat with Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, a person who inspires me with everything she's fought for and achieved. Senator Wanda shared her experiences growing up with strong female figures such as her mom and grandmother, who helped shape her into the woman she is today. Senator Wanda also shared a precious memory of when she saw her mother's proud smile at the ceremony where she was appointed to the Order of Canada for her work addressing racism in the field of social work. I loved the discussion we had where Senator Wanda spoke about living at the intersection of gender and race, especially when she mentioned how negative comments had impacted her. Still, she was able to turn them around to fuel her fire. As we delved further into our conversation, the Senator addressed how students can improve their approach to their education. A key takeaway I got from her advice was not being scared about asking questions or not being ashamed of asking for help. On the contrary, those actions show that I'm invested in my learning. We ended our discussion with a powerful message from Senator Wanda to today's youth.