2016 Youth Digest

Chief Editor 3Youth Editor 4Youth Profile: Nursing 5Youth Profile: Entrepreneur 6Adoption 7Coping with Stress 8Choosing a Career 9Beyond Books 10Failures Bring Success 11My Trip to Greece 12Health and Fitness 13What’s in a Smile? 14Professional Features 15 Main Departments• Professional Development• Youth Mentoring• Character Building• Global Networking• Financial Issues• Spiritual Development“My mentor from youth to adulthood” -2-

he idea of this magazine came to me from looking over my own experiences when I was in thetransition period between youth and adulthood. The contents have been carefully selected for the promotion ofprofessional and personal growth and were important areas to me and many of us when we were trying to findour place in the adult world. I am grateful to the many mentors I had to help me in my spiritual, personal andprofessional development. It is my wish to create a median to help me and other like-minded people to pass onthis knowledge and provide a method for the sharing of ideas. This is the reason why I wished to produce theYouth Digest.‘Success’ here is not to be measured solely in terms of monetary gain or popularity. The goal of this publication isto go beyond that and to genuinely help youth achieve personal growth. To this end, the articles and interviewspresented in this publication are designed to be a platform on which youth can make informed and intelligentdecisions as they approach adulthood.Another noteworthy feature of the Youth Digest publication will be our honesty and willingness to publish morethan just success stories, which youth might not always associate with. We also intend to publish articles thatstress the importance of failures in leading to personal growth and future success. Our magazine will include a lotof researched facts and statistics coming from Stats Canada, the U.N., other public and private organizations andour own company’s research.Youth Digest will further stand out as a publication that brings together youth from all backgrounds regardless ofreligion, ethnicity, sexuality, cultural background and socioeconomic status. We at Youth Digest wish torecognize and celebrate youth from all backgrounds.I would like to thank those who contributed their time and resources to get the magazine started. These includethe Youth Editor, the writers and opinion leaders. I look forward to continuing to work with you to make thispublication a great success.Best WishesTyrrel Igantius, AICB, MCIMFounding President“My mentor from youth to adulthood” -3-

t is a pleasure to present to you the first issue of the Youth Digest. As the Youth Editor, I am excited tolead this source of knowledge that will be read by many youth all over the country. As I journeyed from year toyear through my adolescence, I often wished there was a source of information that I could consult when I had tomake major decisions. Parents were generally good sources, but were not always the answer. As I stepped in mylate teens and spent years working with street youth, adolescents living with Down syndrome and autism, andyouth with various mental illnesses, I realized that there was a lot more to be learned about the youth populationthan what was represented in teen and young adult magazines. Therefore, I worked with other youth to come upwith the Youth Digest in order to fulfill the need of a strong educational communication link between youthwhich many other magazines lack.This publication intends to provide a medium through which youth of various educational, social, cultural, andreligious backgrounds can come together as one to raise issues and share their experiences, successes and failures,talents, thoughts, and resources in order to learn from one another. In this issue we have presented youth profilesregarding career challenges youth have faced and how they have overcome them. We have also included articleson various social challenges (such as suicide, crime, drugs, street life, etc.) youth are facing today both locally andinternationally, and how these issues are being dealt with by family members, peers, social institutions, thegovernment, and society at large. Finally we also present articles on health, humour, entertainment, and talentedyouth.As a youth, I welcome all of you aboard on this great journey of learning. I encourage you to lookout forupcoming discussion topics and share your thoughts and experiences by writing brief articles and allowing othersto learn from your experience. Do not forget that the real purpose of all this is to raise awareness of various youthissues ignored by other magazines by finding out how other youth feel about and deal with certain challenges sowe may all enhance our learning and use this learning to help guide our decisions regarding everyday challengeswe face. So I encourage you to flip this page and open the door of an excellent educational and learningexperience!Best regards,Nomi RakaposhiYouth Editor “My mentor from youth to adulthood” -4-

