Aspiring to be Ambassadors of Change

The following guest blog was written by Brandon MacDougall, a grade 11 student from Cole Harbour High. Brandon visited the Mount in early July as part of a winning team from this year’s Accelerating Empathy conference, an event powered by The Empathy Factory that brought together high school students from across Nova Scotia to discuss and respond to several key issues facing youth today. As part of their prize package, members of his team, Scotia Circle, met with Mount faculty and student leaders to discuss and strategize ways to tackle bullying in our schools.

We were proud to sponsor this year’s Accelerating Empathy conference, and delighted to welcome Brandon and his team member Sandrico Provo to the Mount to discuss the many ways Nova Scotia’s youth are taking the lead in making a real difference in the world.

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Aspiring to be Ambassadors of Change

Brandon MacDougall



Bullying, depression and anxiety are not things you can simply solve. Yet I think as a human being, I have a responsibility to do everything in my power to make my community a more harmonious place to be. I didn’t have to go to The Empathy Factory conference three days after having my wisdom teeth out. I didn’t have to write a pitch on how to solve bullying for the 40-minute bus drive there. I guess what I am saying is that nobody sat me down and said I had to care about bullying or any social issue, I just do because it matters.

The Empathy Factory organized a conference called Accelerating Empathy. This is an amazing opportunity for youth to formulate ideas and find some internal empathy to share externally. There were four social issues we could choose to address in our pitch. I chose bullying.

My pitch was done using a form of poetry, and was voted as one of the top two in the subject of bullying. I then recruited a team for a bigger pitch the next day that would be judged by some experts in the various fields of social issues. We performed another poetic pitch, and were chosen to be the top idea for solving bullying. The idea was sort of simple - we would start creative expression groups at schools and hold yearly spoken word and rap competitions themed on things related to anti-bullying.

(Photo L-R: Sandrico Provo, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin,

and myself - Brandon MacDougall, at a recent

visit at Mount Saint Vincent University.

The most important thing I discovered since that day is that if you keep moving forward, regardless of the opportunities you might have missed before, eventually you will find one in a moment that will make the difference you needed. This happened at Mount Saint Vincent University.

We met with a number of wonderful individuals during the day, including the Mount's President, Ramona Lumpkin, student representatives, and three informative and supportive Professors.

We had talks about how school systems can tend to contribute to the issue, how blame can be often be misplaced and how it is so important and much more effective for youth to lead prevention initiatives.

What the Mount really showed me was that there are people who care deeply about these issues. Most significantly though, every single person I met really listened to what I was saying and thus was able to provide me with greater insights and ideas to help move things forward.

To be honest, when arriving at the Mount, I was still unsure if my ideas would ever be able to surmount some of the problems youth face or if I could even find a way to bring it to life. When leaving the Mount, there was no longer an “is this possible?” in my head, only a “when”.

Great ideas will flourish when mobilized by people of great care and empathy. I strongly believe this will one day be proof of that. Look out for “Scotia Circle” in the future, “Where nobody can be cornered.”

Be Part of Something Big - Honour a Remarkable Woman in your Life

The Mount’s commitment to the advancement and empowerment of women is well-documented and is one of the cornerstones of the university’s identity. Founded by the Sisters of Charity at a time when opportunities for women were limited, the Mount has truly been at the forefront of more than 150 years of achievement by women.

Each of us has been touched by the women in our lives. Think of the sacrifice, dedication, and selfless compassion of our mothers. Or of the support, love, and good humour of our closest friends. Or the inspiration and life lessons shared by our teachers and mentors. The women in our lives, and their remarkable stories, have helped shape each of us into the person we’ve become.

Today I want to share with you a personal story about a woman who has had a major impact on my life. My own mother has always been a great inspiration to me. She grew up in hard circumstances, a daughter of a share-cropping family in south Alabama.  She laboured in the fields under conditions hardly imaginable to me, and although she was a bright girl, hungry for knowledge, she was unable to attend high school.  But she read avidly all her life, and when her children had graduated from university she completed her high-school equivalency diploma and went on to enrol in university courses herself.  She set an example for my sister, brother and me and instilled in us a love of education that has stayed with us all our lives.

