ARE YOU CURRENTLY A STUDENT? IF YES,WHERE? AREA OF STUDY:
I am not currently a student. However, my parents and grandfather taught me that each and everyday we must learn something new, so I would consider myself, a student of life.


ARE YOU CURRENTLY EMPLOYED? IF YES, WHAT IS YOUR 
OCCUPATION? 

Yes.  I am co-owner of a production company, Filmfluential Productions Inc. I produce and direct documentary films and corporate videos.  I also model independently, specializing in print and runway.


HAVE YOU COMPLETED SECONDARY SCHOOL? IF YES, WHERE? 
Yes, I finished high school in Edmonton, Alberta at Jasper Place High School in 2002. 


HAVE YOU COMPLETED ANY TECHNICAL/PROFESSIONAL SCHOOL? IF 
YES, WHERE? WHAT SUBJECT? 
Yes, I completed the Film Production program at the Vancouver Film School, 
specializing in Directing and Producing in 2006.


LANGUAGES SPOKEN FLUENTLY (PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NATIVE 
LANGUAGE IF ENGLISH IS NOT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE) 
English is my native language.


LIST ANY SPECIAL TRAINING YOU HAVE HAD (MUSIC, ART, DRAMA, 
DANCE, ETC). 

I have taken acting lessons as a child at the Citadel Theatre and Stage Polaris in Edmonton, and participated in Drama Clubs in Junior High and High School. 

I completed one year of sign language classes.

I have taken various art classes over the years. 

I have also completed Computer Programming classes in Turbo Pascal, HTML, C and C++.  Along with instruction in Paint Shop Pro and Final Cut. This has greatly assisted me in the areas of graphic art, film making and film editing. 

I have recently taken private classes in Photoshop and digital photography. I have also had lessons in make-up and hair design from professionals working in the industry. 

I am currently an active member of toastmasters, and will complete my first level of public speaking – training, by Summer 2010. 


IN WHAT SPORTS, IF ANY, HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED AND HOW LONG 
HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN EACH SPORT? 

Since childhood I have actively participated in swimming and skiing. I started ice skating at the age of ten, and still enjoy skating today.  I have participated in boxing and indoor rock climbing for two years. I have also taken yoga, tai-chi, and pilates classes over the last several years. 


PLEASE LIST ANY SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES (PUBLIC/PRIVATE/GRADUATE/TRADE OR TECHNICAL) YOU HAVE OR ARE ATTENDING, AS WELL AS THE AREA OF STUDY,  GRADUATION DATE AND ANY DEGREE OR CERTIFICATION YOU RECEIVED. 

Elementary Schools - St. Paul’s, St. Mary’s and George H. Luck 

Junior High (Grade 7,8,9) – The Nellie McClung All Girls Program – Graduated 
Honours with Distinction 

High School – Jasper Place High School (Stratford Campus) – Complete in 2002 
with 120+ Credits. 

University of Alberta – 2003 – 1 year Open Studies – Computer Sciences 

The Alberta Real Estate Association School – Completed Program in November 
2003 – Obtained Real Estate License 

Vancouver Film School – Film Production specializing in Producing/Directing – 

Graduated in Dec 2006 – Film Production Diploma
 

WHAT CHARITY/CHARITIES HAVE YOU SUPPORTED WITH YOUR TIME 
AND/OR RESOURCES OVER PAST TWO YEARS? 

I have provided the services of my film production company to non-profit organizations including ENHAPA (Ethiopia North American Health Professionals Association), The BC High Bhangra
Dance Competition as well as a student film for the Jessica’s Hope Foundation. 

I have participated in Charity Fashion Shows including the Children’s SOS Foundation and have attended various charity events such as the Red Ribbon Breakfast for a Vancouver AIDS charity. 

In 2008, I donated soccer balls to underprivileged children in Ethiopia. I have continued to donate food and clothing throughout the year to local charities as well as providing video production services with Rotary charities. 

I am currently volunteering with a child literacy program call CALs through my 
Rotary Club. 

I am also teaching film workshops to dyslexic children, as part of a public  school program 
called THRIVE. 


WHAT WOULD BE YOUR "DREAM JOB" IN LIFE? 

Growing up my dream job was to become a film director, I am living that dream, part of this dream is to one day win an Academy Award for making a documentary film that would change they way we see the world.

