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Healthcare
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Family
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School
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Community
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Marriage
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Birth
I was born in the St.Thomas hospital around 4:30 pm. The day before Valentines day. -
Birth
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Joined kindergarten
This was a positive event in my life because I learned new skills and made new friends. This was very beneficial to me because I am an only child, and didn't have anyone my age to play with, so kindergarten helped with the social aspect of my childhood. -
Joined Kindergarten
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Grandpa Died
My grandpa died when I was very young and I didn't really understand what was going on at the time. Due to this I reacted poorly at the funeral and was very confused regardless of my parents attempting to prepare me. This was only one of unfortunately many funerals I have attended since then, and was one of my earliest life challenges. -
Grandpa Died
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Made best friends
Meeting my two best friends at school was a highlight in my life. I was being picked on by two other girls and had to reach out to find new friends. My new friends were very intelligent for their age and encouraged me to push harder and try my best when it came to school and academics. I wanted to be in the advanced reading group like them so it inspired me to work harder and adopt a good work ethic from a young age. -
Made best friends
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Great Grandmother died
By the time my Great Grandma died, I was old enough to understand a funeral and the concept of death and was very upset by this. I was closer to my G.Grandma because she was alive for longer in my life, and have many memories of her to this day. Sometimes when I see wild bunnies in the yard I think of her, or certain songs play on the radio that remind me of when I was younger and used to sing to her, or she would share stories about when she lived on the farm. -
Great Grandma Died
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Joined a school play and got a solo
My elementary school often had school plays and I was never really too interested in joining until my music teacher held a class audition for a small Christmas concert solo. She took members from the class to go up and sing an excerpt from the script and when I was called I got the part on the spot. After this occurrence, I had the confidence to audition for the school play that featured students of grades 4-8, and managed to get another solo singing a song to the audience in Willy Wonka. -
Joined school play and got a solo
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Went to a waterpark
For my birthday my parents took me to the indoor waterpark in Niagara Falls. I grew up going to Niagra Falls often and had been to Marineland a few times as well but had never gone to a waterpark before. This was a very fun birthday and I still remember meeting some other children there who lived in New York and were there for vacation. I enjoyed the moment of independence and the way I could ride all of the slides as much as I wanted. It was such a fun time! -
Went to a Waterpark
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Got Bullied prt 2
This very negatively impacted my self-esteem and still has some effects on me this many years later. After reaching out to my parents for help - and many school conferences - nothing was done about the situation since I sustained no PHYSICAL injuries or evidence of bullying. Due to the manipulative nature of these students, I lost many of my other friends in the process as they were told untrue negative things about me. -
Bad Insomnia
During this time my worst bout of insomnia started. I used to have to often miss school due to extreme anxiety when trying to sleep which would keep me awake for sometimes even 24 hours at a time. This might have been inspired by the ongoing bullying that was happening at the time, though still can spark up occasionally when under stress or if I've had caffeinated drinks. The lack of sleep negatively impacted my mental state. -
Got bullied
I was bullied off and on throughout most of my youth, however, the worst bullying took place from grades 5-7. I was continuously picked on by a group of girls who pretended to be my friends while being both manipulative and passive-aggressive toward me. -
Got Bullied
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Bad Insomnia
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Adopted my bunny Sage
My parents had two bunnies when I was younger, but they passed away when I was only 4 (after 12 years of living!). I always wanted my own bunny but my parents didn't want to pay for more vet bills at the time. However, after routinely asking them for my 13th birthday, we adopted a bunny named Sage! I was very happy about this and together we celebrate her birthdays and her adoption every year! She turned 5 this year :) -
Adopted my bunny Sage
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Went to Tobermory and Flowerpot island (favourite vacation)
A highlight of my 2019 summer was going to Tobermory as a family and then taking the glass bottom speed boat to the island. I loved this memory because of how you could see all of the shipwrecks at the bottom, and then when I got to explore the island. This was my first time going to a National park versus a provincial park, and I really enjoyed it! It also made me more interested in travelling in Ontario and that is why my family now tries to go to Tobermory at least once every 2-3 years. -
Went to Tobermory and Flowerpot island
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Won best speech award
In my eighth grade year, we had to create a meaningful speech and present it to the whole grade and teachers to practise public speaking. My speech was about body image and how it is affected by media - something I resonated with due to the amount of bullying I faced earlier in life. I was very anxious about presenting but I tried my best. Ultimately, the teachers voted my speech the best overall in terms of both content and performance. I still have the signed certificate hanging in my room. -
Best Speech
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My mom had covid
This is still probably one of the more significant challenges in my life, but back in April 2020 (during quarantine and before vaccinations) my mom had one of the earlier cases of COVID-19. Due to this, the medical field was unsure what to do and she had to be sent back and forth from the hospital numerous times to be put through all kinds of tests. My mom was really sick during this period, and the ailment lasted MONTHS but she tested positive for COVID when tests finally became more available. -
