Congratulations to Oak Bay-Gordon Head resident Dr. Kelli Stajduhar who was one of the recipients of the Excellence in Nursing Research Award at last week’s 2014 Nursing Excellence Awards reception in Vancouver. This prestigious award recognizes registered nurses (RNs) who demonstrate excellence in nursing research and outstanding performance in relation to CRNBC Professional Standards for RNs and Nurse Practitioners. As expert investigators these nurses conduct nursing research with a clinical focus and demonstrated practical application, and as role models they foster the development of new researchers.

Getting her start as a front lines nurse in Winnipeg, it was this experience that eventually sparked Kelli’s desire to further her nursing education. Witnessing the moral distress felt by some of her colleagues when caring for palliative patients Kelli hoped to help bring about practice change in such a way as to both improve the care of patients and reduce the moral distress of nursing staff. This desire to support patients, family caregivers, and nursing staff is what ultimately led her to pursue an academic career in applied nursing research.

Over her career Kelli has worked in the areas of oncology, palliative care, and gerontology as a nurse clinician, clinical nurse specialist, and a researcher with local health authorities. In 2004 she joined the University of Victoria School of Nursing, where she teaches in both undergraduate and graduate programs. She is also a research affiliate and faculty member at the UVic Centre on Aging and a Research Scientist with the End of Life Program in the Fraser Health Authority.

Believing that we learn and grow from each other, Kelli says that she does not see herself as a “teacher” of knowledge, but rather as a “facilitator” of learning.

“I place a high value on a collaborative approach to learning and teaching, valuing the professional and life experiences of students and believing that they have something important to contribute to the educational process. From my perspective, one of the most important aspects of teaching and learning is that we all come away from each experience with more than we bring”.

From this brief glimpse into Kelli’s extensive career it is clear to see that she is beyond deserving of this amazing award. Through her passion for nursing, commitment to patients and caregivers, and numerous contributions to the field of health services she has undoubtedly made a lasting difference to the lives of people all over BC and beyond. Congratulations on your exceptional achievement Kelli and thank you for everything that you have done and continue to do.

This is the fifth in our series of stories celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of youth in our community. These inspirational young adults are enriching our lives with their passion and commitment to the betterment of society.

Tessa Owens

When Tessa was in Grade 6, she wrote herself a letter promising to devote her life to environmental advocacy. Six years later, it’s evident she has remained true to her word.  In everything she does, Tessa strives to continue, in her own words, “helping to educate global citizens about ecological issues and helping conserve the environment in any way possible in order to ensure a future for coming generations”. Now entering her first year at Lester B. Pearson United World College, a 2 year pre-university college offering the International Baccalaureate , Tessa will continue her studies surrounded by students from all over the world.

Tessa was born in Boulder, Colorado and moved to Victoria with her family when she was very young. Her education began at St. Margaret’s School. Once middle school started in grade 6 she moved to St. Michaels University School. While she has excelled academically (97% average), her extracurricular activities and pursuits outside of school have enriched her education, as well as the education of those around her. At just 17, Tessa boasts a resume that belies her age.

Tessa has a sense of clarity and purpose in life. She has set a variety of achievable goals for her future. And she even started researching universities when she was in Grade 7. Tessa plans to complete post secondary education, focusing on political science, environmental science and international development, with a view to get “my dream job working within the United Nations Environmental Program by the time I am 35”.

Tessa credits her parents with helping her develop her connection to nature and love for the outdoors. She has enjoyed camping and hiking with her family for as long as she can remember. And she loves being near the water and cannot imagine living away from the ocean.

In 2012, Tessa traveled to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro as a youth representative of Canadian Civil Society. There, she participated with We Canada and contributed to a report called “The Future We Want”. Tessa was profoundly affected by the reaction of delegates when she told them she was Canadian. She says “To be honest, I was embarrassed to be Canadian”. I understand her response. Canada once held an impeccable reputation for being brokers of international deals on the environment. Sadly, Canada’s reputation is now  one of breakers of international deals.