NAME ONE PERSON, OTHER THAN YOUR PARENTS, WHO HAS HAD THE 
MOST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? WHY? 

My elder sister Natasha has had the most influence on my life. Due to our vast age difference, she has been a role model and strong supporter of me since childhood.

She is a strong, beautiful and  a big-hearted woman. She is independent, has four children, and works full time in real estate. Her involvement with various charities over the years has inspired me to become more involved. She always takes the initiative, providing gloves and hoodies to homeless teens in Edmonton along with starting a meal program for a school in Namibia. 

Her actions have changed my life and has inspired me to make a difference in the world.  


WHAT IS THE PROUDEST PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT (OTHER THAN 
BEING IN THIS OR ANY OTHER BEAUTY PAGEANT COMPETITION) 

I have many  personal accomplishments I am proud of.  My proudest  is overcoming low self esteem caused by childhood weight problems and dyslexia. Understanding and overcoming  these challenges has made me a stronger, more determined person. I realized that I am an intelligent and beautiful person, despite my childhood physical and learning challenges.


WHAT IS YOUR CAREER AMBITION AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING OR PLAN 
TO DO TO ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL? 

My career ambition is to produce documentaries that will impact how we educate children.  My focus is on helping children with self-esteem and learning disabilities with emphasis on mental and physical health.  Children are our greatest resource,  we can change the world by refocusing how we educate our children.
My documentaries will increase awareness and focus on educating parents, teachers and children how to recognized and overcome obesity, dyslexia and bullying which is prevalent globally. I am currently working with a group teaching film workshops to children with dyslexia and I am in the development stages of a series on dyslexia.

DESCRIBE WHERE YOU WERE RAISED AND WHAT YOUR CHILDHOOD 
WAS LIKE. 
I was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. My mother is a successful realtor in Edmonton for the past 29 years.  My father was employed with the Alberta Government. My parents believed that 
traveling was an excellent form of education. They influenced and fuelled my desire to see the 
world.  Embracing new cultures, learning though life experiences and exchanging ideas.  "Learn something new everyday my mom told me and share your knowledge with others".  Family was important to my parents, so growing up I was fortunate to be around aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. Strong family values were instilled at an early age.  We shared Sunday family dinners for so many years to this day we still connect on Sundays even by telephone.

I struggled with a learning disability known as dyslexia that combined with a weight problem provided untold challenges for me throughout my childhood.  With my parents support, I persevered and prevailed. Their words still ring in my ears today,"if I had tried my best" and "you are beautiful to us" that was all that mattered.  

In Junior High  I went  from a failing student to an honour student. By grade 9, I graduated honours with distinction. I always pushed myself to do better, even though I struggled to read and write. By the time I graduated from grade 12, I had won an award for a poem I had written on women's rights entitled "Equality" and placed first in Computer Sciences at the Edmonton Science Fair (I went on to represent Edmonton at the National Science Fair). I also completed a summer internship at the University of Alberta. Despite the challenges I was fortunate to have a well rounded and interesting childhood.

LIST ANY INTERESTING OR UNUSUAL JOBS YOU MAY HAVE HAD. 

For a couple of years I worked in real estate with my family. It was a unique opportunity to meet new people. On a number of different occasions, it provided me with the opportunity to host my mother’s TV segment “Million Dollar Homes” on Edmonton CityTV’s “Your City”. 

For the past three years I have worked in film, directing and producing. I have worked on interesting and sometimes unusual films, ranging from medical documentaries to a “mockumentary” about “Surviving your First Film Festival”. The scariest part for me was being interviewed on live television by the major networks for a film I won an award for. 

Modeling has always been fun and interesting. I have been on the front page of the Vancouver Sun, walked runway shows here and in the United States as well as being featured in various fashion articles and television features. I am very proud to currently be the face of DuJour Boutique. These have all been interesting and unusual jobs for me.

LIST ANY VOLUNTEERING YOU HAVE DONE. 
As a teenager I volunteered at the local SPCA, as well as nursing homes and a women’s shelter through my Junior High. 

For the past 2 years I have volunteered with ENHAPA (Ethiopia North American Health Professionals Association), the BC High School Bhangra Dance Competition as well as participating in various charity fashion shows including the Children’s SOS Foundation this past year. 

I am currently volunteering with a child literacy program supportedby a Rotary Club, as well as participating in the club’s other charitable events. 

