I never imagined I would have the opportunity to meet Canada’s Prime Minister. The opportunity unfolded through an education campaign (#EducationCan) hosted via Instagram, where myself and other young Canadians were featured on Mr.Trudeau’s Instagram page, discussing how our educations have shaped where we are today (personally pursuing a dream of space travel and one representing Canada beyond the boundaries of Earth!).

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This campaign transformed into a private round table discussion on June 1, 2016 at Parliament Hill with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and COO of Instagram Marne Levine. It was such an incredible opportunity to share our passions and ideas for positive change; specifically advocating for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), encouraging young people to embrace challenge, increasing science knowledge and literacy across our country, and investing in Canadian space technologies.

We initially met with Marne Levine and the amazing Instagram team, gaining insight into just how valuable social media is for creating conversations on important issues and storytelling. The idea that you can’t be what you can’t see is SO particularly true for women in STEM. Sometimes it’s a simple image or a story from a woman succeeding in a non-traditional role that can spark interest in young girls to realize opportunities that they never new existed. Social media is an especially powerful connector in that way.

It was an honor to be in such great company and to see Mr.Trudeau’s genuine and vested interest in young people across the nation. I am curious to see how our ideas and recommendations unfold and would be thrilled to participate in future conversations. The round table discussion with the Prime Minister, Marne Levine, and the Instagram team left me feeling even more engaged to continue my advocacy efforts and to inspire young people to dream big!