Name: Jennifer OtengAge: 22Location: Hamilton, OntarioCareer choice: Nursing at McMaster UniversityWhy I chose nursing: I have What I do in my spare time: I Where I see myself five yearsalways wanted a career where I work at a clinical center to help from now: I see myselfcan help and care for others, as junior university students with pursuing studies at the graduatewell as play a productive role in their clinical nursing skills. I level after having worked intheir development, recovery the clinical field for a few years.and education. I believe a Eventually, I would like tocareer as a nurse encompasses become a nurse specialist.all these goals and hasdefinitely proven to be a Advice for other youthrewarding choice. Anothermajor reason for my choice was considering nursing: Ithe career opportunities withinnursing such as specialization, encourage youth thinkinggraduate studies, and teaching. about nursing to make the rewarding decision to go into this field. If you have a passion for helping others, being thereWhat nursing has made me for them, and are adaptable torealize: I have come to realizethat through my strength and multiple settings andsupport throughout mypatients’ weakest moments can personalities, then youthtruly make a difference in apatient’s life. I want to be part love hanging out with my should definitely considerof that difference! friends and traveling. I also enjoy listening to R&B and nursing. It’s never too late to various other types of music. make a difference! “My mentor from youth to adulthood” -5-

Name: Gus G. LazopoulosAge: 23Location: Toronto, OntarioCareer choice: Entrepreneur, Industrialist, Corporate LeaderWhy I chose Entrepreneurship: and wiser people and learned a and have fun. Most of myI have always had the drive to great deal. I know that I have traveling will be business asbe my own person since the more abilities and opportunities well as some pleasure. I knowday I was born. I haven’t found than I have realized. I also for a fact I do not see myselfa single thing in my life that’s realized that nothing should get living an ordinary life livingmore fun than business. I love in our way and we should Paycheck to Paycheck!!the excitement, New Ideas, and follow through with ourthe people I associate with. This dreams to the better end. Advice for other youthall keeps me alive!! It is a very considering Entrepreneurship: Iinteresting experience seeing What I do in my spare time: encourage many of theyourself grow and also to go On my spare time I like to ambitious Youth to come andthrough the start-up process catch up on some reading and give it your best shot and doand the challenges that come upgrade my skills. Also I love not give up on your dream. Towith it is all a priceless recreational activities including be an Entrepreneur takes a lotexperience. I thank God Golf, Squash, going to the gym of hard work and dedicationeveryday for that Inspiration. and taking long walks. but the rewards at the end are amazing. When you have anWhat Entrepreneurship has Where I see myself five years idea write it down on papermade me realize: I realized that from now: I see myself post it on the wall and thenwhen I have decided to become confidently running a implement it slowly. You willan Entrepreneur is the day I successful Business in the be surprised how far you can gofound myself. I know all of my Industries of my choice. Also I by just doing it!! I wish all oflife my thinking was always see myself doing a lot of the Youth the best of luck indifferent from the kids my age. traveling as I enjoy seeing new their career choices and to theI always hanged around older places, learn about new cultures future business leaders. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” 6

By Dr. Jan Hatanaka but it is also part of the ‘sacred’ Adopted families frequently story of the parents and siblings. endure probing questions about I would like to talk to you Together they must integrate their intentions and theirabout the word adoption. What it realities brought forward from the relationship to one another suchmeans to the person who is past and weave them into hope for as: ‘What made you want toadopted. What it means to those the future. adopt?’whose family has been shaped byadoption. What it seems to mean What it seems to mean to Let’s describe the subtextto everyone else. everyone else. of these questions. ‘Excuse me stranger. For no apparent reason,To the person who is adopted The word adoption seems other than to satisfy my own The word adoption to give some sort of unauthorized curiosity, I would like you to permission to strangers to ask describe for me, why you woulddescribes how one came to their extremely personal questions see fit to choose to live withfamily. Yes, it brands a person about a person’s heritage. Let me someone that you did not reallywith the fact that they have a give you a few real life examples: have to. Were you desperate?history that includes loss. But A stranger, who might notice Were they desperate?’ These arewhat that loss is and why it came ethnic difference between a parent skeptical comments that questionabout is as individual as each and a child, will feel it is their the very nature of the love thatperson who is affected by it. The right to ask: ‘Are you adopted?’ one person might have forword ‘adoption’ means: ‘I belong another.to a group of people who love me.I too have a family’. Every I ask curious folks to pleaseadopted child, like each biological consider why you might be asking.child has its own story. Whether Why would you need to know? Iftheir ‘sacred’ story challenges you feel that you have a specificthem or feeds them defines who reason then by all means enterthey are. into a conversation. You will find that the experience of adoption is aThose whose family is shaped by sacred one that has the potential ofadoption bonding people together in truly extraordinary ways. But if the The word adoption means answer to your quest is: ‘I am‘Now, we are whole. We have asking because I am simplybeen waiting and are finally curious’, feed your curiosity bycomplete because our missing link entertaining yourself some otherhas arrived’. Adoption affects way. Do not entertain yourself byevery person who makes up part of asking someone to share theirthe family. Adoption is part of the sacred story. They are simply too‘sacred’ story of the adopted child, precious to be wasted. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” -7-

