A Motivational Speaker Shares Her Story of Transformation

Honouring the moments of my past and getting excited for the ones to come, I can’t help but recall a major event in my life that truly transformed my hopes, my goals and my thoughts from being focused solely on me, to focusing more we.

I grew up with a very regular, everyday life, but when I was in Grade 11, I began to feel really sick. Trips to a few different doctors soon revealed that I have a condition that prevents me from having children. While this is not everyone’s dream, I always wanted to have a huge family. When the news first hit me it felt like my whole world was falling apart. Visions of children laughing and running around were crushed with this brutal realization.

I became deeply depressed. I didn’t feel like caring about anyone else or anything that was happening in the world because I could only concentrate on the horrible news I’d been given. Everyday I asked myself, "Why me?"

A year later, a Free The Children speech at my school shook me out of my depression. Hearing about the atrocities that happen to children everyday, I soon realized that I wasn’t the only person in the world with problems. I realized that there were people and children out there suffering horribly and that I had the power to help.

I found myself wanting to get more involved. I dove into Free The Children projects, constantly searching the website for more resources, more fundraising ideas and more tools to help me impact the world.

I am now a motivational speaker for Free The Children, with the opportunity to impact young people the same way the speech I heard affected me. I know that I would never have had this chance if I hadn’t gone through my transformation and opened myself up to the issues affecting youth around the globe.

During this Year of We, keep your mind and heart open to learning about the people around you; in your community, in your country and throughout the world. Believe in the unbelievable and that change is truly possible! 

Shelby Pearce
Motivational Speaker/Leadership Facilitator

Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network.