“My personal mission is to seek out, notice and give a voice to the beauty, strength and potential that is often less obvious… YouthSpeak was inspired by lived experience within my own family. My son, Gavin was one of our first youth speakers sharing his story during our inaugural year; until he died on his 19th birthday in a weather-related car accident – July 18th, 2004. Gavin will forever be known, loved and respected for his gift of encouraging others to be themselves. Ten years and two months later my eldest son, Kyle took his own life. He struggled with bipolar disorder for many years. Giving value and meaning to the challenges we go through is a founding principal behind this work – it brings to light the strengths that are often unseen and empowers people to create a new path.”

We are now offering workplace Lunch ‘N Learns: Mental Health Self-Care and Youth Mental Health 

"I Choose to be unstoppable, I choose to do the impossible, I choose to love myself and life. I am bigger than my worries and my strife. I am strong enough to power through, and all I want you to know is so are you.

After years of struggling with anxiety and depression and fighting my way through to a happy lifestyle, I can finally talk about it. My mission now is to educate youth on the topic of mental health. It is my passion to advocate on the importance of mental health education, communication, prevention and teaching youth to take control and uphold a positive personal perspective on their selves and life. I am inspired by the strength and determination of people and if I can start a conversation on this difficult topic to help influence someone to find those qualities within themselves, I am delighted.

"The obstacle is the path…

Growing up with divorced parents and living with other family members, I felt as though I did not live up to expectations put on me. When I was young, some very close to me died by suicide which affected me greatly. Not feeling as though I could turn to many supports I eventually turned to substance to find solace. For a long period of time I developed negative coping mechanisms and could not face the wake I was creating around me for friends and family. Continuously making uniformed decisions my life was not getting any better and I decided to make a change for the better. Today, I am sober and help others to gain their own true potential. I now understand that rather than avoiding obstacles you need to go through them. The obstacle is the path.

“We all have our own unique individual soul stories. Learning that you are a survivor never a victim of your circumstances is only the beginning of understanding the power of your own authenticity...

Growing up my life was nothing but ordinary. Being bullied for many years required me to learn how to build myself back up. It required me to find my voice again and realize that I could overcome being assaulted, bullied, abused and just generally always feeling different. A daily struggle for me is my anxiety and my need to please others before I please myself. Growing up my parents never really nurtured my confidence. For many years, I felt lost and unimportant. Every day I need to apply positive reinforcements into my routines because without them it’s easy for me to get distracted. Everyday I’m learning to appreciate myself for all that I am, all that I have overcome and all that I know I can be.

“Keep going, someone out there needs you...

Growing up, I always hated how I looked. I had low self-esteem, negative ways of coping and I later came to realize that I am part of the LGBT+ community. Things for me while I grew up were never easy. I never thought I’d see the day where I graduated from high school, but I did. Having gone through the issues I faced within myself and family, it made me realize that I can handle anything that comes my way. I am currently working on recovering from negative coping skills, transitioning into a male and creating a positive attitude and environment. Making the decision to move forward and better my life was a hard move to make but it changed my outlook on life a better view.

“Be your true self and seek your own approval and acceptance above anyone else’s…Growing up, I experienced a lot of negativity which prompted me to form negative views of myself and the world. While trying to find how I fit in and searching for acceptance from peers, I pursued substances which led me to feeling like I had to hide certain parts of myself or supress and push them away. This led to pushing loved ones away in the process, feeling very poorly about everything and coming very near to losing my life. I realized my vast reserves of personal strength, courage, and positivity when I committed to changing my reality into something I would be proud of and happy with. Today I work on continuing this positive self talk, self acceptance, and love towards others to keep myself looking up and towards a bright future. Always searching for acceptance outside of myself and being hurt in the process, it wasn’t until I started to accept and love myself that I overcame the negativity that I thought doomed me.”

“At the end of the day, it's you who has to live with yourself, so it’s important to be happy with who you are…

I was never completely sure about my identity and once I reached a certain age, I started to experience depression and anxiety because of it. This lead to me isolating myself and using negative coping tools as attempts to feel better. It took a lot of persistence and difficult conversations to be at the point that I am today, and because of it I learned that I need to make sure I'm always happy with the person I am. Realizing this and taking the steps I needed to feel more comfortable and happy with myself made me significantly more confident, successful and self-aware. Building a proper support system also greatly contributed to my success. Today, I continuing to work on putting my mental well-being before anything and figuring out what kinds of things do and don't help me. Life is a journey of falling down and getting back up and I am learning to embrace that..

“When nothing goes Right, go Left…Life has taught me that humans are capable of overcoming anything that they put their mind into. I have gone through severe depression, suicidal thoughts and self-sabotage to someone I am proud of everyday. I’ve learnt that life is not black and white but rather black and blue just like day and night. This simple philosophy kept me going for years. My biggest secret to finding happiness has been watching nature and life as they all follow the same pattern of life. and now I’m here to share what I know with brothers and sisters that are going through similar storms. Storms are scary and dangerous but it is rain that brings life, it is wind that trims the trees and it is pressure that creates diamonds”

"You have brains in your head, feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. " - Dr. Seuss

“Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But if you keep going, eventually you'll reach it. A lot of events have transpired throughout my life that have shaped me into who I am today. Having gone through depression, anxiety, and psychosis, I have overcome many obstacles. There was a time in my life when I had no hope for my future. But after learning how to cope with it, I now know that whatever life throws at me, I'll get through it.”

