Shalee (@shaleestair) has been a Calgary Firefighter for 15 years. She tells us about the hurdles she had to jump to achieve her dream and how overcoming addiction has led her to become a mentor for other women.
1/ "My name is Shalee. I have 2 beautiful daughters, Jaxon (21) and Reiss (19). From an early age, I knew I wanted to be a firefighter and help people. I applied at 18, but they said I needed more life experience. I kept working at Safeway and started my family.
2/

Carmen Cheng is the woman behind
@FoodKarmaBlog She tells us how her passion for Calgarys food scene has inspired her to give back the community in so many ways. "Some of my fondest childhood memories include sitting around the kitchen table with my sister and cousins helping
1/ "Popo" (Cantonese for Grandmother) make dumplings or Chinese Pastries. Through sharing food, I've gained exposure to my family's stories and traditions, which has helped me developed a stronger sense of her own identity as a Canadian born Chinese woman.
2/

Today we follow up with @JessRobynLoney (@Jessica_Robyn_ on IG) for her 1 year mark of coming out as a Transgender Woman. Jessica came out to the entire city last year with the help of @awomanadayyyc @VirginRadioCalgary along with her own personal meeting with her colleagues,
1/ friends and family on November 15th 2019.
“This past year has been full of excitement, joy, and heartbreak, but I tend to look at the positives rather than those experiences that would bring me down. Living as my authentic self, has given me new hope,
2/