{"id":2937,"date":"2026-10-29T12:59:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/?p=2937"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:16:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T19:16:57","slug":"a-recipients-perspective-ontario-medal-for-young-volunteers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/a-recipients-perspective-ontario-medal-for-young-volunteers\/","title":{"rendered":"A Recipient’s Perspective: Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Check against delivery<\/em><\/p>\n

The speaking remarks were delivered in English. To request a\u00a0French version, please contact\u00a0lg@ontario.ca<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Your Honour, distinguished guests, mentors, families, and, above all, the extraordinary young
\npeople we are here to celebrate today.<\/p>\n

I am so proud of every one of you. And I hope that, today, you are proud of yourselves, too.
\nBefore I say anything else, look at the person sitting beside you. You are looking at someone
\nwho saw a need in their community and refused to believe it was someone else’s responsibility
\nto solve it. They saw an obstacle, asked \u201cWhat can I do?\u201d, and answered with action.<\/p>\n

That question is where leadership begins.<\/p>\n

A few years ago, I was sitting exactly where you are sitting today.<\/p>\n

I remember wondering whether I truly belonged among them. If a small voice has asked you
\nwhether you are doing enough, hear me clearly: You belong here.<\/p>\n

You belong here because of the work you have already done and the courage it took to begin.
\nBut you are not here simply to celebrate past accomplishments. Ontario does not just need your
\npotential, Ontario needs your participation, your ideas, and your courage.
\nBecause the truth is this: You are not the leaders of tomorrow. You are the architects of the
\npresent.<\/p>\n

You did not wait until tomorrow to launch a nonprofit, organize a community initiative, or push for
\nchange. You acted. That is why this medal matters: it is recognition of the work you have
\nalready done, not a reward for what you might do someday.<\/p>\n

But recognition carries responsibility. When I received this medal years ago, I did not see it as a
\nreason to slow down. At the time, Project Impacting Lives was just 20 care packages prepared
\nin a small room. Today, it has grown into a community-driven effort distributing over 10,000 care
\nproducts to people experiencing hardship across Canada, from Toronto, London, Waterloo,
\nHamilton and Ottawa to Vancouver and Prince Edward Island. Later, serving as President of the
\nToronto Youth Advisory Council, President of the Canadian Young Economic Forum, and Chair
\nof the York University Black Alumni Network all stemmed from this catalyst.<\/p>\n

The medal was a catalyst for me. I want it to be a catalyst for you, too. What becomes possible
\nbecause you received this recognition?<\/p>\n

Now, I want you to look behind you. Look at the parents, guardians, mentors, teachers, and
\nfriends who came here to celebrate you. Can we give them a round of applause?<\/p>\n

No meaningful achievement happens in isolation. Leadership may begin with an individual
\ndecision, but its greatest impact is achieved collectively. When one passionate leader links
\nhands with another, 1 plus 1 doesn’t equal 2, it becomes a movement.<\/p>\n

Imagine what happens if the relationships formed in this room become something much larger.
\nWhat if past and present recipients of the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers built a living
\nnetwork where changemakers share experiences, find mentors, and collaborate on the
\nchallenges that matter most?<\/p>\n

This does not start with an elaborate structure. It starts with a conversation, an introduction, and
\na decision to help another person succeed.<\/p>\n

So, to every recipient here today: Keep building. Keep showing up for your communities. When
\nthe work feels slow or resources are limited, remember why you started and the people whose
\nlives became a little easier because you refused to look away.<\/p>\n

Stay humble enough to listen, courageous enough to lead, and generous enough to collaborate.
\nNext week, when the formal attire is put away and the excitement begins to settle, I have one
\nfinal request: Put the medal away. Roll up your sleeves. And get back to work.
\nBecause architects do not simply admire the blueprint. They build.<\/p>\n

Let’s build together. The best is yet to come!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check against delivery The speaking remarks were delivered in English. To request a\u00a0French version, please contact\u00a0lg@ontario.ca.   Your Honour, distinguished guests, mentors, families, and, above all, the extraordinary young people we are here to celebrate today. I am so proud of every one of you. And I hope that, today, you are proud of yourselves, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-speaking-remarks","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2937","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2937"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2937\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2949,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2937\/revisions\/2949"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2937"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2937"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2937"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}