Vidya Pandiaraju
Hey everyone! My name is Vidya Pandiaraju (everyone calls me V), I'm 14 years old, and I go to University of Toronto Schools.
Considering the current state of affairs, the youth of Toronto has a lot to worry about. Cuts to education, without our consent. Repeals to significant pieces to the OSSD curriculum. Cuts to Grants for Student Needs. We're doing the walkouts, we're making the appearances on TV, we're doing what we can - but councils like this give students an 'official mouthpiece' so that our needs can be heard through a medium that is endorsed by the government.
I, personally, have a lot of experience with parliament and politics. I volunteered at MP Chrystia Freeland's office every day over the 2018 summer, I'm a part of the University-Rosedale Youth Council, and I'm the Organizational Officer of the Federal Davenport Young Liberals. However, none of this matters if I can't make a difference - no matter how small or large - in my community.
We hear so much about groups of youth doing incredible things around the world, inspiring change that will shape our future into something entirely different from what we have now. A tomorrow where everyone is accepted, there is equity if not equality for every single human - nevermind race, sexuality, gender identity, social status or economic status. Right now, it seems unfathomable. A future where a woman will not get harassed on her walk home? Where a person of colour is paid the same as any other? Where the stigmatization surrounding the LGBTQ2A+ community in the forms of harassment and discrimination is dissipated completely? It's far, yes, but not impossible. And it starts with movements like these that push young people out of what society thinks they can do and allows them to shape the future they want.
I hope that by being elected as your city youth counsellor, I can help facilitate part of that change.
For you. For me. For us.
My door is always open for anything!! Feel free to DM me on Instagram: @vidyapandiaraju, or email me whenever: panvi@utschools.ca
<3
V
