Teacher in running for Me to We award

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

Strathmore High School (SHS) teacher Christine Magill is in the final three for the national Canadian Living Me to We awards under the educator section. The award recognizes Canadians who are making extraordinary impacts in the world for things ranging from spearheading fundraising campaigns to founding their own social justice organizations.
Magill said she was overwhelmed and excited when she heard that she had been nominated for the award.
“It is such a big honour to know that someone feels that you’ve had a positive influence on others,” said Magill.
Her passion first came after she had the opportunity to visit Ghana when she first began teaching.
“It kind of really exposed me to a lot of the challenges in communities and the challenges involved in NGO’s working successfully to create change and to assist the communities in rebuilding things like their education systems, so I got really interested in Free the Children when I returned from that trip,” said Magill.
She was so involved and inspired by the organization that in 2010 she planned a trip to Kenya with some of her SHS students. They all had the chance to see first hand how the program really worked, and the impact and benefits it has on the communities its in.
“The students I brought back from that trip went on to form a club the following year, they became really passionate about it, so we have gone from a club where we had four or five students that have gone to Kenya, to now having 25 to 30 kids involved,” said Magill.
Seeing that level of interest from her students she said is one of the most rewarding things that can happen as a teacher, and is something that has even further ignited her passion.
“Sometimes its easy to think that things are impossible or we can’t create change, but every day I get to see students who say yes, we can create change why don’t we do this. (They’re) just full of excitement and ideas to make a difference, so then it makes you really want to do your best to help those students achieve those dreams,” said Magill.
If she is honoured with the award, Magill said the most important thing to her is that she will get $1,000 to put to a charity of her choice. She is involved with the Rwandan Community in Calgary, and said there is a charity in Calgary called Inspire Africa that does amazing work with the survivors of the genocide.
“I have gotten so much from the Rwandan community so it would be nice to give something back and know that its going to help survivors,” said Magill.
Voting is done online and wraps up on May 8. To cast your vote go to http://www.metowe.com/living-me-to-we/living-me-to-we-awards click on vote now, and find Magill under the educators section.