2011 Scholarship Entry #143: Krista Huseby

In today's society one of the most powerful ways we can help face the problems of today is to educate young people from a very early age on what their abilities are. This includes daily encouragement, positive reinforcement and guidance throughout the journey. I am currently in the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge and I believe in the importance of education in everything I do and hope that one day it will be possible for all children to have the opportunities to learn like I and so many of us in North America and other places can.

I believe that providing children with a nourishing and positive learning environment in schools is necessary for them to be able to recognize that they have the potential to help others in this world and solve the problems that we face. I have been tutoring high school students now for a year through the university and I enjoy it very much because it gives students the extra push they need to know that they can, with a little extra effort succeed and achieve their goals. I would like to volunteer next year for reading programs throughout the schools in Lethbridge to help children become more confident in their abilities to communicate. Communication and speech are other areas that are near to my heart as I am planning on pursuing Speech Pathology as a graduate degree after my undergraduate degree in education. The power of having a voice and being able to effectively communicate with others from a young age is commonly a problem for youth because of speech delays and Speech Language Impairment and so by being able to help children and others face this and improve their speech would be very rewarding.

Another important and serious way the youth of today can help fight the challenges we face is volunteering for causes that mean something to them. For me this is helping children through education, tutoring etc. but it also includes charity work, which means something to me and that is being involved in the Relay for Life to raise money for cancer. I have lost loved ones to this illness and by playing a small role in the big picture of finding a cure it is both fulfilling and I think an example of how we can encourage youth to get involved in small ways to help contribute to a broader picture. Many of my friends are also involved in charities like this one including my one friend who is a recipient of a kidney from his father and because of this is able to be with us today. He now gives yearly talks and is inspirational for many people out there who are in need of organs or other medical assistance. I think that if we can volunteer and help in small ways throughout our journey as youth and after as well and challenge others to do so also, our small efforts will add up and we will be able to see visible change in the world we live in.