Ruth L.

Biography

Originally from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Ruth L. was born during the aftermath of the civil war. After seeking political asylum in Nairobi, Ruth along with her mother and sister struggled in adverse conditions living in cramped quarters with numerous people trying to avoid deportation. In 2004, Ruth’s family was sponsored to come to Canada and they started out in Winnipeg with 18 refugee family members. In, 2005 they came to Calgary and in 2006 they sponsored Ruth’s father to come to Canada. It was incredibly hard during this time for Ruth to focus on her studies amidst the challenges with her family’s living situation and health challenges.

Once her family found some stability, Ruth was finally able to concentrate on her education and truly appreciate the sacrifice her parents made to try to provide a better future. She got involved in sports, the church and her community. In 2016, Ruth was ranked second in her committee for the annual Alberta-wide High School Model United Nations Conference at the University of Calgary.

Ruth’s various projects in recycling, composting and sustainable eating throughout high school led to her being awarded the 2016 ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Award for Environmental Advocacy. She also received the David E. Mitchell Award, her high school’s alumni legacy bursary and the prestigious Chancellor’s Club Scholarship. She looks forward to entering the Bachelor of Health Sciences program in fall 2016.