I have just been voted in as Sergeant at Arms for my Toastmasters Club. 

I also  volunteer with a program called THRIVE, where I teach film-making 
workshops to dyslexic children (grades 4 – 7). 

WHERE IS THE MOST INTERESTING PLACE YOU HAVE BEEN? 

I have been fortunate to travel to Australia, Croatia, Serbia, Greece, Ethiopia, Germany, Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, Italy, Mexico, France, the Netherlands, United States and Canada. 
It is difficult to choose but  the most interesting and fascinating place I have ever been is the top of Mount Entoto in Ethiopia. 

There I met a group of boys that walk all the way down the mountain in broken shoes every morning to attend school. They are an amazing group of boys despite having nothing, they are so happy. When I visited them on my first trip to Ethiopia, I noticed that they had beautiful soccer fields, which were not being used.  They told me  the fields were not used because they did not have any soccer balls.  I returned a few days later with a dozen soccer balls. I have never seen children so happy in my life. I returned a year later to visit them and to give them photographs from the first trip. One of the boys was missing and none of them wanted to talk about it. Finally one of the parents told me that the boy had passed away from tuberculosis (TB) a few months before. They took me to meet the boy's mother and I gave her the photo album, which had lots of photographs of her son. She was so overcome with joy, she invited me into her little hut. They are the only photographs she has of her son. Such a small gesture changed her life and mine. The boys of Mount Entoto will always be in my heart. They were so happy, despite having nothing, something that is rare in North America. 

WHAT MAKES YOU UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER 
CONTESTANTS? 

What makes us all unique and different are the challenges and experience we encounter throughout our lives. I am unique and different for several reasons. I have lived with the challenges of dyslexia, a disorder that affects my ability to read and write since childhood.  Combined with being bullied and peer pressure in school from being overweight makes me truly unique and different.  Help is still not readily available to children who face these challenges.  I graduated from post-secondary school despite these challenges and have achieved success that most people would think impossible.  To be a role model for young children and people in general, I want to use my unique experiences to help young children everywhere. True beauty comes from within, it is not a cliche'. Education and sharing of knowledge and experiences can make a difference.  I see the difference in the children I am working with and want to continue sharing my personal experiences to improve the lives of others, even if its one person at a time. 

I have traveled the world. I have been to countries that most North Americans do not have the desire to see, nor opportunity to visit.  I have seen poverty and war torn cities in person, something that most Canadians only see on CNN.  It was a life changing experience for me. 

My colorful heritage is truly unique. My mother is from Trinidad, but her heritage is East Indian.  My father's mother was born in Belfast, Ireland, and his father came from strong Scottish roots dating back several generations to the highlands of Scotland. I am very proud of my multi-cultural background.

The Miss Universe Canada pageant is wonderful opportunity to share my experiences with others and being a part of this process has already made an impact in my life.    

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF/IN LIFE? 
We are all students on the road of life and life is only what we make of it. Everyone
should strive to make the best of every situation and learn from personal experiences. 

There is a quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a famous German writer, which states,
“Knowing is not enough, you must apply. Willing is not enough we must do.” I strive to 
live by this quote. We must not turn a blind eye to the local and global issues that 
surround us. We all have the ability to change the lives, here and around  the world, even if it's
just sharing a piece of bread. 

I also strive to live by my mother's mantra, "Think you are and you will be".  With the love and support of my parents, this has made me aspire to share what I do have and what I know.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BE DOING IN 10 YEARS? 
In 10 years I will still be directing documentaries about global issues and creating powerful films that change the way we see the world. I want to influence people to strive to create a better future for generations to come. I also hope to be more involved in both, local and international aid programs. 

I believe children are our greatest resource and that we must collectively focus our energies into improving the communication between educators and youth. I hope to work with youth programs, concentrating on mental health, body image and literacy, three important and influential concepts that I believe need to be addressed by parents, educators and society. 

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? 
SOMETHING UNIQUE THAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU? SOME 
INTERESTING THING ABOUT YOU? 
 
I wish my grandfather had lived to see me as a contestant in the Miss Universe Canada pageant. He was a school teacher, and although he passed away when I was a little girl, his memory is still strong in my heart.  He referred to my sister and me as his "Miss Universes", because he believed that we were smart, beautiful and would change the world.  This is one of the reason why I chose to do this, to honor my grandfather's memory.