Get to know our LDA’s!

16 young people from all over Canada have travelled to Mexico to complete a 14 week program where they study a social justice curriculum, learn Spanish, volunteer in the community, build a home for a family, and make some awesome friendships along the way! Our LiveDifferent Academy students also all have personal goals they want to accomplish in their time with us – check out some of the awesome plans they have to make a difference in their own lives, and in the lives of others. 

I hope to get a better sense of how life is in a different part of the world, learn a new language and make a difference in other peoples lives. – Ryan, Rosenort, MB

I hope to learn more about myself and another part of the world. I hope to learn from many different experiences in Mexico and apply it to my life back home. – Carrington, Clarksburg, ON

More than anything else I hope to gain a stronger sense of who I am as a person and to gain better perspective on what I can do with my life. – Nolan, Victoria, BC

This fall in Mexico I cannot wait to start volunteering in the community, especially teaching English at the elementary schools. I am looking forward to learning about the Mexican culture and speaking Spanish with the locals. I look forward to how much this trip will make me grow as a person and all the amazing memories I will make. – Megan, Squamish, BC

I am most looking forward to Week in the Life and being able to truly put myself in the shoes of many people around the world. I am also looking forward to the house build and volunteer work. Lastly, I am looking forward to creating memories that will last a lifetime! – Maryssa, Mount Forest, ON

I am looking forward to having a better sense of understanding of how other people live, and to gaining a sense of what I’m doing/where I might be going with my life. – Liam, Victoria, BC

I hope to change the lives of deserving people as well as my own life. I would like to be more aware of issues in the world, and be able to do my part to spread the word about them and help fix them. I would also like to be closer to knowing what I want to do in university and for a career in the future, and how to apply my passion for helping others in a job. Lastly, I would love to meet some amazing people and get to know the other academy students, and hopefully make some friends that will last lifetime! – Sarah, Mount Pearl, NL

I want to learn Spanish, make friends, see a new part of the world, and experience a different lifestyle. – Hanna, Williams Lake, BC

I am looking forward to really taking in everything the Academy has to offer and absorbing it all to become a better person and leader. – Parker, Burlington, ON

I hope to be able to change someones life for the better. Whether that be someone I am living with, someone I meet down there, or sharing my story once I return home resulting in more people going to volunteer. I also hope to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. – Cheyenne, Winnipeg, MB

During my time here in Mexico, I am probably most looking forward to being forced out of my comfort zone. Trying new foods, meeting new people, learning new languages. By doing this I believe that it will unlock an entirely new side of myself that I cannot wait to see. I’m excited for it all. Bring on the change! – Madi, Edmonton, AB

I can’t wait to volunteer with the kids in the community and get to know them. – Julia, Winnipeg, MB

I hope to learn more about the world I live in and the kinds of issues people face every day that I don’t get to see. I also hope to learn more about myself as a person. I feel that I’ve done a lot of growing over the past few years and I would like to continue that trend. – David, Toronto, ON

I hope to accomplish a lot of things this year. I hope to help as many people as possible, learn as much spanish as I can, appreciate my life and school more, and experience as many new things as possible. – Lexie, Princeton, ON

I want to know that I have helped and made a difference in peoples lives. I want to say I pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I also just want to steer myself in the right direction of where I want my life to go. – Oceann, Lloydminster, AB

I am looking forward to spending the next two months alongside the fifteen other students attending academy and growing together as a team and family while creating ever lasting friendships. I am eager to overcome the challenges that we encounter, and experience how every day life is lived in Mexico. I am looking to take away anything and everything I can from Academy. – Alanna, Mackenzie, BC