Kristyn Pacione

Kristyn Pacione, 20
Whitby, ON

Program: Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree
Major: Anthropology
Minor: Museum Studies

The acquisition of this incredible award has helped me to be able to further my humanitarian efforts in a way that would otherwise be financially inaccessible to me. I am an advocate for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals created by the United Nations, which are a set of goals that they hope to see humanity accomplish by 2030. Thanks to the generosity of the Summerlee Humanitarian Scholarship, I will be able to participate in an international volunteer trip focused on helping the world achieve these goals.

I will be travelling abroad with an organization by the name of AIESEC, which is the largest student run organization in the world. I am the current Vice President of their Volunteer Program at the local level here in Guelph, but this opportunity is allowing me to work towards our motto of striving for the peace and fulfillment of humankind's potential on a larger scale. I want to do my part to contribute to this bold statement by embarking on a volunteer trip in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Goal #4: Quality Education for all.

I will be travelling to Cairo, Egypt in April 2017 following the winter examination period, in order to volunteer at an NGO that provides education to students who do not have access to schools. My job will be to facilitate workshops on art and culture (which ties in with my university studies), and use those topics to help instill a sense of passion and drive within the students. My personal goal is to help these students discover their own passion for education in whatever discipline that may be, and to help them reach their goals and achieve their dreams.

Upon graduation I hope to pursue a Master’s Degree abroad, while continuing on with my involvement in AIESEC. My ultimate end goal for the future is to work for UNESCO as I am passionate about education and heritage, and I believe that the experience that I will gain as a result of this scholarship will help me on my journey to these goals. I would also like to take a moment to thank Alastair Summerlee for making this experience a possibility for me, and for allowing me the privilege to challenge myself and engage in a cross-cultural, leadership development experience.