Audrey was sitting in her Grade 10 science class when her teacher, Alison Stuart, mentioned a new course that would be starting at the school. The course would run before school and the goal was to have students doing research projects of their own interest and collaborating with students in Kenya. Audrey was immediately interested, joined right away and was involved for her remaining 3 years of high school.
Audrey enjoyed not only doing her own projects, where she addressed questions like ‘Why do people play sports even though they are so much work?’ and ‘What are dreams?”, she also really appreciated learning and engaging in social responsibility. In her grade 12 year, she and another student took on the project of working with 30 middle school students to develop, research and present their own inquiry projects. Audrey said, “I really appreciated that Butterfly Effect allowed me to follow my own interests and passions, gain leadership skills, collaborate with Kenyan students and learn about another culture.”
In 2017, PA-MOJA decided to bring another group of Kenyan students to Canada for a cultural exchange. Audrey was excited to hear that these students would be placed with homestay families so they could have an authentic experience while in Canada. Audrey got permission from her mom and brother and they welcomed Denis into their home for his stay. Although Audrey and Denis became friends, he really ‘hit it off’ with her brother Elliot and all three are still in touch to this day. They all enjoyed learning about each other’s lives, family and school while they shared time living together.
Audrey is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Indigenous Studies at Simon Fraser University in BC. She has really enjoyed her degree as it has helped her learn about and connect to her own Gitxsan culture, as well as be a part of student life and engage in workshops, drumming and dancing. She was able to give back by providing academic support for other students and educating others about Orange Shirt Day.
Audrey feels that the three years she was a part of Butterfly Effect helped her gain leadership skills and allowed her to learn and appreciate other people and their cultures. This influenced her to be the Chair of the First Nations Inuit Association and genuinely have an open mind to the ideas and perspectives of others.
Audrey would like to thank PA-MOJA for providing a unique and life-changing learning opportunity.
