012. “When we raise our voice and shout FREEDOM!”

Nothing is more inspiring than watching thousands of youth come together to make change. This Thursday morning I decided to watch the Toronto We Day broadcast on ctv.ca, and it was the best decision I made all week.

We Day in Toronto was the perfect chance to be inspired and hopeful in spite of so many things that happen daily that may weaken hope. There have been about 5 suicides in the past three weeks, ages ranging from about 13 to 19. Youth who felt that they had no hope, no chance and no freedom. Watching the We Day broadcast in my jammies (while eating a delicious bowl of Frosted Flakes) was the perfect start to my day. Everyday should begin with inspiring stories of change, of struggle and most importantly, of hope.

I was fortunate to hear motivational speaker Spencer West tell his amazing stories from his recent trips abroad, and Marc and Craig Keilberger’s incredibly keynote speech that resonated in the hearts of thousands of youth at the ACC, me in my dorm at UBC and the thousands of others watching online from Germany, Saudi Arabia and countless other nations.

If there is any other moment, any other time to feel a spark of change deep within your heart, and your soul, it’s now. Now is the time to stand up for what’s right and be aware of all the wrongs.

This year I have the amazing opportunity to be a Me to We (Mob)ilizer. A movement grounded in change and awareness, starting from the bottom up, coming together to be champions for freedom, rights and hope. I couldn’t be more excited to embark on this journey with youth just as motivated to change the world, one step at a time.

I hope that if you didn’t get a chance to watch the Toronto We Day live stream, you will watch the Vancouver We Day broadcast. It’s a few hours of your day to be a part of something big: a community of like-minded youth ready to change the future starting today.