HOW TO DEAL WITH STRESS You may experience temptation and try to worry too much(Mentoring Article) regarding the situation but youBy John Ramsay should not give into such negative thoughts.Here is very practical article onhow to deal with day-to-day Once you know you are doingstress. I am writing with my your part well then get on withpersonal experience and how I am the rest of your life and don’tdealing with it now even as an ever think about what you areadult. facing at all.I am not going into any medical or Then analyze the situation Some very practical ways tocounseling type of stress solutions. you’re facing and find forget your problem and cheerThis is some advice I have got solutions. You can think of up is to go and enjoy goodfrom others and my own practical your own practical company, your family or friends.solutions with several years of solutions to the situationexperience. and also seek help from You can also do some other others such as your family, things which may bring aStress is something we all have to friends or mentors smile to your face like, sports,deal with on a day-to-day basis. music, going out for movie orSome of us have more and others Then you must have an what ever you like doing as aless due to many reasons. But the action plan over the hobby.most important thing about stress problem you are facing andis that “Stress is not what is execute the both plans Finally you must also look athappening to you, but how you the world around you andtake what is happening”. know that, there many who are facing more challengingHere are some solutions to cope situations than you and bewith stress happy your situation is less worrisome. - Spiritual side is the first step. Whichever the faith You must have a very John Ramsay sent this article from you have you must pray positive attitude that you USA who is a Real Estate Investor. If and seek Gods guidance are going to overcome this you have any question to John please and blessings. situation. write to us. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” -8-

By Julian Roberts – Professor of Criminology Oxford University London England. school as long as necessary and yourself some role models and don’t drop out merely to makeHOW TO CHOOSE A CAREER money. I know a lot of gifted emulate them. As I mentioned-THAT EXPRESSES YOUR students who dropped out beforePERSONALITY going as far in school as they from the outset, having wished for this reason. Once youMentor Article leave post-graduate studies it is successful models is as important hard to go back. Third, find In my professional life I in the workplace as it is in life.have been thebeneficiary of many Fourth, take some time – a daymentors. Without thehelp of these people I or a few days – every year awaycan honestly say that Iwould not have become from work in order to evaluatean academic. Here issome advice that I can your progress. I findoffer to young peoplestarting out. First, that doing this giveschoose a profession thatpermits you to express me some distanceyour personality. Don’tget sidetracked into a and allows me to re-profession for reasonsrelating to peer or align my prioritiesparental pressure, orfinancial incentives. and ensure that myUltimately we spend alot of our time at our professionalworkplace and it needsto be a place you look activities areforward to going to.Otherwise work will consistent with mybecome what it is(unfortunately) what it long-term goals.is for so many people,merely a way of earning Finally, and thisa living. Second, stay in comment is directed to anyone who works in an organization (most of us): don’t lose your sense of humour. Having a sense of humour helps to place professional problems in perspective and enables you to leave the workplace at the end of the day with a positive outlook. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” -9-

