Volunteer Profile: Kendra Jackson

𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐔𝐬 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟:
I am a 3rd-year science student at the University of Alberta pursuing a BSc in Immunology and Infection. Born and raised in Vancouver, I spent much of my time playing soccer and especially enjoyed working on fitness and nutrition. For the past five years, I have been a volunteer and then a summer student at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, working on orthopaedic studies and supporting the hip dysplasia program at the Hippy Lab. In my spare time, I love going outside for a run or hike!

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲?
I heard really inspiring things about the RBS from my friend, who is a volunteer. Through her, I connected with Joanne about how I might get involved. I was especially intrigued to learn about the community initiative to support the health and wellness of children and families. There is a vast amount of information in the public space that can be confusing and often unreliable, so to have the opportunity to share current, evidence-based information in an easy-to-understand way is close to my heart.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐁𝐒?
This summer marked my very first with the RBS and I had the wonderful opportunity to volunteer at the annual Mom2Mom Summer Picnic. As a summer practicum student, I am also working on updating the COVID-19 tip sheets for the RBS website by reviewing the current literature on this topic.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐁𝐒?
Dressed up in a cozy bear costume, I spent the day at the Mom2Mom picnic helping children fill their bags with books, school supplies, and bears! One of my fondest memories of the day was receiving a big bear hug from one of the kids, which has stuck with me as a reflection of the warmth and joy these community events can bring.

Altogether, this summer has been a rewarding start to my journey with Reading Bear, and I look forward to continuing to support the RBS in the future.