Noting the tremendous impact it had on her, Tessa vividly recalls watching An Inconvenient Truth when she was in Grade 5 . After finishing grade 10, Tessa attended a Climate Reality Leader training event hosted by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore in Chicago, Illinois. She’s since given presentations on the causes and consequences of, as well as the solutions to, global warming; presenting to diverse audiences, including her school and a PowerShiftBC conference.

At the end of 2013, Tessa traveled to Antarctica as one of 72 students selected in the Students on Ice 2013/2014 scientific expedition. This 2 week expedition was a transformational experience for Tessa. It completely drained Tessa’s savings that she had been contributing to  since she was 7 years old, but “it was worth every penny”. The students were joined by world-renowned educators, professors, activists and historians who provided a very unique learning experience – one that Tessa will never forget.

In February 2014, Tessa was part of a group of students who organized the “Defend Our Future” day of action in British Columbia. Meetings were arranged across British Columbia with twenty Members of the Legislative Assembly. Tessa spoke in a highly intelligent, thoughtful and passionate way about the need to uphold and commit to meeting British Columbia’s legislated 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets. She firmly believes that we all need to hold the government accountable to the commitments that they have made.

At 17, I may not be old enough to vote, but I still feel it is of paramount importance to convey my dissatisfaction with our government’s blatant disregard for these legally binding targets.  Policy decisions made today will undoubtedly have an effect on my life—both in the short and the long-term—and with this at the forefront of my mind, I stand in defense of my future”

These are Tessa’s words. Words that I found to be so powerful that I embedded them at the start of my response to the 2014 Budget.

More recently, Tessa had another transformative experience in attending Unist’ot’en Camp of the Wet’suwet’en Peoples (Yinka Dini – People of this Earth) near Smithers, BC. The Unist’ot’en Clan is part of the hereditary chief system which has governed Wet’suwet’en lands for many centuries. The camp has been there for 5 years and its purpose is to occupy the land in the path of the proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline.

For fun, Tessa enjoys weightlifting and says that she would like to compete in powerlifting some day. While she enjoys being with friends, she also values the time she spends alone in reflection. She is inspired by the likes of David and his daughter Severin Suzuki (whom she met at the conference in Rio), Bill McKibben and Elizabeth May.

I’m convinced that in the not too distant future there will be young men and women who will include Tessa on their list of people who have inspired them. In fact, she is already on my list. It’s youth like Tessa who fill me with optimism and a sense of hope for the future. If the six years since she wrote herself the letter are any indication, I can only imagine the impact Tessa will have on our society in the years ahead.

The 86th British Columbia Youth Parliament will hold its parliamentary session in Victoria at the Provincial Legislative Chambers from December 27 to 31, 2014. The Youth Parliament is a province-wide non-partisan organization for young people ages 16 to 21. It teaches citizenship skills through participation in the December parliamentary session and in community service activities throughout the year. Youth Parliament is a one year commitment.

The BC Youth Parliament is non-partisan and applicants need only be interested in learning more about the parliamentary process and in serving their community.

The application is available here, along with an informational brochure and poster.

All applications must be received by October 22, 2014. Selected applicants will be notified in early November.

For more information, please click here.

This is the fourth in our series of stories celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of youth in our community. These inspirational young adults are enriching our lives with their passion and commitment to the betterment of society.

Sky Losier

Sky is a born leader. His sense of responsibility, his unassuming personality and his infectious enthusiasm for all that he does inspire those around him.

Sky was unavailable for an interview when we first contacted him as he was working at the Gulf Islands Centre for Ecological Learning’s Environmental Leadership Apprenticeship Program. Of course, we weren’t surprised, so we arranged to meet him a short while later at the University of Victoria.  Sky was about to move into residence to begin his first year of undergraduate studies with the goal of majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies.