“There is power in your voice, so let others hear what you have to say…Growing up, my childhood was just one traumatic event after another. From being overpowered by an adult, to losing both my parents, to constant bullying and struggling with depression and anxiety, my life was anything but sunshine and rainbows. But a good deed from people I didn’t even know helped me back into the light and gave me confidence to use my voice. Today, my goal is to give back to the community for motivating me and helping me through those tough times. By using my voice and sharing my experiences, this will motivate others to open up and use the power in their voice.”

“Always remembering that in time, this too shall pass…

I spent a large portion of my life staring at the floor, not having the confidence to look up, being too afraid of falling on my face by the obstacles in front of me to change. Living with mental illness throughout my life taught me about the other side of things, that living with an illness does not make me any less than. Having been bullied for so many years I was unable to stand on my two feet without living in constant fear. I was ridden with anxiety and panic while doing the most basic things. I resorted to negative coping skills that caused me to rethink my whole perspective on life. Having these issues helped me realize my potential emotionally, spiritually and intellectually. I am finally able to be who I want to be, live the life that I have dreamed of.

“I have accepted my past and am ambitiously looking forward to helping others understand that they can be who they want to be, and live the life they want to live. You are enough and will always be enough… Growing up was confusing for me. I struggled with a family life where addiction was present. I learned to bottle up my feelings and constantly strived for perfection. I never felt good enough and suffered with depression and anxiety most of my life. Years later I was using unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with my inner turmoil. After a friend died by suicide and a trauma in my early adult years happened I was officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The ups and downs are still a struggle everyday but now I understand how to cope and what steps I need to take to be the best version of me. Living with a mental health condition will always affect my life but it does not have to define it. Learning to not compare myself to others and think positively has helped the most. “

“Adaptability is the simple secret to survival”- Jessica Hagedorn

“Growing up throughout the years I never really knew the true meaning behind this phrase. One week at my dads, one week at my moms was my normal routine for a few years. Every year that past I felt as though my life was crumbling right before my eyes. After many months of counselling and therapy it taught me that I was able to overcome my struggles. Managing my anxiety and depression, and overcoming abuse were occurrences that became apart of my life; apart of my journey. I have learned to replace negative coping strategies with positive ones. Each and everyday I am learning to embrace my struggles and create a different perspective on my life and the person that I know I can be.”

“A smile can hide so many feelings, fear, sadness heartbreak, but it also shows one other thing strength…

After going through anxiety, in grade 4 being diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and depression due to bullying i was afraid to talk to other about my feelings and wanting to drop out of school. Now I can say being thankful from all the support systems that i am currently am with, and having a very supportive family i feel more encouraged to talk to others about how I feel and even being an advocate for others who have intellectual disabilities i can now speak for others and show that you are capable to prove that your disability is more of an ability and apparently now when i meet other they say that i have such a contagious smile.”

"There is hope, there is healing! I went through a whirlwind of mental health, substance abuse, and identity issues. I found through being honest with myself as well as those around me, I was able to find healing. I like to think I am a warrior, my biggest goal Is to remain thriving, not just surviving. All I went through brought me to a point where today I am confident in who I am, and my ability to live a life with healthy coping tools, healthy relationships, and a sense of self worth. I am a huge advocate for self care, and stomping the stigma surrounding mental health, addiction, and LGBT issues."

“Living with Borderline Personality Disorder has affected every single aspect of my life…The violent mood swings, the black-and-white thinking, and the constant suicidal ideation made every single day feel like a climb up a mountain. It’s something that will always be a part of me, but It’s taken me many years to learn that it does not have to define me. After a dangerous battle with drugs, homelessness, and self-harm, I’m finally able to live a fulfilling life despite my illness. Getting the right help has been life-changing for me. My past doesn’t define me. I was once a high-school dropout and an addict. I am now sober, a college graduate, and a university student. I am not my diagnosis.”

• Met criteria to become a youth speaker

• Presented at a minimum of 10 speaking engagements and/or reached over 4000 students, teachers, parents and other adult allies

• Presented at an additional 10 speaking engagements and/or reached 5000 students, teachers, parents, and other adult allies

• Prepared written speech including key messages of self-acceptance, respect and responsibility, building resilience and increase in empathy

• Co-facilitated a minimum of 3 YouthSpeak programs

• Leads and has facilitated a minimum of 3 YouthSpeak programs

• Has engaged in formal evaluation

• 20 hour of volunteer work experience within YouthSpeak per year

• 20 hour of volunteer work experience with in YouthSpeak per year

• Participated in initial orientation and training sessions

• 6 Speaker training meetings per year

• 6 Speaker training meetings per year

• Committed to working on yearly goals

• Committed to working on yearly goals

• Committed to working on yearly goals

• Completed Vulnerable Sector ScreeningSafeTALK trained