This is a fantastic story … if I do say so myself! I graduated from Laurier with a Business Degree in 2001. In the fall of 2017, I reconnected with one of my business profs, Laura Allan, through LinkedIn. We tried to set up a phone call, but it didn’t work out. We then connected again in 2019, because Laura ended up riding a horse at the same barn where my mom boarded her horse. We tried to set up a phone call, but it didn’t work out. Then, in February 2021, Laura accidentally emailed me – she put the wrong Lindsey in an email that was intended for an amazing group of her students who were creating EarthSuds: plastic-free shampoo, conditioner and body wash tablets. I wrote back right away to make sure that Laura sent the email to the correct Lindsey, but then asked her for more info on these students, because I knew that the kids in my Upstanders Academy would love to interview them! This has set off the most amazing chain of events. Starting with our interview with EarthSuds!
Laura and I both believe that she didn’t “accidentally” email me. We both believe that we are meant to do something super cool together – we just aren’t exactly sure what that is yet. We meet every few months to throw ideas around for possible collaborations and we see what sticks. This amazing kid being included in a video submission for the team from Laurier for Enactus Nationals was a result of one of the ideas that stuck. On our last call, Laura told me that I had to connect with Ryan McAlpine who is creating a video game to teach primary children about restorative justice. This was (of course) perfectly timed, as we were learning about the Criminal Justice System in my Upstanders Academy at that exact moment. So Ryan came into one of our sessions to talk about the video game with the kids and to ask them for their thoughts and feedback. And this kid ended up in the final video. So cool.
We have also agreed to help Ryan throughout the entire development of this game. He is going to come back in to chat with the kids every few weeks – to show them where the game is at and get more feedback from them. I still can’t believe that we get to do this. What an amazing experience for these kids – to learn more about video game development and restorative justice. It is also an amazing opportunity for us to show the kids that they are seen, heard and valued – that they deserve a seat at any table they choose to sit at. I am so grateful that I get to do this work!
You can watch the whole video here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/nationals22-wilfridlaurieruniversity
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