Yesterday, a group of young leaders were hosted by Ward 2 and Regional Councillor Lisa Kearns for an afternoon of inspiration, networking, and sharing ideas, organized by local charity Dare to Be You(th) (DTBY) and their Community Youth Council.
This Youth Connect event invited local high school and university students to City Hall for a lunch-and-learn session, where Kearns shared her own journey from a strategic sourcing role at LifeLabs to becoming a city councillor. The young people in attendance were members of DTBY’s Community Youth Council, the Honourable Karina Gould’s Burlington Youth Council, or both — no strangers to leadership or community-building.
Kearns began by speaking of her work in the corporate world, noting that through teamwork and playing to each team member’s strengths, all of their jobs became even more fulfilling. She also spoke about the importance of effective communication between colleagues, especially when it comes to challenging each other to be better, and of surrounding yourself with people who care about you and will help you be the best version of yourself.
Meeting people where they are was another piece of knowledge Kearns shared with the students; that, and being true to yourself. To “meet someone where they are” requires listening without judgement, to understand where they stand in terms of values, their emotions, their experiences, who they are. When we can do that while staying true to ourselves, we can begin to have productive communication, regardless of the topic at hand: something all of us would do well to aspire to.
All of the participating students brought their own passions and ideas to the conversation. Soon-to-be first-year university student Antonella Pecora Ruiz spoke about the lack of outlets for arts participation for youth in Burlington; this turned into a discussion of how Kearns could help bring this to fruition. High school student Kai Ruhl spoke about her passion for advocating for the end of gender-based violence and using her voice to help others; Ruhl was also one of the student organizers of the 2021 Nelson High School walkout that aimed to start a conversation about how Halton Public School Board deals with reports of sexual assault. Kassia Vrhovnik, who has participated in DTBY’s Community Youth Council for over two years, and has just finished an internship as DTBY’s community liaison, spoke about the skills and knowledge she has gained from her community involvement and her goal of becoming a pediatrician.
With youth like these, already involved in their communities, passionate about advocacy, and gaining leadership skills even as they go through high school and university, the future of Burlington looks that much brighter.