Mom had covid prt 2
When she was not at the hospital and was home, she was quarantined away from the rest of my family and it was a very isolating time for her. My mother at the time was in her late 40s so the disease was a cause of worry for her health when being infected for so long. I am an only child and am very close with her, so her being sick was very hard for me. I gained more independence during this time, but still don't feel that gaining that skill was worth it considering how upset I was for her. -
Mom had covid
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Depressive Low
Due to my mom being sick, my dad having to constantly take care of her, and the fact we had to stay home to quarantine, many of the issues I faced during this time had to be handled independently. I had a small (middle school-type) relationship during this time and ignored a lot of the red flags because I was missing the usual affection I got from my mom. (I was 14) Because of this I struggled to deal with my emotions and fell into a bad depressive episode. -
Depressive Low
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Best friend moved away
One of my closest childhood best friends moved away at the beginning of grade 10. Her moving away was very sudden because her parents got divorced and her dad lost custody, meaning she had to move. masks were still in place at this time, so socializing and seeking out new friendships was very hard, so I spent a lot of time alone for the first few months. Luckily I made new friends pretty quickly, but I still often think about her and the friendship we had when we were close. -
Friend Moved away
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First Relationship
My first "real" relationship began between me and a guy I had been friends with since elementary. He joined our group in science when we needed someone to help with the frog dissection and through that, we became close friends and eventually dated that summer. For our first date, we had a little summer picnic (my idea) and also went to the movies. This was a cute milestone in my life, but over time we went our separate ways. -
First Relationship
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First breakup
This event was one of my first detours as I genuinely thought because of our friendship being so strong that I would end up with my first boyfriend for life. However, because we were so young he was unsure of what he wanted in a relationship and his sexual orientation. We stayed friends for a while, but eventually, we went our separate ways when our friend groups pulled us apart. We still follow each other on social media and will occasionally make small talk. -
First break up
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Got my G1 License
I got my G1 a bit later than most people because I wanted to make sure I was actually ready for it and had an interest in driving. A lot of my friends rushed to get their licenses and judged me for not getting mine right away, but in the end, I am glad that I waited because when I got it I felt more ready than I was at 16. I managed to pass the written test first try and went out driving that night with my dad! I plan to do the same thing with my G2 and ensure I am ready before I take it. -
Got my G1 License
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Fake Friendship ended
This could be negative or positive, but the event itself was overall really negative. This friendship wasn't really bullying like the other one but more so harassment. Even though it was a negative event it still taught me to look out for these qualities in other people and to know when something like that might happen again. In the end, she moved away, switched schools, and thankfully removed herself from my life. -
Fake Friendship ended
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Applied to College
I applied to two courses for the fall, Interior Design and Graphic Design at Fanshawe. I was leaning toward Interior Design because it was on the main campus and at the time Graphic design wasn't. I made a portfolio with a bunch of samples of my work from drawn sketches of rooms and furniture to floorplans and colour schemes. I struggled when composing the written portion of the portfolio, and found myself uninspired by the architects we were told to write about. -
Applied to College
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Application to Interior Design was declined
My Application to Interior Design was declined because didn't I was short one university-level course for grade 12. My guidance counsellors offered to remove my spare and put me in another course so I could get the offer, but because of this, it made me think about whether I wanted to do this anyway. I realized when writing for my portfolio that the job was a lot more technical than artistic (A lot of building codes and material sourcing) and I decided it wasn't really for me anyway. -
Got declined for college
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Applied to Graphic Design
After being declined from the other course I put more focus on my Graphic Design portfolio, which was in fact a lot easier for me to make while remaining inspired. I had plenty of pieces of art to submit and wrote about a few of the possible job outcomes I could have after taking the course. This really sparked my interest, and to my surprise was also being offered at the main London campus! This made me glad for the detour because it helped me find a career I was better suited for! -
Applied for Graphic Design
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Got accepted for College
Shortly after submitting my Graphic Design portfolio, I heard back from the school with both an email and a letter saying I got in! This was an achievement for me because even though my grades are very high, my art had to be taken into consideration as well, and I always feel a bit nervous about other people's opinions on it. My family was very proud of me, though now I just have to hope I can afford and apartment! -
Got accepted for college
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Get my G2
For the future, I would like to get my G2 by the end of August if I feel ready enough. I struggle to find time to practice with my parent's work schedule and with mine, but I am hoping the summer will change that. I have already been occasionally driving to school in the morning, and to the stores sometimes when my parents need to go shopping. I hope to meet this future goal! -
Get my G2
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Moving out!
