When Desi was in Grade 8 at Langley Fine Arts School (LFAS), she wanted to get involved, so she decided to join a school club. Her friends told her about the fun they were having in PKSS (Project Kenya Sister Schools), a club that was learning about Kenya and helping to save animals through volunteering and fundraising. Desi joined the club and helped to fundraise by organizing bake sales, candy sales, the Christmas card campaign and silent auction at the Choir night. PKSS was always a flurry of activity. Desi enjoyed helping to make a positive difference in the world by helping animals and helping students in Kenya. Later, Desi became the president of the club which was re-named PA-MOJA.
Desi was one of the first Canadian students who participated in Silvia Knittel’s Butterfly Effect class at LFAS. She explored her interests in the environment to research the science of growing food. In her inquiry, Desi explored and compared agricultural practices in North America and Kenya. She shared research, explorations and learning with other students in North America and in Kenya.
In 2016, Desi traveled to Kenya on a school trip; it was a journey of a lifetime. Teachers prepped the students for months about Kenya, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, cultural exchange, travel tips and fundraising. Students organized their travel requirements: visa, passport, immunizations, travel currency, and packing list items. They set off with two suitcases each- one full of their clothes and the other to fill in Kenya with local handmade curio items. These items would be sold at the Langley Fine Arts School choir night silent auction to raise money for scholarships for Kenyan students.
While in Kenya, the group stayed at the Rift Valley Adventure Camp. The management of the camp sponsored one Kenyan student for each Canadian traveler to stay at the camp and participate in all the activities for free. The Canadian and the Kenyan students had an immersive experience there: mountain biking, rock climbing, cliff jumping, camp fires, movie nights, safaris at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and all sorts of cultural exchange activities. The students also spent a day at a Kenyan school attending classes such as Science and Bible Studies.
Desi graduated from Langley Fine Arts School in 2016. She continued her education at the University of British Columbia where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a certificate in User Experience Design from Emily Carr University. Desi is now living in Toronto, Canada where she works as a User Experience Designer.
