Debra grew up in Brantford, studied math, science and psychology at McMaster and went into clinical health psychology before completing her PHD at Waterloo in hypnosis. She completed a post doctoral in Winnipeg where she met her husband who is a doctor.. She worked with epilepsy patients and did research on accident victims and their ability to heal with the right attitude. After deciding that clinical psychology was not the career she wanted, she completed her MBA and moved to Fort McMurray where she managed the mental health service for the city. Then off to Toronto working with CEOs and their top management as a management psychologist. In 2023 she left the global consulting firm she worked for, moved to Dundas and started her own consulting business.

 

 

Uma Pala from St. Mary's received the Skilled Trades Bursary. She enrolled at Niagara College in the electrical techniques one year certificate program. She said our contribution allowed her to gain independence from living on residence and gave her the opportunity to focus entirely on her schoolwork. She was one of five females in the program of 90 individuals. She said the program gave her the technical skills but also perseverance and determination. She thanked the club for its financial support, for recognizing females in the trades and for allowing her to speak about her experiences.

Maya Hayworth from St. Mary's received the Ken Turner Bursary and attended McMaster. She had a written report read by Denise as she was in Europe visiting family and de-stressing. She wrote that without the bursary she would not have been able to enrol in the optional module program called Local Explorations that allowed her to meet more of her cohort and discover her interest in film critique. She thanked the club for honouring her with the Ken Turner Bursary.

Wyatt Rapson from Dundas Valley Secondary School received the Ken Turner Bursary and attended St. Clair College in Windsor. He took e-sports which combined video games with business, accounting, broadcast and marketing. He thanked the club for the bursary and would like to manage e-sports events on the world stage, maybe in Brazil.

Val Serjeant is with the City of Hamilton Human Resources Department. Val spoke of Generation Z - the good, the bad and the ugly. His talk focused on teenagers and the many challenges they face from peer pressure, unstable home environments, food insecurity, poverty and single parent homes. And who looks after teens with mental health issues. He said we need more good news stories of teens and how to get the news out through social media that they use.