I was raised in Kamloops and completed my entire K–12 education in our public school system before earning my degree in economics and political science from Thompson Rivers University.

 

I was honestly a terrible student in high school. It wasn’t until university, when I found subjects and opportunities I genuinely cared about, that I went from being a C student to an A student.

 

During that time, I was elected to four terms in TRU’s students’ union. I am now completing my first term as an SD73 school trustee.

 

A major focus of my work is helping young people find their interests, their community and their voice so they can unlock their potential, ideally right here in Kamloops. I want the next generation to feel that they belong here and have a meaningful say in how their community grows and changes.

 

How I have helped and what I want to keep doing:

 

1. Helped lead a major regional campaign for fairer university funding. We travelled across the region, from Williams Lake to Logan Lake and Chase to Lillooet, speaking with local governments, non-profits and people at community events about why our university deserved fair funding.

 

2. Led an initiative with students’ unions across BC to successfully advocate for need-based student grants. We brought a united message to the province and successed in getting a more efficient form of financial aid for students in BC.

 

3. Helped bring Pineview Valley Elementary, the first new school built in Kamloops in more than 25 years, over the finish line.

 

4. Meet young voters where they actually are. On Friday and Saturday nights, I’m often out with volunteers, handing out cards and having real conversations about voting and the future of Kamloops. People say young people don’t vote, but I think we also need to ask whether politics makes a genuine effort to reach them.

 

5. Regularly attend events at TRU, schools and throughout the community to hear directly from students and young people.

 

6. Expand hands-on, outdoor, career-connected and other experiential learning opportunities. Not every student discovers what they’re good at by sitting in a classroom. I know that from personal experience.

 

7. Advocate for fairer education funding by helping build a united provincial voice, rather than having individual school boards compete over pieces of the same limited budget.

 

8. Build stronger partnerships between schools, TRU, local businesses and non-profits so students have more opportunities to explore their interests and prepare for life after graduation.

 

9. Advocate for safe, accessible and inclusive schools, particularly for students who may be at risk of falling through the cracks.

 

10. Bring a younger voice to long-term planning for school district properties. Through proper consultation, we should explore whether underused land could support housing, mixed-use development, better public spaces and stronger connections with TRU. These decisions will help determine whether young people can afford to stay, work and build a life in Kamloops.

 

11. Bringing delegations of students to local budget consultation to get the voices heard in Municipal matters.