My Life So Far: A Work in Progress
When I was a child, I would cry at the Red Cross commercials because I was so afraid that, like the family on TV, our house might burn down and we would lose everything. In an effort to console me, my dad tried to explain insurance, but when I found out they wouldn't necessarily replace my goldfish and my brother's Gameboy (oh the priorities of a 7 year old), I was hardly reassured. My mom took me to the kitchen and showed me the picture we had hanging on the side of the fridge. It was of a boy a few years older than myself at the time, attending a school for the deaf in Sri Lanka. We had been sponsoring him for some time through the Christian Children's Fund. She told me that this boy had so much less than we did, and that even if there was a fire that took everything we owned, he would still have much less than we did. It was a powerful thought, because the boy on the fridge had a smile so genuine and heartwarming that anyone could see how happy he was with so little. If North America is the land of excess, Oakville is the land of overload, and growing up surrounded by the affluence of the town and its residents, it had never really occurred to me that there existed a world outside of my own where people were so different, and so desperately in need, let alone the idea that they could be happy this way. This was the first spark that shone a light on my path towards international development.
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So now you're somewhat acquainted with Mom and Dad, but I also grew up alongside my grandparents and my brother, Cameron. We're a close family, built on a stable foundation of love, sarcasm, and a mutual passion for food.
Currently, my mom works as an audiologist, and my dad as a culinary instructor at Humber College. Cameron graduated from McMaster University as a chemical engineer and is now living and working in Windsor. I got my Bachelor of Environmental Studies in 2014 in International Development, minoring in Peace and Conflict Studies with a diploma in Environmental Assessment. Now, I am pursuing graduate studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs within the University of Toronto.
Quick Chelsea Facts
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My Nearest & Dearest |