Before applying to NYA Next I did the Northern Youth in Service program (NYiS) and while I was there the Staff talked about the NYA Next program. While others were intrigued and wanted to apply to the program, I was telling myself that I definitely wouldn’t be applying or even better yet coming all the way back to Ottawa for the summer, but here I am now in Ottawa enjoying and learning new things.

During that time I was convinced I would be going off to university to become a neuropsychologist this September but during that course, I learnt to stick to my strength and to revaluate my life to see where I’ll be in a few years. This is when I saw how my passions and dreams weren’t in line. So, in applying to the Next program, I hoped that they would help me to do that. I can successfully say they did with the winter assignments. They made me think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and where I see myself.

This is when I realized that my passion to fix and build things as well as leading people is rooted in the trades and Canadian Armed Forces in life structures. Now that I am here with the program, I am enjoying the activities and classes, especially the construction class. There’s something so satisfying about watching a project come together. The process of construction is always exciting to me. I love seeing the progress each day, and how everything works together to make a project a success. It’s amazing to witness the transformation from a dusty piece of wood in need of some TLC to a beautiful, functional stool. Being a part of the construction process is truly something special.