EDUCATION IS BEYOND before we try to seek dress to the occasions. Such asBOOKS employment or higher studies. interview, networking events and looks neat and tidy asMENTORING ARTICLE GOOD NET-WORKING person. They say first impression SKILLS. always count and personalityI am very happy that I was They say what matters is not shows your character andinvited to write an article for what you know? But who knows professionalism both.this publication and to be a you and whom you know? So goMentor for it. As a student I can out and make many contacts as VOULNTTER WORKshare my experience and also possible. Say like your schoolnow as a grown up person events, church, neighborhood Any profession you want toworking as a business mentor in and professional associations. pursue you must have hands onAustralia experience beyond paper FRIENDLY ATTITUDE qualifications. Any professionalWe all know when that we all To build any good contacts or organization usually hasstrive hard at high school to get relationship you must be the first association for members. So youto the university and then after to introduce yourself and make must join and offer few hoursuniversity to pursue our dram others want to be in touch with and get involved. This will givecarrier? And on the other hand you. This will also bring you a you contacts and experiencethey’re others who don’t go as lot of contacts. You must both. Say for example if youfar as university but make a good approach people with a nice want to be an Accountant youliving with other non-academic smile and then leave them with a must join as a student membertraining. very good impression. and volunteer time to gain experience and good contactsBut gaining all this and PERSONALITY both. This can also improve yourpreparing yourself do you think This may sound very simple but networking skills both.we are prepared to meet the yet it’s very important. How you I think I can add a few more butworld? or make our I will continue in the next issue.contribution? No we need more Mary Morrison is a self-than just paper qualifications to employed business practionerunderstand how we can face the who lives and work in Australiaprofessional world out there You can contact her through herwaiting for us. our publication Head Office, if you like more information onHere some areas we should the subject matterconsider seriously to equip “My mentor from youth to adulthood” - 10 -

Tyrrel Ignatius If you look at political freedom running successful companiesToronto, Ontario fighters like Nelson Mandela who had many failures and who fought against Apartheid learned from them and becameEvery successful individual has in Africa and was imprisoned successful. There is a saying,been successful, but not for 27 years. However he never “Be humble in victory and bewithout failure. Many of us do gave up and went on lobbying courageous in failure.” Thethings and always naturally for freedom and finally became people who fail are better thenlooking to be successful; the First Black African those who only dream but don’thowever, there is a time due to President in South Africa. accomplish anything.many reasons we don’t achieve There are many successfulsuccess instantly. If we all think entrepreneurs today who are Therefore, always rememberthat success has to be always any challenge, which comesfast and no failures some of us your way, is a part of the pillarcan be only failures. When you to success and don’t make it aput your mind on something pillar to fail. You can turn yourlike Education or Professional own failures, learn from themgrowth, the end results what and move towards success. Likewe look is success. But we must every other thing, you must bebe prepared that when we do prepared to pay a price for yournot accomplish a given task we success by facing reality andhave not failed. We should look challenges to get what youat the reasons and then try want as long as you stayagain with the lessons we learn focused and committedfrom the failures to achieve ourset goals. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” - 11 -

George Stravopoulos We went to one of the famous ouzo’s while we are at it. WhenNew York, NY, USA islands, Paros they call it and things get wild at the bouzouki enjoyed a whole week of fun people even break plates, it’sI want to share with all of you over there. We were on the part of the Greek Culture.my experience while I was beach swimming, diving,visiting Greece. Greece is one Jetsking, playing beach We took many day trips as wellof the most beautiful countries Volleyball, and of course and visited some of the Greekin the world. The mountains checking out the babes. The Villages. It was a veryare nice and gives that food and restaurant historical moment as we droveEuropean touch, the people are environment amazes me as by the grape yards and sawfriendly and the culture amazes they serve you with the people work manually pickingme. I have met a lot of nice Mediterranean cultures. We got grapes. Overall my trip topeople there and made good to sit on the straw chairs with a Greece was memorable and asfriends too. The nightlife is live band with Greek music a Youth I would say thatawesome as people party until which made it a very pleasant Greece is one the best place to7:00 AM and the women are moment. At nights we would visit for people who are youngbeautiful and love us North go to the bouzouki and listen to and want to have a good time.American guys. They think we live music and have a couple ofare different. “My mentor from youth to adulthood” - 12 -

