A New Series from the CGCS Community

I won an Olympic Gold Medal for Canada in the 2006 Olympics in Cross-Country Skiing. I was 22 years old and totally focused on how much I love skiing and doing my absolute best. And you know what? When you do your best, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you can always hold your head high and have no regrets! My hero was an older ski racer named Sara Renner who was so down to earth, friendly and successful and I wanted to be just like her (and still do).

My time at Calgary Girls Charter School shaped me as a young woman. Through the curriculum taught, and the values of the school, I was able to find confidence within myself. Teachers at CGCS are like no other. They care about the wellbeing, as well as the futures of their students. As a young girl, attending school every day was exciting, as I was challenged and my skills were celebrated. The Go Girls curriculum, taught me what it meant to be an empowered female, and lead my life with integrity and strength. It is amazing what an environment filled with encouragement, leadership and empowerment can do for a young woman.

The Calgary Girls Charter School shaped my life in a profound way. I went to CGCS from grades six to nine, which were foundational years in my life. The most positive thing about my experience at CGCS was the people: both the students and the teachers. I formed incredible and life-long friendships with people who have grown into inspiring women and whom I remain in touch with. I was able to form these incredible friendships because of the positive and non-judgmental environment that CGCS fostered. This was largely due to the openness, honesty, and creativity of the teachers, the majority of whom were young women.

I personally thrived in an all-girls environment. During my five years of enrollment, I was never concerned about what others thought of me. I was very relaxed about my personal appearance – while still pushing the envelope on what was appropriate uniform compliance during the grunge era. Most importantly, an all-girls learning environment set the foundation for eventually being able to be my true-self in my future role as an unwavering public servant. When I look back on the experiences and opportunities my attendance at an all-girls school offered me, I can offer three concrete outcomes that most parents would want for their daughter(s), the freedom to achieve self-actualization, the opportunity to lead, and the development of an inclusive mindset.

Part of what makes CGCS a special charter school is the emphasis on empowering young women catering to their unique style of learning. The #GoGirls curriculum is the core of how CGCS guides our young ladies to apply practical tools on what empowerment and advocacy looks like as they become strong, confident women. Reputation of CGCS was spread among my mom friends, and their confident daughters. As an alumnus of an all-girls private school myself, I really hoped that Laura would be keen and through word of mouth and her attending an Open House (not with me by the way), Laura on her own accord insisted that she be apart of that community.