Nola D., Haney District

“I have been involved with the Girl Guides of Canada since I was 11 years old, starting out as a Guide and progressing to being a Ranger and a Junior Leader to the Sparks. I take my role as a Junior Leader seriously. I have dedicated almost 300 hours over the past 3 years to my girls, getting them engaged in everything from arts and crafts to camping and fun science experiments. I know that how I act and present myself directly impacts the minds of these young girls. When I was first asked to become a Junior Girl Guide Leader, I was full of anxiety, shyness, and a lot of self-doubt. What I didn’t know was that accepting this role would be the start of building myself into being an empathetic, inclusive and self-aware leader. Through my opportunity with the Girl Guides, I learned that I could use my anxiety as a motivator, channeling my nervous energy into determination and drive. I also discovered that I could use my experiences with anxiety to help some of the girls who were struggling with similar issues.”