During this International Women’s Week, I have reflected on where I am today, and how I got here. I identify as a woman who has Down syndrome, as well as having invisible medical challenges as some of my intersectionalities. In many ways, I receive a lot of attitudes in society today related to my appearance. There is the judgement that I can’t do things, that I am not able to mature. I feel I have had to challenge everything that is said and prove them wrong. There have been several women in my life who have encouraged me to achieve my goals, such as Dr. Cindy Blackstock, Michelle Obama, and my mom, Kathryn Primrose.

I had read about Dr. Blackstock and the effort that she puts into advocating for Indigenous children and their families. I am not of Indigenous heritage, but I can align with her thoughts because of my lived experience as a person who has a visible intellectual disability. I admire the way Dr. Blackstock educated herself in several disciplines in order to be a stronger advocate. This encouraged me to strive through my education and strengthen my knowledge. My goal is to be a powerful advocate for the equity and inclusion of people who have an intellectual disability. I heard that Dr. Blackstock was receiving an award in the city near where I live, so I went to hear her speak. After, when I had the chance to talk to Dr. Cindy Blackstock, herself, we had fun together. There were a lot of topics that we covered. Dr. Blackstock encouraged me to engage publicly with people, not just people that I know and who are the same, but people who are different and don’t know about the issues. I walked away feeling empowered after my encounter with Dr. Blackstock.

Michelle Obama speaks from the heart, from the realities in life, from the experiences that she went through. Michelle Obama talks about being open minded and the importance of sharing our lives, recognizing how the people around us feel. After reading her book, I am motivated to complete my story to share. In her book, Michelle Obama talks about her real life, the times she treasures with her husband and children, the challenges they have faced and the people they met along the way. Michelle continues to live her story and to present to audiences encouraging inclusion and filling the equity gap by accepting diversity. This makes me determined to share my story to audiences and help people realize the benefits of inclusion.

My mom, Kathryn Primrose, has been there with me, everywhere. It is said, that if you believe in yourself, that is one person who believes in you, but if you have another person who believes you can do it, then there are two people who believe you can achieve your goal. I was very fortunate to have my mom in my life, she deeply and tenderly loves me and believes in me. My mom’s attitude has always been to take small steps and do a little bit everyday. This is how I work effectively to achieve my goals, whether it is writing an essay, or skiing, or rebranding my business. If there is something that I want to do, then it is me that must put the effort in, but my mom is there for support and to help me break things down and stay on track. My mom ensures that I have the dignity of risk to make my own choices and figure out how to be the independent woman that I want to be.

I am proud to be a woman and completely proud of the differences and skills that I have. I want to encourage women to believe in themselves, and pursue the goals they have set out by taking small steps everyday. I would like to see everyone work together with no separation between men and women, and no negativity related to intersectionality. I would like to live in a world where everyone is valued as who they are as a person.