THE AUTHENTICITY SERIES: DANDY LION PERSPECTIVE

What would you do if no one believed in your dream? Those around Sayeh told her that she could not pursue her dream in a world that did not accept women as equals. She shares how she found herself alone at the airport during COVID 19. She had to decide the country to fly to. Sayeh knew what she was capable of no matter what noise was around her. She has intention in everything she does. Link on her social media:

Instagram: _saye.roshan_

Twitter: saroart632

Kajal Dhaneshwari speaks about her mental wellness journey. She prioritized this because she wanted to change the narrative and shift her perspective. She suffered from depression and anxiety a few years ago and let herself suffer in silence until she knew she couldn't take it anymore. She was tired of feeling helpless. Using her voice to bring change in her life was essential.

She stated that "What gives me strength is the pain. I grew up with painful memories close to my heart. But I realized later; it did not serve me well. The pain took away my smile."

She shares the three most important words we all need to ask. Those words have changed her life.

Our October Dandy Lion youth of the month is Ann Maina. She is the national ambassador for "Know-Love-Lead," a platform that ignites women to rise and be their own change agents to become empowered women. As a young Kenyan who immigrated to Canada at a very young age, Ann grew up shy and unsure of herself—being an athlete instilled in Ann a "down but not out" attitude that she used to come out of her shell. Playing basketball also showed Ann how important having a trusted team is. 

Being brought up by entrepreneur parents, Ann is very familiar with what it takes to succeed in the business world. She is now skilled in business and has seen it all, from start-ups to failed ventures to outstanding enterprises.  As a youth herself, she works with young girls to help them see the beauty within.  In this episode, she shares her wisdom on how to be humble when faced with failure. Additionally, how to lead without being told, "you are so bossy."

Meet Carmelita Santana: a nineteen-year girl who has been a dedicated community volunteer from the early age of ten years old.  Today, she is the President of the Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Youth Group and a first-year student at the Concordia University of Edmonton.  Commitment to serving the community has her leading the Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Youth Group since 2019. She is responsible for creating programs and activities, meeting with possible partners and presenters and researching possible grants to enhance their programming. Carmelita’s volunteerism has led her to win the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Saskatchewan and the City’s Outstanding Girl of the Year in 2017.  As a recipient Chamber of Commerce International Women’s Day Award for Outstanding Youth of the Year 2017, Carmelita felt honoured, and it gave her fuel to keep on giving back.  In 2019 she was again nominated for the Chamber of Commerce International Women’s Day Award for Exemplary Youth of the Year, and in 2020, She received a Recognition award for Exemplary Youth. Carmelita’s volunteerism includes Volunteer Tutor for English as a Second Language students for children ages 6-9 in reading and math. Listen to her joy as she shares what insp[ires her to be who she is today.

Her message on authenticity is to be true to yourself.

Make you happy first before others.

It is then when you can give yourself entirely and make an impact.

Meet Aryanah Oldenburger, our July Dandy Lion of the month. She just turned eighteen years old this month. Like many teens, she has been anxious to go back to the way it was in 2019.

Aryanah grew up in a family that cultivated happiness. Her parents gave her tools for self-managing by using positive affirmations, appreciating our connectedness to one another, and practicing gratitude. They taught her to appreciate the little joys of miracles of life, such as the sun rising every day. Aryanah grew up with a growth mindset.

Though Aryanah grew up in a loving family, it did not shield her from being bullied at school. Being 5'9 inches at age 15 was ammunition for her schoolmates to make fun of her. She had terrible acne on her face, more pronounced than the typical girls her age. A group of girls made fun of her and even told other students that she had chickenpox. They made her life miserable. Her parents taught her to accept those uncomfortable sad feelings because they deepen our ability to appreciate the joy in our lives. But it does not give anyone permission to hurt others with mean words. And especially for something they have no control over.

Aryanah knew the only way to fight back was to self-love and ignore others' opinions. Though a challenging journey, she knew she would have to journal her feeling and look in the mirror daily to self-love. With patience and time, it worked. During the pandemic, she had a few failures that would impact her acceptance into nursing school.  Listen to how she overcame them.

Contact her via Instagram at:

instagram@aryanah.o

This month's Dandelion Youth of the Month is a young 27-year-old Nigerian-born Ifeanyi Agwazia.  He is a spoken word artist, a public speaker, an author, writer and an entrepreneur. He is passionate about quality leadership and good governance, and he is an avid student of world politics. Ifeanyi is the author of the must-read book, Timeless, in which he shares truths about life that have been relevant through the ages. His focus is on teaching people how to improve their lives by enhancing their mindsets.

Though he has achieved so much in a short time, it wasn't always an easy path. Growing up, Ifeanyi had several people who helped him in his growth journey. Specifically, he had someone who took the challenge of supporting, raising, and supporting him in his adolescent years. The father figure who influenced him was not a blood relation. Travel with him in his journey and listen to his wisdom.

Facebook: Ifeanyi Agwazia @ifeanyiagwazia