Hard to believe Amilya Ladak is just getting started.
Already known as a tireless volunteer and community activist in her hometown of North Vancouver, B.C., the 18-year-old first-year Western student takes her initial steps onto the national stage today when she is introduced as one of six nationwide winners of the Canadian Living Me to We Award. Ladak will be honoured on stage at We Day Toronto in front of thousands at the Air Canada Centre.
“We all have a purpose for being here. I’m lucky. I’m lucky to be where I am, to be at Western, to have this chance at education,” said the Health Sciences student. “I feel like whatever ways I can to help others, who haven’t had the same opportunities I have had, is really important. From that, I gain a lot of satisfaction.”
Ladak owes her volunteer spirit to family – her parents, as well as grandparents – who raised her with a belief in “giving back to your community.”
She has spent more than half her life dedicated to others – be it raising money for a local hospital in lieu of birthday gifts at age 9, or spending her school lunch hours counseling or tutoring other students.
In Grade 7, she set her school’s record for volunteer hours.
“I didn’t do it because I wanted to set the record,” she told Canadian Living, as part of a feature honouring the winners in its October 2014 issue. “I wanted to spend my lunch hours doing something useful. I love spending time with kids and helping them find solutions to their problems.”
When she entered high school, Ladak joined the Me to We chapter, and, in her senior year, was elected president of the organization by her peers.
“Being involved in that organization for so long, made me really passionate about it,” she said. “I had been to a few of the We Day events previously, where they put on these huge productions to motivate and inspire students to take action against global problems. I decided I wanted to bring that experience to my high school.”
We Day was organized by Free the Children founders Marc and Craig Kielburger, both LLD’11, in 2007 to motivate youth across Canada and the United States to take action on local and global issues. Last spring, Ladak mirrored that spirit and organized a Mini We Day at her high school – complete with motivational speakers and performers. Mini We drew 200 attendees and raised more than $2,000.
That money was used to build an elementary school in Ngosuani, Kenya.
For Mini We Day, as well as her body of volunteer work, she was nominated for, and eventually won, the Canadian Living Me to We Award.
The Canadian Living Me to We Awards are divided into six categories, including the Free The Children Youth category, which Ladak won. Part of her prize includes participation in a Free the Children service trip to Ecuador, working on a variety of community projects.
Ladak plans to remain an active volunteer at Western, as well as for the rest of her life.
“I hope all this continues. I hope to eventually use my Health Sciences degree to help promote good health, and change the lives of people,” she said.