A story of perseverance: Caelyn Parker_.

For Caelyn Parker, perseverance means not letting what has happened in your life define you and allowing those events to write your story. She is a firm believer in finding an alternate route to achieve one’s goals, and she lives her life true to this belief.

When Caelyn was 12 years old, her mom became sick and was unable to continue working. At the time, Caelyn was playing hockey at an elite level which required a sizeable financial commitment. Because of the financial difficulties her family now faced, Caelyn was no longer able to continue playing with her hockey team.

Caelyn did not give up on her commitment to sport, however. She began collecting recyclables and returning them to the recycling depot to make some extra money. After realizing that this would not cover the financial gap, Caelyn began her own woodworking business, Caelyn’s Creations, and was on her way to keeping up with the financial commitment required for the team.

Although this was not the standard path for most 12-year-old aspiring hockey players, Caelyn has learned valuable lessons from the hardships she faced. She formed connections with many community members by setting up at local markets to sell her creations and learned the true value of earning a living. She understood early on to appreciate the work it takes to buy something seemingly as simple as a new pair of skates and the work ethic needed to achieve goals.

Caelyn hopes to one day give back to her community in the same way that the community gave to her, and because of this, she has high aspirations for her career. Caelyn’s long-term goal is to become an architect with a focus on designing sustainable homes. She plans to study Environmental & Sustainability Studies at Acadia University in the Fall. After completing this degree, she will complete a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies and Master of Architecture at Dalhousie University.

We would like to congratulate Caelyn on being selected as the 2022 MacGillivray Law Perseverance Scholarship recipient and wish her all the best in her future career!