Where else to start but in the beginning

It took a long time for me to realize that working in the event management industry was something that I could do as a career.  However, my interest in the field started as a Rebel, a "Rebel With a Cause" that is.

(Ya that's me on the far left in grade 12, magical, I know.)  

In high school I applied for a peer leader position with the local health unit, uncertain of what I was really getting myself into.  It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my teenage years.  The job had me working with a group of youth advocating against the tobacco industry.  We created campaigns, developed events and managed a website.  When I think back it was truly where I started gaining all kinds of relevant experience.  We wrote press releases, contacted vendors, business owners and city council.  We also ran the event ourselves, interacting directly with the public.  And you don't really appreciate what it means to have to speak with the public for work until you have to discuss such a touchy subject as smoking.  We had adults telling us that what we were doing was bad (trying to educate youth about the harmful effects of smoking), so I empathize with those in similar situations.

The events and campaigns although centered around the anti-tobacco industry theme varied quite greatly.  We hosted movie nights in schools, "stomping out the smoke" with our feet to make people aware of all the tobacco usage in film and ending with a discussion about whether or not that usage was necessary.   When the new laws came into effect requiring stores to keep their tobacco displays covered, we created a large wall out of cardboard boxes, traveling around the county asking people to barge through it, knocking it down.   We also attended other events such as Sarnia Bayfest, I remember the Black Eyed Peas were playing and for that event we designed our own stickers to hand out as swag.  For a fun time we even created advocacy videos about general life issues and how to solve them.  The videos are actually quite funny now that I look back at them...my acting debut as "Sally" can be seen here.  

But note, one person did comment about how they love Sally! :)

Looking back the one thing I would have changed would be to create bigger, better events.  We had so much untapped potential in that group.  I now understand the importance of approaching all events with the desire to push the limits and maintain an "anything is possible" perspective.

"Nothing and everything is possimpible." 

-B. Stinson