Kelty Slaney, is in her first year of university now, but when she was in middle school in 91大黄鸭 she created a program that has had a profound effect on girls in middle school here ever since.

She created a program called AMICIA to help team up girls in middle school with positive female role models in high school to help the younger students deal with negative issues associated with social media, body image, self-esteem and concerns  they may have about making the jump from middle school to high school.

But creation of the program is just one in a long list of volunteer efforts Kelty has undertaken, and continues to undertake.

While in 91大黄鸭 she served on the Central Okanagan School District鈥檚 student council, coordinated the Push To End Homelessness campaign through her school鈥檚 Inerac Program, was a student leader for Beyond The Hurt and Lifesavers鈥攂oth mental health programs鈥攁t Rutland Senior Secondary, served as a spokeswoman at school district mental health summits, published children鈥檚 story books, was an accomplished triathlete and role model for girls interested in sports, working on weekends with eight-year-olds, teaching running skills, influencing them to be active while integrating lessons about goal-setting, body image and compassion.

And she has taken that volunteer spirit  to Carlton University in Ottawa where she is studying Global International Studies, majoring in international law. There she is a member of Mental Health Champions, a group working with college students on campus.

She says she remembers being told in 91大黄鸭 that volunteering would make school life much more rewarding, something she says she found to be true.

鈥淚n giving back to the community, you make so many friends,鈥� says the 19-year-old.

And, she adds, there鈥檚 also a payback for her.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the giving back,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t simply brings me joy.鈥