Crystal S. Lewis

Canada

Although I was not sponsored through my work, I would like to give a special thank you to my sponsors from Coady, my Squamish community (Squamish Nation), and the Indigenous Climate Action Network for sponsoring my education and travel. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them, and I am grateful for their ongoing support. I am here because of my passion to learn and my devotion to becoming a stronger leader. Thank you Coady for having me back and for all your support and guidance.

As a leader, I am always learning, unlearning and growing. My leadership is largely based on the idea of, “if you don’t, who will?” Meaning, you can’t wait for others to make changes for you. You, yourself, have to be the change maker. In doing so, I have been recognized as an actively involved community member who has been a part of various projects, opportunities, and initiatives.

“What I hope to gain from Coady is more knowledge, tools and skills that I can bring back to my community, and implement into my (second) project. I strive towards self-growth and I love to find new ways to challenge myself.”