Artist Rendering of the Women's Wall of Honour

As we prepare to launch the virtual Women’s Wall of Honour, I eagerly anticipate learning about the many women who will be celebrated and remembered, including the story of Noreen Valenta, who was an engineering student many years ago in a class otherwise made up entirely of men. 

The virtual wall (www.womenswallofhonour.ca) is the first step in the real-life Women’s Wall of Honour, to be housed permanently in a garden-like setting outside our new Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research.  Unique in Canada, this inspiring project will showcase stories and photos of women from all walks of life.   

I suspect you will also know the story of a remarkable woman who has left her mark on your life. Whether she’s your mother, grandmother, a partner, a friend or a mentor, I hope you will consider the opportunity to honour her by buying a brick in the Women’s Wall of Honour, and sharing her story online. The virtual Women’s Wall of Honour will be live in just a few short days. In the meantime, I encourage you to read more about Noreen’s story and to learn more about honouring the woman in your life by visiting the Wall’s Facebook page or by following @HonouringWomen on Twitter.

Until next time,

Ramona

Celebrating International Women’s Day a Mount Tradition

Last week, the Mount community celebrated International Women’s Day with a major conference dedicated to discussing the challenges, experiences and accomplishments of girls and young women. Called GIRLS 2012, this landmark conference was a showcase project of the Mount’s Institute for Women, Gender, and Social Justice. Nearly 300 girls, young women, and those concerned about girls’ issues and social justice for girls in Canada and around the world took part in two full days of workshops, seminars, films, readings, and discussion.

I was greatly inspired and moved by the wide range of topics covered in the more than 30 sessions. Issues critical to the lives of girls and young women –body image, sexual assault awareness, safe schools for LBGTQI youth, activism, social media as a tool for girls, women in politics and women’s participation in sport and science – all of these topics were discussed and passionately debated. A remarkable organizing committee, dozens of volunteers, speakers, and of course conference participants all deserve our sincere thanks for continuing the legacy of the Sisters of Charity in advancing the lives of girls and women worldwide.

While International Women’s Day is an important time to reflect on the advances we have made, and the work still to be done, women’s achievements need to be celebrated year round, and at the Mount, we believe every day is women’s day.

We were one of the first higher education institutions in Canada to specialize in the education of women, and our commitment to advancing women is explicitly highlighted in the University’s mission statement. Our four Canada Research Chairs, all women, and faculty across campus are engaged in critical work to better understand and account for the experiences of women, and to improve the lives of girls and women globally.

Dr. Franz-Odendaal hosts a group from
Techsploration at Girls 2012

Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal, Atlantic NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Associate Professor (Biology) at the Mount, and one of the speakers at GIRLS 2012, works with young women around Atlantic Canada to encourage their participation in science and engineering. This is one notable example of how our investment in and support of girls contributes to the development of strong women – mothers, partners, workers and leaders – who in turn enhance our communities.


At the Mount, we are taking our commitment to women further with plans for our new Margaret Norrie McCain Centre for Teaching, Learning and Research. To our knowledge, this is the first university building in Canada designed to honour the contributions and experiences of women across the country. When completed, the McCain Centre will house some of the Mount’s signature programs.  We will also feature the life stories of 12 inspiring women who have made key contributions to the arts, sciences, their professions, and public life.

But we’re taking it even further still. Through Project TWENTY12, we aim to celebrate the extraordinary lives of ordinary women from all walks of life. Mothers, teachers, daughters, grandmothers, mentors, leaders, and women who have touched the lives of their families, communities, friends, and colleagues. The Women’s Wall of Honour, unique in Canada, will be a remarkable opportunity to acknowledge and pay lasting tribute to 2012 women through an outdoor garden and a living memorial.  We invite all members of our community to learn more about this special opportunity by visiting the Project TWENTY12 website.

Until next time,

Ramona