In a world filled with people who may doubt your ability to succeed, you must learn to believe in yourself and strive for greatness.
I once sat outside on my porch, eyes filled with tears, not of sadness, but of joy. These were tears brought on through reflection on the achievements I had finally reached and those which filled my heart with gratitude. However, this payoff did not happen overnight; it was the result of a journey shaped by struggle and perseverance.
I remember sitting in MacEwan Hall with two close friends of mine Harsheen Kaur and Simranjyot Pattar, at the University of Calgary, expressing my deep desire to give back to those who are not as fortunate as I have been. I have always believed that the gift of voice and education is a blessing, and so are basic needs such as shelter, food, water, support and safety. When given these gifts, you become responsible in giving back to those who were not granted the same privileges.
Perhaps the privileges we have is a test in life to see if we will use them to give back to the community
I was incredibly fortunate that my friends shared the same vision.
That day marked the beginning of our dream: to start a club that would grow into something meaningful to help those in need. We named it “Lift Locally, Lead Globally”, where we collaborate with organizations advocating for human and animal rights, beginning with meaningful change in our local community and, with time, extending our efforts beyond borders to create a lasting global impact.
However, nothing in life comes easily and we faced many rejections and challenges like receiving funding, learning how to establish and organize a new club from the ground up, managing events independently and constantly thinking of creative new ways to capture the attention of a wider audience to get people involved. Still, we refused to let them define our journey or determine our future.
After numerous setbacks, we were finally able to collaborate with organizations I had previously volunteered with. My friends and I held onto our trust in God, remained patient and continued pushing forward. Through perseverance, we were granted opportunities far greater than we had imagined.
We partnered with three organizations, Canadian Immigrant Women’s Association, Sending Sunshine and Sagesse from September 2025 to April 2026. We are currently working with a fourth, MUHSEN Canada, which supports individuals with disabilities. We have made over 200 cards, donated money to these organizations alongside making cards and gained 40 volunteers within weeks. We were also officially accepted as an SU Club.
I once believed the labels others placed on me. One memory that still stays with me is from high school, when a teacher told me I was not bright enough to do anything in life. Yet not only did I graduate but I also achieved far more than I had ever expected.
We each have the capacity to achieve greatness. We must remember that even those who criticize us have made their own mistakes and have faced their own failures. Who are they to determine our future? To anyone reading this, it is your duty to reflect the best of humanity by choosing to uplift one another instead of tearing each other down. When we replace judgment with kindness, give back to communities, we create real change. That change must always start from within yourself. You only have one life, so make it a good one, and never let others dictate what good looks like.
