A Vernon youth is being celebrated for her contribution to the global community.
Samantha Sewell, aged 18, was recently named a 2017 Global ChangeLeader. Sewell submitted her story to the Change Generation last year in hopes to inspire others to overcome their challenges.
The award celebrates youth who are making a difference worldwide in several different categories. Sewell won the award under the Finding Identity & Strength category.
Sewell, who is also Miss Canada, is a survivor of bullying and has been traveling North America speaking on the subject throughout the past three years. Sewell started a movement called “Be Someone’s Hero, not a Bystander,” for which she won the award.
Born with several speech impediments and told she would never be able to speak the same as everyone else, Sewell was bullied all throughout school. In high school, Sewell realized that bullying was an even bigger problem then she initially realized.
After she was severely bullied by a teacher in Grade 9, she decided she would be part of the solution. Sewell started the movement in Grade 11 when she won her first pageant title. She then began speaking to audiences about her experience and how it took another teacher standing up for her to realize she was not alone.
As Part of winning this award, Sewell was featured in Kelly Lovell’s The Power of YOUth by Kelly Lovell, which featured all 200 selected 2017 Global ChangeLeader Award winners.
Sewell hopes to use her Global ChangeLeader Award to speak at more schools about Live Out Loud Charity and the importance of “Be Someone’s Hero, not a Bystander.”
Sewell is also the Candian Ambassador for Live Out Loud Charity and shared her story on stage at Chicago fashion week last November.
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