Hello!

​I think my childhood in Hespeler looked very similar to many other people's upbringings in our community. Hockey, spending time outdoors (biking the Mill Run Trail remains a favourite), and hoping the streetlights would forget to turn on. I attended Woodland Park for elementary school, where I was selected by my peers as the Valedictorian. During those years, I played for the Shamrocks as a goalie, much to the dismay of my teammates, but I somehow managed to score 2 goals from the net. Having had enough of the embarrassment, I moved to the forward line, playing right wing for the Cambridge Hawks for a few years. Unfortunately, I scored the same number of goals as a forward as I did as a goalie. The NHL never called. 

 

I spent grades 9 and 10 at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, where I joined several clubs and sports teams. I was named captain of both the Varsity Golf and Junior Badminton teams in the 10th grade. I then transferred to Galt Collegiate Institute to pursue some design courses that weren't offered at other schools. I deeply missed my friends, clubs, and teams at JHSS when I was at GCI, but remain grateful for the increased independence and personal growth that going so far out of my comfort zone forced upon me. I'm a proud member of GCI's 169th graduating class. 

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Up to this point, I wanted to be an architect. That was the primary motivation behind the choice to transfer to GCI for those design courses. By the end of grade 11, I could see my calculus marks not being up to snuff for the shortlist of architecture schools I wanted to attend - namely, Waterloo's School of Architecture in downtown Galt. Being someone who likes to plan ahead, I began evaluating alternative post-secondary options. With my continued love for design, and a newfound love for the workings of government instilled in me by Mr. O'Connor's grade 10 civics teachings, I stumbled upon the profession of urban planning. I realized that, in a very simplified sense, an urban planner is part architect and part engineer, with a hint of lawyer. I quickly fell in love with the complexity of cities as a whole, and knew the problem-solving it requires would be a fun challenge. 

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Through my university years, I worked a part-time job on the evenings and weekends, during all of my school and work terms. Having the opportunity to experience 5 different organizations throughout my co-op/internship positions (including a very cold term in Calgary) allowed me to have a diverse range of professional experiences before 'officially' entering the working world. As was my dream, I managed to graduate from the University of Waterloo with Honours. From a degree program I had never heard of, but one that has brought me more joy than I ever imagined architecture could. 

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I believe those experiences have shaped me in ways that are particularly relevant to the work of a City Councillor. I've always been someone who pushes to think several steps ahead, and loves to understand how things work - figuring out how seemingly different pieces fit together. My education and work experience have allowed me to see Cambridge and other communities from a number of different perspectives — as a resident, a student, a volunteer, a candidate, and an urban planner. I've learned that good ideas are only useful if you can actually get them done, that there is rarely one perspective that tells the whole story, and that representing people well means listening carefully even when you don't necessarily agree. As a Councillor, I want to be someone Ward 2 residents can count on to understand the issues, advocate for our community, work constructively with my colleagues, and make decisions with both the needs of today and the Cambridge of tomorrow in mind.​​ 

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Oh, and I also ran for City Council in Ward 2 in 2022 while I was still a student. Thank you to the 721 of you who voted for me when I was barely old enough to drink. At the end of that campaign, I put out a statement that ended with "see you in 2026." Consider that promise kept.