“We need to promote the idea that your gender does not limit you with what you chose to do with your life.”

-Lindsay Brouwer

Age: 28

Hometown: Lethbrdige, Alberta

Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta

Affiliations: Young Nurses Take Action Foundation,Canadian Association of Medical Teams Abroad, Project Amazonas, Stollery Children’s Hospital

What influenced you to become a change-maker?

First and foremost, my parents were the most influential people in shaping who I have become. They provided me with constant unconditional love and support, showing me how to be courageous and to work hard to achieve what you want in life. I currently live in Edmonton, and just celebrated my four year anniversary working at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in the Operating Room as a Registered Nurse. If I were to give myself a personal brand, it would probably be that of a “nerdy adrenaline-seeking hippie,” as I am always on the lookout for an adventure and tend to keep myself constantly busy living life to the fullest with friends and family in the outdoors.

How does your work promote gender equality in Canada and around the world?

I volunteered at the ‘Las Salinas’ local public health clinic in the Tola region of Nicaragua, where maternal health and education was the main focus. I helped the local nurses create posters and information booklets about contraception and other sexual health information that could be accessed by women and young girls in the community.

In Peru, we travelled by boat to extremely remote areas of the Amazon to bring 13 nurses, as well as a Peruvian doctor and dentist, to communities so that everyone in the villages had access to health care. Many of the women and girls we saw in the clinics had little, if any, access to health care for themselves or their children.

What inspires you to make a difference in the world?

One lesson I have learned is the value of the human connection. When you decide to embark on the journey of planning and organizing global volunteer projects, you need to have a lot of people on your team. There is no way I would have been able to participate on the projects I have without the support of my peers—particularly my friends, family, and co-workers. I count myself very lucky to have incredible team members to plan and organize with and great friends and family members who are there to support the fundraisers year after year. I don’t think there is a better feeling than seeing your dreams come to life, especially when it means seeing young people realize the impact they can have in both their local communities and abroad.

More 2019 Top 30 Alumni

Adam Goodwin

"Incorporate changes to address gender equality in your daily life. This can be in your own community, at the regional level, or through an international opportunity." -Adam Goodwin Age: 29 Hometown: Red Deer, Alberta Currently Residing In: Red Deer, Alberta Affiliations: Sport4one I spend a considerable amount of my personal time investing in the sport for development and peace industry. The industry employs sport as a means for economic, environmental, and social development. I became a...

John Christy Johnson

"I urge you to pay back to community, leave a trail of breadcrumbs for the prospective engineer, scientist, or astronaut, and pass the baton as you strive for personal success." -John Christy Johnson Age: 22 Hometown: Angadical, Kerala, India Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: University of Alberta Rehabilitation Robotics Laboratory, ClickandPush Accessibility Inc., TEDxUAlberta As an Indo-Canadian and identical twin, I spend a fair proportion of my time thinking about...

Alex Wong

"As an advocate, it is important to recognize your own privilege and help elevate the voices of others, rather than replace them with your own." -Alex Wong Age: 22 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: MD Admissions Initiative for Diversity and Equity, Medical Students’ Association - University of Alberta, Canadian Federation of Medical Students, Net Impact My passion for medicine stems from my belief that good health is one of the cornerstones of...

Glenielia Ariel Crawler

"Be a changemaker by being a leader. Think big and believe in yourself. Be resilient; work with communities. Do what moves you." -Glenielia Ariel Crawler Age: 27 Hometown: Big Horn First Nation Currently Residing In: Morley First Nation Affiliations: Nakoda Youth Council- Mni Ki Wakan My name is Glenielia Crawler, but I also go by Ariel Waskewitch. I am Nakoda Sioux and Plains Cree, and I come from the small community of Big Horn First Nation. I am a proud mother to my three-year-old daughter...

Mabel Smith

"It is important to find something that you love doing and that you feel has a positive impact on the world." -Mabel Smith Age: 22 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Engineers in Action I have always felt a strong sense of environmental and social responsibility. While still in elementary school, I became an obsessive recycler as well as a vegetarian, and I would carry home banana peels and apple cores to compost. More recently, I have developed...

Hamila Al-Turk

"Gender equality is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue, and we all need to be part of the conversation." Age: 21 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: City of Edmonton Youth Council, Social Equity Subcommittee, Diabetes Canada Club One of the wisest teachers to have taught me once said, “Compassion is the basis of all morality, so live your life as if you were a mirror that reflects the good back to people.” Being a student under her...

Elizabeth Roden

"You don’t have to do something on a grand scale; just live your values and stand up for what you believe in." -Elizabeth Roden Age: 29 Hometown: Glendon, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Operation Eyesight (ACGC Member) From an early age, I’ve always believed that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I helped form a leadership group at my high school and was eager to learn more about world issues. In 2007, I moved to Calgary to pursue a degree...

Janine Heber

"Continually question and re-evaluate how spaces can be made more accessible, and take action to reduce barriers for marginalized folks." -Janine Heber Age: 19 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Queer Flex, Sexual Violence Awareness/Office of Human Rights, Plan International Canada Speakers’ Bureau, Rainbow Alliance Youth for Edmonton, The Quiltbag, MacEwan Office of Sustainability I am a queer, non-binary artist, activist, and student. I have a...

Amber Rai

"To be a change-maker, you must identify an issue that needs to be addressed, think of ways to bring about the change, and evaluate your efforts to ensure you are making the impact that you hoped for." -Amber Rai Age: 20 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Sherwood Park, Alberta Affiliations: Learning Beyond Borders, HEAL International Ever since I joined the Learning Beyond Borders club over five years ago, I have been working on programs to help students in rural Uganda....

Hannah Mercader

"You don’t have to do something out of the ordinary to make a special impact. Be mindful of how to make the small moments count." -Hannah Mercader Age: 27 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Mama na Mtoto, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary From a very young age, I have always had an interest in the health of vulnerable populations. Being born in rural Philippines and growing up in a low-income immigrant family in Canada, I understand...
Share This