Vanessa
I was waiting for my continuing education class to start and was sitting in a hall of a building on campus. Near me was a table staffed by students in yellow t-shirts handing out snacks and having friendly chats with students who were passing by. I wasn’t aware what was going on but I assumed it was students recruiting volunteers for a campus activity. I was struck by the friendly energy of those staffing the table and the positive response of students pausing for a snack and a chat. As I prepared to leave, I stopped to inquire what it was all about and this young woman was happy to explain it to me. Meet Vanessa.
Vanessa was running for the office of President of the Student Union and with elections in full-swing, the table was a last-minute push by Vanessa and her team to appeal for votes. The theme of her campaign was REFRESH which meant Vanessa was promising fresh energy to represent the students and to rebuild trust in the student union. Vanessa was more than willing to give me some of her time, even though this was a crucial time on the last day of voting. I could see that she would make an excellent portrait subject and when I asked her to participate in my Human Family project she didn’t hesitate. She parked her backpack and coat at the campaign table and I took a few photos in the hall, followed by exchanging contact information.
Vanessa is 22 and came to Toronto 5 years ago from London Ontario to attend university. She is a Criminology major, explaining that she feels the best way to achieve social change is through the law. I was struck by her energy and friendliness and I found myself hoping that she would win the election. Without knowing a lot about the student issues, I felt her quickness, friendly manner, confidence, and good communication skills would serve her well as Student Union President.
Vanessa’s advice to her younger self was “Trust yourself, feel worthy, and take every opportunity life offers you.” When I asked about a challenge she has faced in life she said “Being raised by a single mother… but that turned out to have an advantage in that it provided me with an excellent role model for the strength of women.” She went on to gesture to her team of supporters at the table behind her and said “You will notice that everyone on my team is a man and they have been fantastic at supporting my candidacy helping me run a strong campaign.” Vanessa pointed out that she is, in fact, the only female candidate running for President.
I learned that in her spare time (what spare time she has), Vanessa is a creative sort. She enjoys art, poetry, and visiting the city’s galleries. I found a reference online to Vanessa's social activism. She was interviewed last year at a women's march in Toronto.
Vanessa’s message to the project is “We are all in this (life) together. We must love one another.”
I found Vanessa to be exceptionally warm, personable, and energetic. When I asked when she would know the results of the election she said “Tomorrow. Today is the last day of the campaign.” I told her I hoped she would be having a victory party tomorrow and wished her well in her school and career goals.
FOLLOW-UP:
The next day I looked online and was pleased to see that Vanessa was elected President of the Student Union by a considerable margin. Congratulations Vanessa!
This is my 825th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Vanessa
I was waiting for my continuing education class to start and was sitting in a hall of a building on campus. Near me was a table staffed by students in yellow t-shirts handing out snacks and having friendly chats with students who were passing by. I wasn’t aware what was going on but I assumed it was students recruiting volunteers for a campus activity. I was struck by the friendly energy of those staffing the table and the positive response of students pausing for a snack and a chat. As I prepared to leave, I stopped to inquire what it was all about and this young woman was happy to explain it to me. Meet Vanessa.
Vanessa was running for the office of President of the Student Union and with elections in full-swing, the table was a last-minute push by Vanessa and her team to appeal for votes. The theme of her campaign was REFRESH which meant Vanessa was promising fresh energy to represent the students and to rebuild trust in the student union. Vanessa was more than willing to give me some of her time, even though this was a crucial time on the last day of voting. I could see that she would make an excellent portrait subject and when I asked her to participate in my Human Family project she didn’t hesitate. She parked her backpack and coat at the campaign table and I took a few photos in the hall, followed by exchanging contact information.
Vanessa is 22 and came to Toronto 5 years ago from London Ontario to attend university. She is a Criminology major, explaining that she feels the best way to achieve social change is through the law. I was struck by her energy and friendliness and I found myself hoping that she would win the election. Without knowing a lot about the student issues, I felt her quickness, friendly manner, confidence, and good communication skills would serve her well as Student Union President.
Vanessa’s advice to her younger self was “Trust yourself, feel worthy, and take every opportunity life offers you.” When I asked about a challenge she has faced in life she said “Being raised by a single mother… but that turned out to have an advantage in that it provided me with an excellent role model for the strength of women.” She went on to gesture to her team of supporters at the table behind her and said “You will notice that everyone on my team is a man and they have been fantastic at supporting my candidacy helping me run a strong campaign.” Vanessa pointed out that she is, in fact, the only female candidate running for President.
I learned that in her spare time (what spare time she has), Vanessa is a creative sort. She enjoys art, poetry, and visiting the city’s galleries. I found a reference online to Vanessa's social activism. She was interviewed last year at a women's march in Toronto.
Vanessa’s message to the project is “We are all in this (life) together. We must love one another.”
I found Vanessa to be exceptionally warm, personable, and energetic. When I asked when she would know the results of the election she said “Tomorrow. Today is the last day of the campaign.” I told her I hoped she would be having a victory party tomorrow and wished her well in her school and career goals.
FOLLOW-UP:
The next day I looked online and was pleased to see that Vanessa was elected President of the Student Union by a considerable margin. Congratulations Vanessa!
This is my 825th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.