A Kelowna Secondary Student took a life-changing injury and turned it into a world of opportunities.
Ainsley Wood was selected as one of 20 recipients of TD Scholarships for Community Leaders.
Wood’s journey to achieving the award started after a fall. She was playing with friends and family in the summer of 2020 when she fell from a tree and sustained a spinal cord injury.
The teen became a quadriplegic, losing function from the chest down and having limited movement in her hands. Wood spent a great deal of time at BC Children’s Hospital in the Sunnyhill Rehabilitation Centre. While there, she organized an accessible Halloween event for patients and the life it brought back to rehab patients.
“That was the catalyst for all my disability advocacy,” Wood said. “This was my first realization that my voice and my advocacy can make a difference in the lives of others.”
The Grade 12 student has gone on to be a guest speaker for Kelowna General Hospital, a peer mentor at Spinal Cord Injury BC, and a member of the Rick Hansen Foundation Youth Leadership Committee.
The scholarship recipients get up to $10,000 for tuition and $7,500 for living expenses for a maximum of four years. Recipients are also given summer jobs with TD or a community organization funded by TD, mentorship and networking opportunities, and the chance to meet other scholarship recipients.
“It’s really great to be inspired by so many other young individuals who are making changes in their community,” Wood said. “Of course, the scholarship money is fantastic and will alleviate any financial burdens, but it’s also the work experience and the community you get with the scholars and alumni to inspire each other and motivate each other to continue doing amazing work.”
Wood will be attending UBC Okanagan in the fall to study psychology. Although she’s keeping her options open at this time, Wood said she is considering a future in law or clinical psychology.
Two other students in B.C. also received the scholarship, Chetanbir Brar from Maple Ridge and Sara Kanafani from Richmond.
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