Standout People
Standout people: Sharon Young Kipp
“ If anything, doing that volunteer work for the United Way, has made me a better person. It's not only giving, you (also) get back more than you give. It opens you up to see what's going on in your community and how you can contribute and it forces you to grow. ”Sharon Young Kipp
AGE: 64
OCCUPATION: Phys-ed teacher at London Central secondary school
PROFILE: A teacher for more than 30 years, she was instrumental, as athletic co-ordinator, in getting funds for special projects and equipment. Known for school spirit, Young Kipp transferred that enthusiasm to her longtime volunteer work with the United Way. She has volunteered for the organization for about 12 years and chairs the football committee for the charity, along with the school campaign at Central. Her work for the organization this year earned her the Images of Hope Award, a lifetime achievement honour. She has also raised money for the Women of Excellence and the Make A Wish Foundation, vowing to raise enough money to grant one child's wish every year. She teaches students about organ donation and is involved with the transplant program at the London Health Sciences Centre. She is active with the University of Western Ontario's alumni association and was UWO's homecoming chair in 2005. Active in her teachers' union, she's served as its branch president since 1997.
MOTIVATION: Volunteering, she says, has enriched her life. She hopes her students have the same experiences and make volunteering a lifestyle.
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Standout people: Liz Akano
“Living in North America, we tend to take a lot of things for granted. I saw schools that the kids (in Nigeria) were being educated in, and it brought tears to my eyes. ” Liz Akano
AGE: 52
OCCUPATION:Information and communication technology teacher at Beal secondary school in London.
PROFILE:When Akano returned to her native Nigeria to bury her sister in 2003, she stopped to visit some rural schools. Watching kids walk eagerly into schools that were shacks brought her to tears. "Our kids here wouldn't go near those buildings, let alone walk in and sit in them. They were ready to learn; it just blew me away." Akano decided those children deserved better and started Educate the Children, a charity that aims to bridge the gap between rural and urban education systems in Africa. In Canada, Akano started fundraising with the multicultural club at Beal where she teaches. She started the club in 1994. Since then, it's been the driving force behind Black History month events at the high school and a Globe Show,which highlights various cultures. The event has grown so large it's now held on the football field. The club also holds a one-day conference in September for Grade 9 students, bringing to light issues from teen pregnancy, to drug and alcohol use and poverty that youth face. Until June last year, Akano chaired the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation's human rights committee. She stepped down because she's gone back to school and is now a master's student at the University of Western Ontario, studying educational policy.
MOTIVATION: Her father always helped people, and it rubbed off on the family. Akano hopes her acts will inspire students to realize they thrive when they help others.
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