Fundraising is my superpower. Just when I least expected it, the fundraising bolt of lightning hit me out of the blue, and here I am! I was a teacher and doing a presentation about something I was very passionate about—an orphanage in Mexico I had been working with. My objective that day was to stir up interest and support for a pen pal/friendship exchange with the children at the orphanage and the children I was teaching in Toronto. But at the end of the day, I walked away with over $50,000 in donations for the orphanage. I kept thinking about what happened. I am very passionate about the arts and social justice issues. I soon realized that I had a gift that could make a real difference for charitable organizations and the people that they serve. I learned the power of a passionate, well-told story in moving others to want to make a difference. 
That experience inspired me to start a new career as a fundraiser. I worked in the arts for many years, in particular, for both Tapestry Opera and the Canadian Opera Company. COVID 19 derailed the opera world, and I took a position at War Child Canada, where I am Senior Manager, Development. I have always been passionate about social justice issues, and this position has allowed me to use my fundraising skills to support programs that serve the most vulnerable children and families in the world.