Originally posted on October 31, 2017
Man. The Fraser River Journey took me on a journey, without question. It was inspirational on many levels: seeing the youth bravely venture out of the comfort zones (difficult for any adolescent, let alone adolescents that are overcoming obstacles); processing the elders’ words; witnessing Indigenous youth embrace technology, both modern and traditional; witnessing substantial, life changing growth from individuals in but 10 short days.
Reading the updates at the end of the film, I was eagerly waiting to hear about Bonnie. She captured my attention from the very first interview. Her authenticity, her insights, her compassion… as an educator who has crossed paths with thousands of students, you learn how to spot these “gold flags” right away when you engage with students. You know “star quality” when you are in its presence. Bonnie had it. I was certain that we would read about something amazing, and that her story was being left until the end because it was going to be spectacular.
OK. So maybe I am crying. Tragedy makes me cry. Although any loss of life due to a premature cause is tragic, Bonnie is particularly so. Her potential to influence change in our world was immense, and now immeasurable.
We need more Bonnies. And they are out there; we just need to look.