1. Where do you work? What do you do?

I work at Ernst & Young LLP here in London in the Assurance group. I’m working towards my Chartered Accountant designation so I spend quite a bit of time auditing and what feels like an equal amount of time studying!

2. How long have you lived in London?

I’ve been in London my whole life, including the years I spent in University.  

3. What is your involvement with fundraising and/or volunteering?

I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in a number of different fundraising and volunteering activities in the city and beyond. Most recently, I served as Executive Director of Ivey Connects, the philanthropic organization housed at the Richard Ivey School of Business.  While I was a part of that program, I also got to visit Costa Rica with a volunteer team where we worked in the schools and taught English. I’ve also done a fair bit of volunteer work with United Way of London and Middlesex on their GenNext and ThinkCommunity initiatives.

4. Why are volunteerism and philanthropy important to our generation?

Getting involved in our community is a great way to meet fantastic people and learn about how people in our community live. Particularly as we start our careers, I think volunteering is a remarkable way to develop your skills and learn new ones. For me, the idea of doing something little to make a huge impact on another person’s life is why I volunteer. It’s such a great feeling.

5. You have $20 to your name. How do you spend it?

Back to basics! Lemons, sugar, water, a pitcher.

6. What would you like to see from GenNext in the next 2 years?

I’d love to see GenNext as a space where talented and socially conscious people are able to get together, share ideas and get inspired to act. 

7. Do you feel our community does enough to involve our generation? Would you have suggestions to change this?

I think it is easy for the community to lose touch with our generation because we’re a difficult group to reach out to. We’re also one of the most fluid generations, moving jobs, cities and countries more often than our parents did.  However, I think that as young adults, we often don’t have much money to give, but do have lots of energy to share. I think our community would best engage our generation by offering new experiences and a way to contribute that doesn’t always involve money.

8. What is the best movie you’ve seen recently?

Definitely Avatar! The technology is very cool and the movie has a great message. Absolutely worth seeing.

9. What country or city do you most want to visit? Why?

I had the opportunity to visit the Great Wall of China this past summer so now I’m a little bit addicted to the Wonders of the World. I think next on my list is Machu Piccu. 

10. If you were living on the streets, would you rather have food or shelter for the night?

I think I would choose shelter.