Mark Spenser, Vancouver, BC snack and always have a light saying you have to join a gym supper two to three hours and become a body builder butWhat I have noticed today in before bedtime. It is also good start with the basics. Try takingthe youth is that many of them to have a light snack before bed a half an hour walk everydo not take care of their health as well. Try to keep away from evening. Walking is one of theproperly and many of youth Junk food such as Chips, Pop, best exercises you can get as ittend to get overweight. I would and Fast Food. Occasionally keeps your heart rate going andlike to add some tips on how to you can take a break from your gives you a lot of energy. Alsomanage your eating habits and diet but do not make it a habit do some stretch exercises atalso to get proper exercise that to eat that food. home. There are many videoswill not only make you look out there that have self-better but it will also give you Exercise is also an important exercises that won’t result youmore energy to function component to managing your in spending money onproperly throughout your day. health and weight. I am not expensive machines.The first thing you should look Overall my message to myat is your eating habits. It is fellow youths is keep fit andimportant that you eat properly keep healthy. It will help youand to also know what vitamins with your self-esteem as youyour body requires. It is always will feel good about yourselfgood to have a good breakfast, and you will also have moreas you are about to start your energy to cope better with yourday. In the middle of the day-to-day life.morning have a fruit and have agood lunch as well. During theafternoon hours have a light “My mentor from youth to adulthood” 13

Octavia Diaz uptight and they do not realize thing I did notice is visibleForeign Student in Canada that they have it good here. minorities from East Asia and Many individuals here in North South American countries areI am from Brazil and I have a America and some European the friendliest individuals Ivery strong culturalbackground. I have traveled all countries show a lot of misery have met and they alwaysover Europe and North and they don’t even know that wear a smile and bring joy toAmerica and I am now it could be a lot worse for other people’s lives.studying in Canada. I have them. Many people in Thirdnoticed that many citizens from world countries are suffering My final message to theNorth America and Europe are and do not have enough food or youth is that a friendly smilelacking a friendly smile. People water to drink and they always is priceless. It brings manyare always in a rush or they are show a smile on their face. One joys and wonders to othertoo stressed out and it shows. people’s lives, which addsMy message to the youth is that more friendliness to ourit costs you nothing to have a community. Smile more andfriendly personality with a always look on the brightersmile and it also brings joy to side of life and you will feelother peoples lives, which will the positive energy that willresult in more friendly people. bring joy to you and other around you as well!I feel that some people living inFirst World countries are too

CAREER GUIDANCE - Sub-topics will include: Career benefits, Career requirements, Resources at their disposal.This section will provide guidance to make career choices by understanding the talents and opportunities of the youth andthe resources that are available to them.MOTIVATION - Sub-topics will include: Motivational Speakers, Inspirations, and Energy Work.We will give inspiration to our youth that hard work does pay off in the long run. We will have motivational articles andsuccess stories that will inspire them to work hard and pursue their dreams and ambitions.ROLE MODELS - Sub-topics will include: Success Stories, Biographies.We will have successful youth leaders contribute articles and interviews to inspire youth.CURRENT INTERNATIONAL YOUTH ISSUES - Sub-topics will include: Crime Rates, Youth Education.We will discuss situations around the world that are arising on a day-to-day basis. This will include peer-pressure situations,youth crime issues, direction of today’s youth and statistics.YOUNG TALENT - Sub-topics will include: Tapping into your hidden talents, Developing talents and skills.Here we will discuss how the youth can tap their talents. It will provide information and inspiration on how to developthese talents for the good of themselves and society.YOUTH FORUMHere we will have youth submit articles on their experiences and the issues they face today. This will allow readers to knowthat they are not alone in facing certain issues.RESOURCE GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENTIn this section we will list resources available for the youth such as government, public institutions, youth associations andclubs.HEALTHIn this section we will discuss how to stay in healthy. This will include eating habits, exercise, and dealing with stress on aday-to-day basis.ART & CULTURE/SOCIAL ISSUESHere we will include articles on the arts and how to understand and interact with different cultures.ENTERTAINMENTIn this section we will have articles on youth trends in entertainment and leisure activities.FUTURE ARTICLESIn this area, we will highlight the main features of our next issue. The addition or subtraction of certain departments mayalso occur depending on the response of the readers, and further research findings.“My mentor from youth to adulthood” 15

ADVERTISING SPACE One stop Online Virtual Mentoring centreFor your career guidance and professional development visit our resource centre Myownmentor.com Share knowledge, and help develop your skills with youth, professionals and businessmen. Practical educational courses to enhance your knowledge Please feel free to send valuable articles for the site For more information, contact mentor business services Tel: 416 488 0651 Email: [email protected] Features coming soon 16 “My mentor from youth to adulthood”