Scholarship Essay Entry – Leslie P.

"Someone can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."

This was a favourite quote of "Nana", the chief of a small village in Ghana where I spent time this spring, and I feel a real connection to it. To try and solve all the world's problems is unrealistic and overwhelming, but I strongly believe that everyone has something to offer to better the world in a small way.

I am active in the Edmonton community, coaching a junior high basketball team and volunteering in a local APPLE School (Alberta Project Promoting active Living and healthy Eating) to promote healthy behaviours amongst students. Each week I volunteer at an inner city health clinic called SHINE which is run by university students from various faculties. One of my main roles is to visit the food bank and create a nutritious meal for the people who drop in at our clinic. While it's not a huge task, it is something small that I can do that makes an impact on the people who come to our door.

I endeavour to keep myself up to date on world events, and when the hurricane struck Haiti this winter I co-organized a fundraiser night as part of the Edmonton Me to We Mobilizers that raised $25 000 for relief efforts.

Throughout my life I know I will continue to be active in my community. However my biggest goal is to return to Ghana to work or volunteer as a dietitian. During the five weeks I spent in Ghana I had the opportunity to tour hospitals and schools, to meet with local district health officials and to talk with many locals from around the country. I met some of the most beautiful and welcoming people, but also saw heart-wrenching examples of malnutrition and its effects.  There is still much for me to learn about the health care, culture and traditional beliefs in Ghana, but as I enter my final year of Nutrition at the University of Alberta I am confident that my knowledge and skill-set are needed in this country. The need for nutrition and health education is huge and I have the passion to make a difference - to help as many "someone's" as I can.