If all goes according to plan and I can find an affordable apartment, I plan to move out in early September or late August. A friend of mine is hoping to be my roommate so then it can cut down on costs, but the two of us are unsure of whether or not it will work because how she isn't starting school until January for the second term. I look forward to having my own place because I would like the independence (and it makes it easier to get to school) but still plan to come home on weekends. -
Moving out
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Make new college friends!
Hopefully, when I attend college I'll be able to make new friends quickly. I found that since our school is quite small it became pretty cliquey pretty fast, and hope that isn't the case in college. I enjoy talking to many different groups of people and hope to make all different types of new friends. I have a lot of interests so can get along with many people and hope to be able to quickly put those skills to use in the fall. -
Make new college friends
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Have my first drink
On my 19th birthday, I hope to be able to go to a bar (if it's safe) and have my first drink with some friends! The only problem is my birthday is so early in the year that many other people might not be 19 yet. So even if I can't get a drink at a bar, I'd still like to maybe go to a casino to look around with my parents or some of my friends who are 19+.
It'll be a step up from the bingo scratch tickets I usually play. -
Have my first drink
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Graduate college
I hope to graduate college in 2027 with the ambition to get out into the world and find a real career. This will be a very exciting moment in my life and a milestone. -
Graduate college
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Move back home
If I manage to afford travel for school, or even if I don't, it might be hard to afford to live on my own after being in debt from school. It may be a detour for me to move back home with my parents while I manage to scrimp together enough money for the future. The housing prices are only rising, and it seems almost impossible to be able to move out at all considering the prices and the debt I'll have from student loans. Hopefully, this detour doesn't last too long. -
Travel to finish my degree
My program gives the option of doing an additional year in one of the recommended schools globally to turn the diploma into a degree and one of the locations in England! I've always wanted to go to England, so if I have the money I'd love to go there to study! Even though the culture isn't extremely different from here, their school situations are a lot more strict, so it will be something to get used to.
Who knows maybe I'll meet a British future husband! -
Travel to finish my degree
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Move back home
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Get a job in field
When I finish my diploma I hope to get a job in the field that I studied and use the money from the job to save to move out again. I plan to start with graphic design jobs like designing logos, or websites, but eventually, I would love to become a graphic novelist, doing the pictures and maybe the writing behind those types of books. I hope this career makes me money, however, I chose this career because it is something that I enjoy that makes me happy. -
Get job in field
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Move out again (buy house)
Hopefully, by this time I have enough money to move out again and this time for good. I want to buy a house (and pay for it with a mortgage etc) and start settling down and preparing for the future. I don't necessarily have to be married by this time, and if that doesn't happen, I can always aim for an apartment or a cheaper and smaller alternative to a house. Though if I am married, engaged or planning to be, then I can look for a house big enough to support a family. -
Move out again (buy a house)
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Marriage
I hope to be married in the future and go to Italy for the honeymoon. I hope to have a white lacey dress with a heart-shaped corset top and a puffy bottom.