Sky was born in Ontario and moved to Mayne Island (population ~1,000) with his family when he was 5 years old. There he began his schooling at Mayne Island School.  Sky’s family had initially only planned to live on Mayne Island for a few years while his mother practiced as the island doctor. But they soon fell in love with the beauty and serenity of the Gulf Islands which they now call home. Sky graduated with honours from Gulf Islands Secondary School (GISS) in 2014. There he was involved in numerous extra-curricular activities, including Leadership, Student Council, the Environmental Group and the School Planning Council.  Sky notes that Amy Cousins, the sponsor teacher for the school’s Environmental Group and Rob Griffith, the sponsor teacher for the school’s Leadership Group have been particularly inspirational to him.

While at school Sky has honed his leadership skills in numerous ways. He undertook an Independent Directed Study in Leadership, focusing on the fundamental skills that are required to become a successful leader and putting the knowledge to use. He was on the Varsity Rowing Team in high school, competing at a high level and mentoring novice rowers. He also participated in school and community theatre as a Stage Manager, Lighting Technician and Sound Technician.

Two significant life experiences preceded Sky’s passion for environmental and social activism. He and his father hiked the Juan de Fuca Trail and subsequently the West Coast Trail. These two adventures focused his passion for environmental stewardship and inspired him with an overwhelming responsibility to “do something as I want my grandkids to be able to see the same things I’ve seen.” His motivation comes from the notion that future generations might not be able to experience nature the same way he has. “I can’t NOT think about this” he says. And when asked what frustrates him, he quickly responded, “kids my age who don’t care.”

I’ve interacted with many thousands of students during my twenty five years as a university faculty member. Yet I cannot remember ever meeting a first year student who has had such a clear vision of his or her future career path. Sky knows exactly where he wants to be and exactly what he needs to do to get there. His life goal is to be a politician – he sees this as the only way to effect change. But first he plans to train as a lawyer specializing in aboriginal and environmental law.

Sky already has extensive political experience, both as a Member of the 85th British Columbia Youth Parliament (BCYP) and as Deputy Premier and Regional Secretary of the 22nd Vancouver Island Youth Parliament in 2014. For the upcoming 86th British Columbia Youth Parliament in December, Sky will serve as Provincial Secretary and Minister of the Island. He says he has learned much from Youth Parliament and is dedicated to fulfilling their motto, “Youth Serving Youth”. His Teacher at GISS, Dean Crouse, encouraged him to participate and his attendance was sponsored by Islands Trust. Sky is proud to be associated with BCYP, a non-partisan youth service organization that also runs a variety of community projects throughout the year.

Sky was one of the organizers for the “Defend Our Future” youth-lead event that took place earlier this year. Meetings were arranged across British Columbia with twenty Members of the Legislative Assembly. Sky attended the meeting at my Oak Bay-Gordon Head constituency office where he spoke eloquently and passionately about the need to uphold and commit to meeting British Columbia’s legislated 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets.

If you didn’t know that Sky had just graduated from high school, you would have never guessed it from simply chatting with him. His maturity, sense of purpose and commanding presence convey wisdom far beyond his years. He is committed to providing youth leadership through his skills in organization, team work, and communication. And he will continue to ensure that today’s decision makers understand the future consequences of their decisions on today’s youth — the decision makers of tomorrow. Undoubtedly, Sky will be one of them.

I had the privilege of participating in The Annual Celebrity Carwash at Our Place, again this year.  The event, termed Splish Splash 2014, was designed to raise awareness of homelessness in our region and funds to support their meal program.

Our Place is a safe location that offers hope and a sense of belonging to our region’s most vulnerable citizens though their programs and services. It was wonderful to see so much support for this year’s event. The line up of cars kept the washers busy all day!

Thank you to the many volunteers who came to help out this worthy cause and thank you to the leadership provided by the Board and Staff of Our Place Society.  Special thanks to City of Victoria Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe who was instrumental in organizing this event.

Shown with me in the photo banner above Murray Rankin, MP Victoria and Ryan Windsor, Central Saanich Councillor.